PREP SPORTS:

Several runners place for B.C. cross country

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun

Boulder City High junior Dana Prash took fourth in the small school girls division on Sept. 12 at the Larry Burgess Las Vegas Cross Country Invitational at Veterans Memorial Park.

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009 | 2:49 p.m.

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun

Boulder City High senior Matt Lundgren crosses the finish line in 10th place with a time of 17 miniutes, 27 seconds in the boys varsity large school 3.1 mile run Sept. 12 in the Larry Burgess Las Vegas Cross Country Invitational at Veterans Memorial Park.

The Boulder City cross country teams had high finishers in multiple races on Sept. 12 during the Larry Burgess Lake Mead Invitational at Veterans Memorial Park.

Senior Matt Lundgren raced independently in the large-school boys race and placed 10th on the 3.1 mile course in 17 minutes, 27 seconds to lead the strong showing for the Eagles.

“(Matt) ran a smart race,” Boulder City coach Joe Ringen said. “If you take out the people from California, he would have been seventh.”

Competing against the California schools and large-school programs from Las Vegas will benefit Lundgren when he returns to racing against 3A schools, Ringen said.

“He sort of got a feel of what it takes to compete at that level,” the coach said.

The rest of Boulder City’s boys team competed in the small-school boys race.

Daniel Edmondson led the Eagles with a 13th place finish in 19:56, Austin Lelles was 23rd in 23:19 and Riley Murnane was 28th at 24:35.

On the girls side, Boulder City had three runners finish in the top five.

Junior Stephanie Adams was second at 25:24, freshman Jessica Tobler followed in third at 25:29 and junior Dana Prach was fourth in 25:53. Also, the Eagles’ Lue Tobler was 11th with a time of 29:25.

The finishes were a step in the right direction for a girls team that features several new to the sport. This was the first time most had attempted the 3.1 mile distance in competition.

“They are starting to gain confidence in themselves,” Ringen said. “This is something they can build on. But they are still going to have to do the work to improve.”

The event was named after longtime Basic High coach Larry Burgess, who is retired and part of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame. The race, the first major 3.1 mile event of the fall, spent several years at Basic before moving to Del Sol, UNLV and finally to Boulder City three years ago.

Chris Brewer of California’s Rancho Buena Vista High won the large-school boys race in 16:47 — 20 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. Rancho Buena Vista also won the team title.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com.

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