The Flagstaff boys won their fourth championship in a row last year and the Flagstaff girls earned their fourth in a row, seven of the last eight and 14th overall since 1980.

Cienega junior Aydin Schilb won the individual title last fall and Sunrise Mountain senior Braedon Palmer took second. Former Marana standout Kyle Partin took third. In all, only seven seniors finished in the top twenty last year, only three appeared in the top nine and only one in the top six.

On the girl’s side, Flagstaff senior Hana Hall took first, former North Canyon standout Stefana Purkovic took second and former Deer Valley standout Emily Stutesman came in third place. Besides Purkovic and Stutesman, there were four other seniors in the top twenty.

This year, Hall (17:35.6) and her freshman sister Mia Hall (18:07.9) have the top two times on the girl’s side and Rincon/University senior Grace Driskill (18:15.0) has the third best time. Hall’s state-winning time was 18:07.48 last fall.

Palmer (15:15.5) has the top time on the boy’s side this fall, Campo Verde senior Kenny Edwards (15:23.1) is next and Deer Valley junior Randy Espinoza (15:28.6) has the third best time entering the state meet.

The section champions are:

 

Driskill (I), Hana Hall (II), Lake Havasu junior Isabella Sloma (III) and Casteel senior Cassidy Cann (IV),

Schilb (I), Mountain Ridge senior Hunter Krasa (II), Carly Hayden senior Benjamin Morfin (III) and Edwards (IV).

 

Hana Hall won the Four Corners Invitational, the Peaks XC Invite, the Holbrook Invitational and she came in 11th at the Nike Desert Twilight. Palmer won the Fountain Hills Invitational and the Peoria District Meet.

The Hall sisters, along with Jasmine and Lily, were raised in an Ethiopian orphanage for three years before they were adopted by Sara and Ryan Hall. The Halls moved from California to Flagstaff last summer.

“She comes to us with just an incredible attitude," Flagstaff head coach Trina Painter told the Arizona Republic last year. "She has a very humble heart but a huge work ethic. She sees no challenge as difficult, she just goes out there, she runs hard every day, she pushes her teammates, she encourages everyone and she has a sixth sense on how to race and compete. You don’t even have to tell her what to do."