By Cinthia Rico GADSDEN – Three DeKalb County teams participated in the 2023 Noccalula Falls Invitational, hosted by Gadsden City last Thursday.
Fort Payne, Sylvania, and Collinsville cross-country athletes were among the 25 Alabama teams that showcased their endurance and skills on the Noccalula Falls course.
In the Girls 500 Meter Run, Fort Payne girls finished in 2nd place with 45 total team points, behind Bob Jones with 42 points.
Kyndal Hughes led the Wildcats posting a 2nd-place finish with a time of 21:28.33. Fort Payne’s Sara Boatwright (23:22.23) and Reese McCurdy (23:34.12) also broke the top 10, taking 9th and 10th place, respectively.
The Sylvania girls posted an 8th-place finish with 241 total team points.
The Collinsville girls finished in 10th place with 261 total team points.
In the Boys 500 Meter Run, Fort Payne boys finished in 2nd place with 66 total team points, behind Randolph with 52 points.
Pablo Rodriguez led the Fort Payne boys with a 2nd place finish and a time of 17:49.79.
Teammate Samuel Moses followed in 3rd place with a time of 17:53.57, and Tyler Anthony (18:02.68) also broke the top-10 with a 5th place finish.
Sylvania’s Adrian Balderas finished in 8th place with a time of 19:14.40.
Balderas paced the Rams boys team to a 6th-place finish with 177 total team points.
The Collinsville boys finished in 12th place with 331 total team points.
Here’s a look at individual school teams, athletes, and their placements: Fort Payne High School Girls Kyndal Hughes, 2nd, 21:28.33 Sara Boatwright, 9th, 23:22.23 Reese McCurdy, 10th, 23:34.12 Ruthie Jones, 13th, 24:15.22 Arianna Ignacio, 15th, 24:25.44 Kailey Cameron, 19th, 24:41.15 Isabel Reyes, 19th, 24:44.26 Michelle Belman, 25th, 25:20.49 Libby Tallent, 49th, 27:44.16
Fort Payne High School Boys Pablo Rodriguez, 2nd, 17:49.79 Samuel Moses, 3rd, 17:53.57 Tyler Anthony, 5th, 18:02.68 Daniel Deleon, 19th, 20:23.04 Logan Bryant, 37th, 21:24.52 Ethan McElhaney, 38th, 21:42.74 Everett Horton, 43rd, 21:51.90
Sylvania High School Boys Adrian Balderas, 8th, 19:14.40 Riley Hopper, 22nd, 20:27.76 Martin Parra, 50th, 22:11.35 Luis Elorza, 53rd, 22:15.67 Amilton Lopez Juan, 61st, 22:25.41 Ernie Huerta, 62nd, 22:26.45 Gage Sanders, 70th, 22:39.29
Collinsville High School Girls Maria Hernandez, 29th, 25:39.36 Andrea Hernandez, 53rd, 28:00.91 Jennifer Coronado, 70th, 29:18.26 Alejandra Romero, 86th, 30:29.40 Lorenza Baltazar, 87th, 30:34.35 Brayleigh Smith, 99th, 32:48.90 Veronica Francisco, 102, 33:17.43
Collinsville High School Boys John Paul Barrientos, 63rd, 22:30.39 Juan Francisco, 67th, 22:32.10 Luis Felipe Miguel, 93rd, 23:21.12 Samuel Patino, 94th, 23:25.50 Pablo Lopez, 95th, 23:25.67 Jinen Shukal, 109th, 23:42.20 Yordan Alcon, 132rd, 24:40.84
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