By Dave Burge
It’s a new name for the school but the same result in high-school cross country.
The Organ Mountain High School boys cross country team won its fourth straight district title, while the girls team finished second at the 3-5A District meet Saturday, Oct. 30 at the Organ Mountain course.
The program had previously won two dozen district championships in boys and girls varsity under the Onate High name.
Brett Bybee led the Knight boys, winning the individual championship with a time of 16:00.10 over the 3.1-mile course.
Organ Mountain had four other boys finish in the top 10 to earn all-district honors – Jeron Wisner, third, 16:35.70; Andrew Parks, sixth, 17:07.80; Corbin Coombs, eighth, 17:09.79; and Jonathan Torres, 10th, 17:24.41.
Dax Rios of Centennial finished fifth (16:59.97). From Las Cruces High, Matthew Krizek was seventh (17:08.84), and Ben Widner was ninth (17:10.54).
Alamogordo finished second behind Organ Mountain and Centennial was third. The top three teams and top three runners not on a qualifying team advance to state, which will be held at Albuquerque Academy on Saturday, Nov. 6.
In the girls competition, Josslynn Ochoa of Organ Mountain took third (21:01.50). Teammate Wren Hofacket was eighth (22:17.86), and Sydnee Jimenez was 10th (22:47.33).
Layla Lazarin of Mayfield was seventh (21:38.27) and Aaliyah Schartzer of Centennial was ninth (22:18.75)
Alamogordo won the girls team title, and Centennial was third.