Hundreds of Arizona high schoolers hit the ground running at the Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix this past weekend in hopes of returning to their respective schools as champions.
While many from Southern Arizona competed, only a few finished in the top 15 of each division’s final rounds. Here’s how Tucson-area runners fared in the state cross country tournament.
In the Division II girls tournament, Ironwood Ridge High School dominated the event with four top-15 place finishes.
Senior Sorella Natale finished in second place in the 5,000 meters with a time of 19:23.40.
Sophomore Sophia Simmons came in ninth place (20:05.50), followed by senior Kylie Lederhos, who finished in 10th place and set a personal record of 20:08.90.
Isabelle Lefforge, a Mica Mountain High School freshman, placed 11th with a time of 20:10.10.
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Ironwood Ridge freshman Catelyn Parise also set a personal record with a time of 20:10.90, finishing in 12th place.
Catalina Foothills High School junior Milanni Pedraza finished in 15th (20:14.10).
The Nighthawks took home first place in team scores (45) in Div. II. Mica Mountain finished in third (141), Catalina Foothills took home ninth place (281) and Cienega finished in 11th (297).
In the boys’ Division III, Catalina High School senior and former ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV High School Student-Athlete of the Week Emiliano Caldera, took home second place in the 5,000 meters (15:43.70).
Emiliano Caldera, a senior at Catalina High School, took home second place in the 2025 Division III cross country state tournament.
Rio Rico High School left its mark on the Division III tournament by finishing in second place in the team event with a score of 110.
Julian Guillermo, a Rio Rico senior, placed fourth with a time of 15:49.80. His teammate, junior Jay Teso, finished in 14th (16:28.20).
In overall team scores, Salpointe Catholic High School placed fourth (219) and Pusch Ridge Christian Academy placed 11th (293).
In the neighboring Division IV, Benson High School took home eighth place (257) in the team event.
The Division II boys tournament was all about Southern Arizona sophomores, many of whom earned top 15 finishes.
Mica Mountain sophomore John Garcia Gamez came in fourth place with a time of 16:05.60 in the 5,000 meters.
Buena High School sophomore Damien Chavez finished seventh (16:22.00), followed by Canyon Del Oro High School sophomore Lukas Yngve in ninth (16:27.20), who also set a personal record.
The sophomore streak was broken by Cienega High School senior Abinadi Saxey, who took home 11th place (16:29.20).
CDO sophomore Lance Marek finished 15th (16:45.50) in the 5,000 meters.
In team scores, Buena placed fourth with a total score of 140, followed by Mica Mountain in fifth (155), which just edged out CDO, which ended up in sixth (156). Cienega finished eighth (193) and Flowing Wells put its name on the board with 261 points for a ninth-place spot.
In Division I, Rincon/University High School senior Finnegan Hawes claimed the No. 4 spot with a time of 16:14.10 in the 5,000 meters.
Hawes was the only Southern Arizona Division I boys runner to crack the top 15. In fact, the next Tucson-area runner to cross the finish line after Hawes was his teammate, junior Jysiah Gutierrez, in 43rd place (17:07.60).
Marana High School junior Ryan Boyle came in 45th (17:08.80) and former Star HS Student-Athlete of the Week Andrew Toy finished 56th (17:15:50).
Andrew Toy, right, a senior cross country runner at Marana High School competes in a meet at Canyon Del Oro High School on Oct. 1. He set a personal record of 16:42.7 in the 5,000 meters.
Back on the girls side, Pusch Ridge senior Hayley Floyd, of Pusch Ridge, took home fifth place in the Division III 5,000 meters with a time of 19:36.90. As a team, Pusch Ridge placed second with a score of 122.
Isabella Bravo, a Rio Rico senior, finished in seventh (19:45.90) and Savannah Koontz, a Salpointe Catholic junior, placed 14th (19:59.40), setting a season record. Salpointe Catholic placed third as a team with a score of 131.
In Division IV, Benson senior Rayleigh Olsen earned sixth place (20:38.20). As a team, Benson placed ninth (197) while Tombstone High School finished 14th (375).
Contact Elvia Verdugo, the Star’s community sports editor, at everdugo@tucson.com. A journalism and history graduate from the University of Arizona, she shares stories highlighting what makes Tucson and its community special.

