Los Alamos Hilltopper XC C-Team Steps Up Admirably In Varsity And JV Races At Santa Fe Indian School

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on October 13, 2023
- 6:47 am

Junior Wendy Sheppard led the Hilltopper Girls in the Varsity race with a 24:39 finish in 35th place. Photo by Blake Wood

Sophomore Rocco DelMauro placed 38th in the Varsity Boys race to led the ’Toppers with a time of 19:59. Photo by Blake Wood

LAHS News:

While the Los Alamos High School (LAHS) Cross Country JV and Varsity teams were running at a meet in Colorado, the Hilltopper C-Teams ran up in the Varsity and JV races at the John Grimley Invitational at Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS) Saturday, Oct. 7. The Hilltopper athletes stepped up admirably to this higher-than-usual level of competition.

Running in a field of 100 Varsity athletes on the somewhat-long 5k course on the campus of SFIS, the LAHS XC Girls C-Team of junior Wendy Sheppard, senior Sophia Molina-Lythe (45th), sophomore Cara Gauss (50th), freshman Esther Gellis (53rd), and freshman Ciara Colgan (76th) placed 8th of 14 schools, led by Sheppard’s 35th place finish in a time of 24:39.

The Hilltopper C-Team Boys were led in the Varsity race by sophomore Rocco DelMauro, finishing 38th in a field of 128 in a time of 19:59. He was followed by freshmen Ian McLean (60th), Gavin Bent (61st), and Desmond Powers (63rd), sophomore John Kang (66th) and junior Cyril Jaworski to place 10th of 17 schools.

Freshman Liv Niklasson led the ’Toppers in the JV race with a 4th place finish in a time of 26:35, followed by fellow-freshmen Adrien Heidlage (5th), and Aida Saleh (8th), and sophomores Angel Meng (9th) and Abigail Swigert (13th) in a field of 25 athletes. Their 2nd place team finish was only one point behind winner SFIS, 27-28. Freshman Annmarie Hernandez, freshman Aislinn Marshall, sophomore Emma Riede and freshman Sage Scott rounded out the Hilltopper team.

The Hilltopper C-Team Boys also placed 2nd in the JV race, led by freshman William Nettleton in 6th place and 20:43. He was followed by freshman Hiro Mertes (12th), sophomore Ethan Martinez (30th), freshman Adis Bock (37th), freshman Emmitt Tibbitts (47th), and freshman Joseph Snyder (53rd) in a field of 83 athletes.

Next up: The Hilltopper JV and C-Teams race at Cleveland High School Wednesday, Oct. 18, and the Varsity teams race at Albuquerque Academy Saturday, Oct. 21.

Freshman Liv Niklasson was the top ’Topper in the JV Girls race with a 4th place finish in a time of 26:35. Photo by Blake Wood