Area teams kick off cross country season at the Rattlesnake Run in Guymon

The cross country season is officially underway, and runners from Gruver, Stratford, and Spearman got their first test of the year at the annual Rattlesnake Run in Guymon on Saturday. The meet drew schools from across the Panhandle and Oklahoma, giving local athletes a chance to measure themselves early in the season. 

Gruver 
The Gruver Lady Hounds looked sharp, placing two runners in the Top 10. Paisley Quirk led the way with a 4th-place finish in 13:43, followed closely by Halle McLain in 7th at 13:56. Gruver's depth showed with Payton Merkel (18th, 14:33), Reese Grotegut (19th, 14:40), and Jordan Schenk (23rd, 14:55) all finishing inside the Top 25. The team average of 15:15 gave the Lady Hounds one of the best overall showings of the day. On the boys' side, Gustavo Quintana crossed in 6th place to pace Gruver in 15:55, while Cesar Trejo followed in 13th at 16:25. 

Spearman 
Spearman's junior high runners got the season started with strong efforts. Clara Steger was the Lynx's top finisher, placing 6th in the girls' division with a time of 15:41. Mason Ruiz (12:43) and Christian Perez (12:46) gave Spearman two Top 10 finishes in the junior high boys' race. At the varsity level, Mary Pearson led the Lynx girls with a 48th-place finish (15:56). The boys' team was paced by Jonathan Hernandez, who took 36th, with teammate Maddox Ortiz close behind in 42nd. 

Stratford 
The Stratford Elks and Lady Elks turned out large squads, particularly on the junior high girls' side where 15 runners competed. Matti Wyatt was the top finisher, taking 15th place in 16:29. Zienna Duran led the high school girls with a 17th-place finish in 14:30, followed by a tight pack of Stratford runners all within seconds of one another. For the boys, Dominique Aguilera crossed the line in 21:50 to lead Stratford's varsity effort. 
Looking Ahead 
For all three schools, the Guymon meet was the first opportunity to shake off the summer dust and put in competitive times against a crowded field. Gruver's varsity girls looked especially strong with a pair of medalists, while Spearman's junior high contingent impressed with several Top 10 finishes. Stratford showed its depth by fielding one of the largest junior high girls' squads at the meet. 
With the Rattlesnake Run in the books, area teams will now turn their focus to sharpening times and building toward district competition later this fall.

Full Results - Local Runners 

Spearman 
JH Girls - Clara Steger 6th (15:41.39); Halle Slover 20th (17:02.83); Jaileigh Vasquez 23rd (17:09.64); Karime Munoz 24th (17:10.32); Kateyn Bailey 32nd (17:23.58); Arely Garcia 36th (17:38.15); Aileen Guzman 37th (17:41.82). 

JH Boys - Mason Ruiz 5th (12:43.81); Christian Perez 6th (12:46.29); Jesus Hernandez 22nd (14:24.65); Mason Ferguson 59th (17:30.74); Daniel Enriquez 61st (17:45.62); Juan Castenon 70th (19:42.45). 

HS Girls - Mary Pearson 48th (15:56.15); Mia Dominguez 72nd (16:42.11); Jayden Perez 77th (16:44.89); Allison Martinez 79th (16:50.54); Hannah Leach 84th (17:01.66); Kaylei Gaytan 87th (17:12.51); Aaliyah Uranga 98th (17:50.21); Emilee Salazar 112th (18:39.64); Ariel Renteria 115th (18:59.42); Valeria Enriquez 123rd (19:50.29). 

HS Boys - Jonathan Hernandez 36th (14:40); Maddox Ortiz 42nd (15:05); Ayden Hearon 60th (16:30); Colton Dehaan 79th (17:20); Leonardo Avitia 84th (17:45); Bryan Herrera 117th (19:40); Josh Galvan 122nd (20:15); Kaleb Puentes 144th (23:50). 

Gruver 

HS Girls - Paisley Quirk 4th (13:43.28); Halle McLain 7th (13:56.44); Payton Merkel 18th (14:33.52); Reese Grotegut 19th (14:40.76); Jordan Schenk 23rd (14:55.54); Ellamae Robinson 29th (15:14.77); Quincy Schibler 30th (15:15.42); Mayren Lora 47th (15:52.11); Ella Stewart 60th (16:25.97); Cynthia Gonzalez 102nd (17:56.02). 

HS Boys - Gustavo Quintana 6th (15:55); Cesar Trejo 13th (16:25); Cort Mayhew 39th (18:00); Austin Baca 47th (18:40); Angel Gaspar 52nd (19:05); Yael Mendoza 58th (19:30); James McLean 73rd (20:15); Joel Puebla 107th (22:45); Jose Ramirez 123rd (24:00); Aidin Schults 129th (24:45); Jerman Almeraz 135th (26:10). 
Stratford 

JH Girls - Matti Wyatt 15th (16:29.80); Allesandra Martinez 39th (17:42.86); Jadyn Smith 43rd (18:05.79); Roxsana Martinez 54th (18:44.90); Aliana Frizzell 58th (18:58.24); Yahaira Reyes 69th (19:44.14); Bella Roberts 70th (19:44.78); Klaryssa Torres 84th (22:17.62); Kassandra Ibarra 86th (22:31.17); Adali Reyes 89th (22:37.95); Monse Zamudio 92nd (22:43.69); Lennon Johnson 93rd (22:59.10); Sierra Hininger 94th (23:17.61); Hellen Chitic 95th (23:21.64); Alexa Vazquez 98th (23:51.05). 

JH Boys - Braun Thies 32nd (14:57.12); Isaiah Garay 33rd (14:59.56); Pablo Gonzalez 74th (21:18.45). 

HS Girls - Zienna Duran 17th (14:30.27); Ady Ibarra 43rd (15:42.98); Josey Gonzal 44th (15:44.07); Bristol Naugle 45th (15:45.41); Elizabeth Alvarez 63rd (16:28.58); Misty Wilson 65th (16:31.29); Iris Diaz 75th (16:44.09); Miranda Molina 76th (16:44.42); Breanna Lujan 101st (17:52.96); Daisy Marquez 107th (18:18.87). 

HS Boys - Dominique Aguilera 88th (21:50); Angel Alvarez 92nd (22:10); Cole Hamilton 113th (23:15); Ricardo Martinez 139th (25:40).