XC: Chandler Invitational offers nice intro to race season

September 5, 2014 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Running against your peers. That's the concept behind the ice-breaking Chandler Invitational cross country meet.

The annual meet, comprised this year of 38 teams, takes place Saturday Sept. 6 at Tumbleweed Park in Chandler  There are four races times two -- freshman boys and girls, sophomore boys and girls, junior boys and girls and senior boys and girls. Scoring takes the top runner from each school in each race and adding their place. For example, if a school takes first in every race their score is four.

First race is freshman boys at 8:20 a.m. followed one minute later by freshman girls. The same format boy-girl continues in the other three races with the sophomore race starting at 9 a.m., junior race at 9:35 a.m. and senior race at 10:05 a.m.

Teams entered are: Alhambra. Arizona Leadership Academy, Baboquivari, Goldwater, Basha, Buckeye, Campo Verde, Casa Grande, Chandler, Chandler Prep, Chaparral, Corona del Sol, Desert Mountain, Desert View, Hamilton, Highland, Higely, McClintock, Mesa, Millennium, Mountain Pointe, Mesa Mountain View, Notre Dame, Payson, Perry, Queen Creek, Rio Rico, Saguaro, Seton, Shadow Mountain, Sunrise Mountain, Tempe, Tolleson, Valley Christian, Vista Grande, Westwood, Wickenburg and Williams Field.

Individual champs in the 2013 races: Junior --  Marcus Wheeler, Corona boys and Carissa Diaz, Vista Grande girls; Sophomore -- Cade Burks, Perry boys and Alexis Nichols, Chandler girls; Freshman -- Slade Summers, Corona del Sol boys; Allie Schadler, Rio Rico girls. Defending team champs are Corona del Sol's boys and Corona del Sol's girls.