Hopi High cross country teams win state 2A championships

The Hopi High boys cross country 2A state champions.

The Hopi High boys cross country 2A state champions.

PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Hopi High School boys cross country team won a record-breaking 19th straight state championship while the Hopi girls won their second in a row.

The Hopi High boys won the 2A championship Nov. 8 at Cave Creek Golf Course in north Phoenix with a score of 28 points. Many Farms grabbed second with 67, Tombstone took third with 141, Valley Christian finished fourth at 176, Pusch Ridge Christian placed fifth with 197 and Northland Prep took sixth with 245. Other area schools were Valley-Sanders, seventh, 258; St. Michaels, 10th, 267; and Greyhills, 14th, 319 points.

Hopi High won the boys race by placing five runners in the top ten.

Hopi High Coach Rick "The Legend" Baker said the Bruin runners ran like they were supposed to run.

"Our strategy worked to have our fourth and fifth runners ahead of the other teams' second best runners," he said. "We stuck to our plan."

Coach Baker said it was a bit of a surprise that Kevin Tsiniginnie beat out Ronald Laban for Hopi's top runner in the race. He added that winning the state championship doesn't get old.

"It's a different crew this year because we had a young team," he said. "We didn't really have any team leadership."

Tsiniginnie led Hopi to victory with a second place finish and teammate Laban was right behind him in third. Brannon Sidney grabbed sixth, Justin "Vava J" Secakuku claimed seventh and Kyle Silas took 10th. The rest of the championship team included Josh Satala, 15th; and Clayden Torivio, 28th. The top 28 runners all received medals.

The individual champion was Cody Rosengarten, a junior from Tombstone, who finished in a time of 16:34. Tsiniginnie finished second in 17:01.

Tsiniginnie, a junior, said it felt good winning the state championship especially since he was the top runner for the Bruins.

Laban was Hopi's top runner last year with a second place finish at state and many were surprised that Tsiniginnie finished ahead of him this year.

"I couldn't believe it," Tsiniginnie said. "I started slow. I picked it up by the two-mile mark and then kicked it in and then kicked it in again at the end."

Tsiniginnie said the course was easy because the hills weren't hard. He said the weather, at about 85 degrees, did not impact his running. He said he ran a good race because he didn't give up.

Tsiniginnie, who also plays basketball and runs track, is an honor roll student who plans to major in pediatrics. He is the son of Claudia Tsiniginnie and Norman Richardson.

Laban said the Bruins figured they had the race in the bag, but they still had to perform and "we did."

While Laban was exhilarated with the team championship, he was disappointed with his third place finish.

"I took off too fast. The runner from Tombstone sat on me and I lost steam. I was supposed to win this year," he said. "Now I have to train harder, be more consistent, take care of my body and not get any injuries."

Laban said it was a good course, but it was hot and dry. He said the only way the team could have run better was if they had a perfect race.

Laban, who wrestles and runs track, also helps the junior class. An honor roll student, he plans to major in pre-med at either Yale or Northern Arizona University. He is the son of Roma "Cajun Queen" Laban and Ronald Todd Laban.

Sidney, a junior, said he felt proud and excited about Hopi High boys winning another state championship. "It feels great to be part of the tradition," he said.

Sidney said the Bruins ran to their potential. "We stayed together as a pack and kept up with our main guy Ronald."

Sidney felt he ran a good race, but could have run better. "In the middle of the race, I could have worked my way up gradually," he said.

Sidney said he liked the course because it was green and the weather was nice.

Sidney, who also runs track, serves as president of the junior class and remains active in National Honor Society. He plans to major in hotel restaurant management at NAU. He is the son of Paul and Lucille Sidney.

Secakuku, a sophomore sensation, was thrilled about the team's championship.

"Man, it felt good to be on top. We beat everybody down to be a champ and be on top of the world," he said.

Secakuku, who has the nickname of Vava J on KUYI, said it is an honor to keep the tradition going for the school and the people in the community. He thought the Hopi High performance was awesome.

"Everybody dominated and did what they were supposed to do," he said.

Secakuku said he ran well but could've done better. "I could've held closer to Kevin most of the race," he said.

Secakuku said the championships show that students can reach their dreams whether it's cross country or academics.

"Students should follow their dreams," he said. "Dream big and anything is possible if you work hard. Don't let anything stop you."

Secakuku, who plays basketball and runs track, said the course wasn't hard, but that he felt hot when he stopped running.

Secakuku, an honor roll student, is active in the radio class as he does interviews for the Hopi High Teen Show. He wants to major in criminal justice in college. He is the son of Charles Secakuku and Andrea Joshavama.

Silas, a junior, said it is a gift to be part of the championship team. "We trained really hard to get to this spot," he said. "The team ran well."

Silas said he ran one of his best races.

"I accomplished staying in the top 10, I was able to reach my goal because everybody encouraged me so I was thinking positive," he said.

Silas, who plays basketball and runs track, is an honor roll student. He plans to major in business and landscaping at Yavapai College. He is the son of Vernell and Albert Northrup.

Satala, a senior, said he ran well, but could have run better.

"I started too early. The course was weird because there was so many potholes. The weather was fine, but it was hard to breathe in the heat," he said.

Satala, who runs track, is an honor roll student. He plans to study nursing in Phoenix. He is the son of Michelle Shingoitewa and Lawrence Satala.

Torivio, a junior, said it was awesome to keep the tradition going. "We all did our best and better than Coach Baker expected," he said.

Torivio said he could have done better because he got burned out on the first mile.

Torivio, who runs track, is active in Close Up, Academic Decathlon, Adventure Club and Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. The honor roll student hopes to study aeronautical engineering in the Air Force or Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He is the son of Imalene Polingyumptewa and Orlando Torivio.

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