Cross-country team keeps improving1 min read

By
Jeff Bear
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The Scorpions cross-country teams just keep getting stronger and faster, and the results of their recent meets prove it.

At the Valley Christian Invitational in Chandler on Sept. 25, the Scorpions girls team placed second out of the nine teams competing, and the Scorpions boys placed third out of 16 teams in their division.

Individually for the girls, junior Natalie Cox placed third out of 94 runners, senior Sammie Cox placed sixth, junior Tia Myers placed 14th, freshman Kelly Vergara placed 27th and junior Isidora Neira placed 31st.

“The girls are really coming on — they’re pushing it higher and higher in these meets,” said Scorpions cross-country coach John Ortiz. “Just about everybody ran personal bests for the season.

“Kelly Vergara is really coming on. She’s PRing almost every meet.”

Among the 155 runners in the boys race, senior Travis Okie placed second, junior Kevin Alvarez placed 10th, freshman Luke Doerner placed 22nd, sophomore Denny Drotzman placed 47th and freshman Joe Glomski placed 48th.

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On the Saturday before the Valley Christian meet, which was held in the 1,200 foot altitude of Chandler, Ortiz took his teams to the Four Corners Invitational in Flagstaff for a “training run” at 7,000 feet.

At Valley Christian, Okie and Travis ran their personal records as well Ortiz said.

“So what we did at Four Corners worked out.”

For the full story, please see the Friday, Oct. 4, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.

Jeff Bear

Jeff Bear began his journalism career in 2003 as a graphic designer and sports reporter at the Weekly Register Call in Central City, Colorado. In 2007 he began working at the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, as a graphic designer, but soon transferred into the editorial department where he worked as a copy editor and sport reporter under Editor Doug Bell. After a stint as a graphic designer at American Classifieds in 2009-10, Bear began working in 2011 as a copy editor at the Arizona Daily Sun, in Flagstaff. While at the Daily Sun, Bear was tapped by the late Randy Wilson to report on local sports including Northern Arizona University and Olympic medalists training in Flagstaff for the 2012 Olympics. In 2013 Bear began working at the Red Rock News in Sedona, Arizona, where he was an assistant editor and sports editor. Bear has two daughters, Angela and Jessica, with his wife Nina. He is a singer and guitarist, an avid cyclist and hiker, and enjoys camping with family and friends.

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Jeff Bear
Jeff Bear began his journalism career in 2003 as a graphic designer and sports reporter at the Weekly Register Call in Central City, Colorado. In 2007 he began working at the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, as a graphic designer, but soon transferred into the editorial department where he worked as a copy editor and sport reporter under Editor Doug Bell. After a stint as a graphic designer at American Classifieds in 2009-10, Bear began working in 2011 as a copy editor at the Arizona Daily Sun, in Flagstaff. While at the Daily Sun, Bear was tapped by the late Randy Wilson to report on local sports including Northern Arizona University and Olympic medalists training in Flagstaff for the 2012 Olympics. In 2013 Bear began working at the Red Rock News in Sedona, Arizona, where he was an assistant editor and sports editor. Bear has two daughters, Angela and Jessica, with his wife Nina. He is a singer and guitarist, an avid cyclist and hiker, and enjoys camping with family and friends.