Monticello girls finish fifth, boys are sixth in Red Rock Invitational

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
It was a solid day for the Monticello High School cross country teams at the Red Rock Invitational this past Wednesday, September 25 despite some major late-summer heat in Moab.
The girls team took fifth place in the eight-team event while the boys came home sixth. Marah Long led the way for the Lady Buckaroos with a nice eighth-place overall finish with her time of 20:55.
Ayla and Allie Carling finished ten seconds apart in 15th and 17th overall with times of 22:32 and 22:42 respectively.
Lilli Burton and Alexis Bailey crossed the line 22 seconds apart in 37th and 39th with their times of 25:52 and 26:14 respectively. Xymenah Alvarado closed out the Monticello scoring in 52nd place with her time of 30:20.
Kooper Nielson led the Buckaroo boys in 20th place overall, crossing the line in 18:29. Eli Carling was 26th in 18:42, Kaden Pehrson was 35th in 19:22, and Aaron Gillette took 70th in 20:43.
Charlie Welch crossed the line in 22:32, earning 93rd overall for the Bucks. Alejandro Austin finished 109th with a 23:57. And McKay Nielson was 113th with his time of 25:18.
This Wednesday, October 2 the Monticello teams will visit Blanding to compete in the John Thornton Invitational. On Saturday, October 5 the team will head to Pagosa Springs, CO for the McGinn Memorial Challenge.