Given the challenges of COVID-19 and the fact that the team was fairly young, it was an unquestionably successful season for Sedona Red Rock High school’s cross country teams. The girls team qualified for state, despite having no seniors, only one junior, and no returning runners from the 2019 team. The boys, meanwhile, just missed qualifying for state, but sent two runners to the event individually.
As it turns out, the season was as successful for the teams in the classroom as it was on the trails.
Five of the Scorpions received all-academic honors at season’s end.
On the boys team, junior Shota Yabuuchi and sophomore Korbin Burke were named to the All-Academic Cross Country Team. Freshman Skyla Bird also made the All Academic Cross Country Team from the girls side. Her teammates on the girls team, junior Yaritza Landa and sophomore Jackie Palmer, received honorable mention for the all-academic team.
The accolades are based on how the runners performed in the classroom as well as how they did at the state championship meet in Gilbert.
Yabuuchi, Bird and Palmer all earned individual medals at state. Yabuuchi ran a personal record of 16:44.2 to finish seventh. Bird and Palmer also set personal records, finishing their races in 21:21.5 [Bird] and 21:29.7 [Palmer]. Those times were good enough for 16th and 19th place finishes.
Burke’s time at state of 18:50 was also a personal. Landa, meanwhile, ran her race in 23:21.6.
In addition to their roles on the country team and their performance in the classroom, three of the honored Scorpions — Palmer, Landa and Burke — pulled double duty for SRRHS sports during the fall season.
Palmer played on the girls soccer team while Landa was a part of the Scorpions state qualifying volleyball team. Burke split his time between cross country and the boys soccer team, which also qualified for state. In addition to his prowess on the cross country trails, Burke earned all 2A Central Region honorable mention accolades on the soccer field.
