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Flash Results, Story - by Salomon Gonzales

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Boys 2:00
Girls 2:30

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Prior Years 2005
2004

Flash Results! Arizona dominates, though Tebo and Velarde represent NM power read the story, top twenty results

Nadya Bishton and Matt Tebo led the borderwar with individual wins
pics by Margot Kelly
Photographer Arizona Varsity.com

The Grand Canyon State vs the Land of Enchantment
Saguaro vs Yucca
Tombstone vs Young Guns??

When you think about the southwest you think about New Mexico and Arizona. Scenes of Saguaro and Yucca cacti dance in you dreams as you ponder the act of moving to the southwest. You dream of a quiet, slow paced hot town where you can retire in peace. That is the Southwest of travel magazines; and that will not be the scene this weekend at Tempe, Arizona. Instead visitors will be amazed at the sight of 90 high school superstars racing around the ponds, fields and hills of Kiwanis Park. The best that the two states have to offer will shoot it out just like it was done in the “ole west.” But they will have to wait for two hours to pass after “high noon” to draw their revolvers

Boys Preview
This gunfight will be fast and furious from the outset, as the frontrunners for each state are some of the quickest gunslingers in the nation. New Mexico will be led by Footlocker National Finalist Matt Tebo of Eldorado. The senior from Albuquerque has been in a lot of duels in his time and he is tuning up for a rematch with two gunslingers from California. But he better not look past the super fast Victor Zazueta of Desert View. Zazueta was the Doug Conley Champ and finished 13th at the Footlocker West Regional last fall. He will be out to defend his home turf against the favored TEBO. The New Mexico “Young Guns” are missing a few outlaws but Coach William H. Bonney is not worried, “We will be without Ben Johnson, Dustin Martin, Gareth Gilna and the Pittman Brothers but we are bringing a strong group of outlaws from all over the state. From the four corners area we have Ryan Nez and Sammy Smith. From the metro area we bring Josh Bueno, Cory Kalm and Bryce Palmer. From “ole Norte” we have Patrick Ortiz (the fastest gun in PECOS) and Tony Sanchez. Oh and we have that southerner Nick Barera.” Arizona Coach Johnny Ringo was confident when he talked about his supporting cast, “Tim Freriks of Mingis is as quick as they come and his buddies Daniel Lovell and Matt Boughton are no slouches either. Those Young Guns from New Mexico better be ready to duel it out at the Kiwanis Coral.” The home course advantage has been huge over the past two seasons of the Border War. The Arizona Boys were able to defeat New Mexico and Nevada the last time this race was contested on Arizona dirt. Last season on the Albuquerque Academy campus the boys from the Land of Enchantment kept the trophy for their very own. At first glance the Arizona Boys seem to have the advantage since their was only a 40 second gap between their 1st through 15th runners, while the New Mexico team has a 60 second spread. But most of the boys from New Mexico will be enjoying the extra air that they will be breathing down in Tempe. Look for this war to be over in under 17 minutes.




Girls Preview
Southwestern girls seem prim and proper when you first meet them but looks can be deceiving. These girls are as quick with the silver as any boy. Arizona will unleash a quartet of gun slinging females that can duel it out with anyone in the nation. Nadya Bishton of Mountain Ridge surprised some when she ran the fastest time at the Arizona State meet. She will be followed by Sandra Day O’Connor’s Lindsay Prescott who is the #1 runner on the best team in the southwest. Arizona’s Coach Ringo is confident in his ladies, “The New Mexico Girls don’t stand a chance against my ladies. The Bishton Girls will come out guns-a-blazin and waste most of the New Mexico girls. Prescott has been in a lot of gunfights and she is ready to challenge for the individual Border War title.” Last fall Lindsay Prescott finished 32nd in the seeded race at Footlocker West. Xavier’s Jessica Tonn was 2nd in the middle school race at Mt. SAC and has shown that she is ready for the big time. The New Mexico Girls will be led by a post season rookie. Eighth grader Kate Norsdeg of St. Michael’s had the fastest time at state but she lacks experience. This is her first complete season in cross country. Last year she splint time between Soccer and Cross Country. Which is exactly what Valley’s Elba Holguin did this year. Early on in the season Holguin chose the soccer field over the cross country course and she did not compete at the UNM meet. Her lack of big race experience may cost her but Coach Boney isn’t worried, “The only thing that matters is speed and my girls are fast. Norskeg is known to blow kisses at her teammates as she guns down her foes. Now that’s fast. Foster is young but she has been in a lot of battles dueling for her club team. Look for her to shoot down many unsuspecting Arizona girls. The #2 team from the southwest will be represented by two fast harriers. Rachel Velarde and Kristy Hannah of Eldorado will be racing hard so that when the cross country pundits start comparing times with the 4 runners from O’Connor a preview of NTN may be clearer. Two other teams with dreams of NTN 2007 will be running hard for comparisons. Page, AZ sends 3 runners out into the fray while Santa Fe St. Michael’s will have their top 4 in action. The Arizona team looks like a heavy favorite. They have a handful of runners who have competed in postseason races and their top 4 could be hard to break into. The New Mexico team looks very different from the team that won in Albuquerque last year. Many of the runners have graduated or decided not to make the trip down to Tempe. That New Mexico Group finished 2nd to California in the combined scores at Footlocker West. That feet may be duplicated by the girls from Arizona this fall.