Last Updated on October 20, 2015 – 4:57 PM CDT
Submitted by Ryne Erickson
The DJHS Cross Country team competed at the Panhandle Junior High Athletic League District Meet this past weekend in Plainview. The girls team placed 5th, finishing only one point behind 4th-place Canyon. This is the second year in a row that a DJHS girl has placed in the top 10 at District. Yaretsi Carbajal started the tradition last year, and Bionda Castillo continued it this year by finishing 10th with a time of 12:56. Aylin Castillo, Samantha Oropeza, and Joceline Hernandez finished in the top 35, while Makayla Morales, Eveline Rivero, Damita Estrada, Paola Valle and Destiny Saenz all finished in the top half of the race.
On the boys side, Canyon edged Dumas by only 3 points. For years, Canyon Cross Country has been all alone at the top of the District. After Saturday, Dumas Junior High Cross Country joined them at the top of the District. Jonathan Ventura, 7th-grader Christian Velarde and David Chavez finished in the top 10, while Aiden Venzor, Trenton Stephenson, Dylan Lucio and newcomer Ezekiel Barron placed 12th through 16th respectively. Josue Rivero, Gace Jines and 7th-grader Aaron Cantu also finished in the top half of the race.
This has been by far the most successful season in the seven-year history of Dumas Junior High Cross Country. A few years ago, Dumas struggled to field a Junior High team. On Saturday, DJHS took 37 runners to Plainview, with a caravan of Dumas families following the bus, and came within seconds of winning a district title. The future is bright for Cross Country in Dumas, and it starts at Dumas Junior High.
2.1 Mile Course at Running Water Draw Park, Plainview, TX
Boys
2nd—Jonathan Ventura, 11:09
3rd—Christian Velarde, 11:18
8th—David Chavez, 11:38
12th—Aiden Venzor, 12:03
13th—Trenton Stephenson, 12:05
14th—Ramon Loya, 12:08
15th—Dylan Lucio, 12:11
16th—Ezekiel Barron, 12:17
30th—Josue Rivero, 12:50
37th—Gace Jines, 13:00
38th—Aaron Cantu, 13:03
43rd—Luis Arenivar, 13:19
47th—Josh Hernandez, 13:32
51st—Chris Barron, 13:40
53rd—Jaime Sanchez, 13:59
54th—Socorro Rodriguez, 14:04
58th—Braden Kinikin, 14:19
65th—Jeziel Botello, 16:27
66th—Camden Williamson, 16:29
67th—Preston Williamson, 16:42
Girls
10th—Bionda Castillo, 12:54
22nd—Aylin Castillo, 13:25
30th—Samantha Oropeza, 14:01
34th—Joceline Hernandez, 14:09
45th—Makayla Morales, 14:37
58th—Eveline Rivero, 15:20
68th—Damita Estrada, 15:38
70th—Paola Valle, 15:40
72nd—Destiny Saenz, 15:42
91st—Analy Ontiveros, 17:20
93rd—Joslyn Rubio, 17:29