Irion County's Cormier wins fourth consecutive regional cross country title
Irion County High School’s Tayte Cormier ended his reign as Region II-1A boys cross country champion with a defiant personal-best time on the course at the Angelo State University Intramurals Tuesday.
The senior clocked a time of 16 minutes, 36.1 seconds over the 5,000-meter course, busting his best time on that course by 33 seconds and besting the field by almost a whole minute in claiming his fourth-consecutive regional title.
The top four teams and top 10 individuals not already on an advancing team qualify to the UIL State Cross Country Championships Nov. 5 at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.
In a region which contains most of the Concho Valley’s Class 1A schools, several familiar names and faces will be returning to state competition in 11 days.
Cormier led a trio of Concho Valley athletes in the boys division. Finishing second was Paint Rock’s Austin Magness, who is making his second trip to the state meet after moving from Forsan, where he ran in Class 2A. Third place went to Veribest’s Ed Pettit, who is also making a return appearance at the state meet. Magness, a junior, clocked a time of 17:34.12 while Pettit, a senior, finished in 17:42.63.
Cormier led the Hornets to a third-place team finish and a second consecutive appearance as a team at the state meet. His teammate, junior Trea Melton, was fourth overall in a time of 18:06.60.
The top Concho Valley athlete in the girls division was Blackwell’s Kinley Cummings, who was seventh. Additional state qualifiers were Irion County senior Audrey Tillman – who is making her fourth appearance – and Garden City freshmen Emy Schwartz and Sadie Fuchs.
Cummings ran a time of 13:15.55 over the two-mile course while Tillman clocked 13:32.47 to finish 13th. Schwartz clocked 13:38.51 for 16th place while Fuchs was 19th in 13:45.61.
In addition to Cormier and Melton, the Hornets were made up of Edward Blanco, Grady Jackson, Phoenix Parks and newcomer Elijah Weaver. All but Weaver ran on the Irion County squad that finished 11th last year at the state meet.
A tough competitor who has also qualified to state track and field the last two years, Cormier came into the meet having his best season so far, but it wouldn’t have been complete without standing atop the Region II podium for a final time.
“I’ve been fortunate to pull it off every year since freshman year, and it’s really amazing to be able to do that,” said Cormier, who clocked 17:09 as a freshman in 2019 to win his first. “I always try to set the bar high and hope I can continue the season with those kinds of accomplishments.”
While Cormier has put up new bests this season on most of the courses he’s run, he admitted he's at his best when there is a big crowd. Tuesday’s fans did not disappoint, despite the morning race schedule starting with temperatures in the 40s.
“I’m the type of person, I’m an adrenaline addict, so I like big races, lots of people, yelling,” said Cormier, who will try to top his third-place finish last year at state when he returns a final time.
On the second day of competition at the Region I meet in Lubbock, Wall’s Jacob Soto finished in the Top 10 in the Class 3A boys race, earning his shot at the state meet. The sophomore clocked a time of 16:51.5 over three miles to finish eighth.
Ballinger’s Addison Martin earned her ticket to the state meet, placing 14th overall in the girls division race in Class 3A. The senior clocked a time of 13:05.1 on the Mae Simmons Park course.
It will be Soto’s first appearance at the state meet while Martin is returning for a third attempt.
Region II-1A Cross Country Championships
Tuesday’s results from Angelo State University
Top four teams and top 10 individuals not already on an advancing team qualify to the UIL State Cross County Championships Nov. 4-5 at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock
➤ Top 10 Girls Teams: 1. Roby 100 points, 2. Marfa 101, 3. Clyde Eula 113, 4. Imperial Buena Vista, 123, 5. Westbrook 134; 6. Cross Plains 183, 7. Garden City 207, 8. Roscoe Highland 234, 9. Crowell 263, 10. Knox City 267.
➤ Top 10 Girls Individuals: 1. Hailee Garmer, Roby, 12 minutes, 43.41 seconds; 2. Ummi Chanez, Marfa, 12:45.83; 3. Aundrea Garcia, Marfa, 12:46.46; 4. Chasity Benson, Roby, 12:56.70; 5. Lily Benson, Roby, 13:08.87; 6. Gabriela Sanchez, Buena Vista, 13:12.78; 7. Kinley Cummings, Blackwell, 13:15.55; 8. Katie Goains, Cross Plains, 13:18.65; 9. Hannah Cauthen, Eula, 13:19.04; 10. Amri Deloera, Highland, 13:22.42.
➤ Additional Girls State Qualifiers: 13. Audrey Tillman, Irion County, 13:32.47; 14. Brooklyn Magers, Westbrook, 13:32.85; 15. Tae Morris, Westbrook, 13:37.87; 16. Emy Schwartz, Garden City, 13:38.51; 17. Paisley Morrow, Knox City, 13:41.48; 18. Tatum Heady, Highland, 13:43.77; 19. Sadie Fuchs, Garden City, 13:45.61.
➤ Top 10 Boys Teams: 1. Comstock 114, 2. Van Horn 133, 3. Mertzon Irion County 135, 4. Clyde Eula 152, 5. Knox City 155, 6. Crowell 157, 7. Loraine 172, 8. Westbrook 194, 9. Rankin 203, 10. Munday 251.
➤ Top 10 Boys Individuals: 1. Tayte Cormier, Irion County, 16:36.01; 2. Austin Magness, Paint Rock, 17:34.12; 3. Ed Pettit, Veribest, 17:42.63; 4. Trea Melton, Irion County, 18:06.60; 5. Eduardo Cardenas-Ramirez, Valentine, 18:09.43; 6. Hayden King, Eula, 18:16.19; 7. Sebastian Talamantes, Comstock, 18:16.29; 8. Federico Terrones, Comstock, 18:22.54; 9. Edgar Crane, Comstock, 18:37.84; 10. Haiden Bowman, Munday, 18:42.61.
➤ Additional Boys State Qualifiers: 12. Gage Morrow, Knox City, 18:50.95; 13. Robert Alvarado, Valentine, 18:52.49; 15. Eli Vargus, Loraine, 18:55.61; 16. Andrew Cruces, Westbrook, 18:58.53; 17. Erick Ramirez, Valentine, 19:02.02; 18. Austen Wyatt, Ira, 19:03.71.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Irion County's Cormier wins 4th straight regional cross country title
