On Saturday Nov 7th, 2015, the Desert Vista Boys Cross Country team destroyed the field, grabbed its seventh State title, and repeated as Arizona State D1 Champions by posting a mere 43 points to win by a margin of 81 points.
The beautifully clear and cool day, combined with a favorable early-morning start, enabled the Thunder squad to set a DVCC State Meet record cumulative time of 1:21:11, the 2nd-fastest in Arizona State Meet history.
Consistency and depth are hallmarks of DVCC Head Coach Chris Hanson's Cross Country teams; the Thunder have been either State Champs, or State Runners-Up, in 11 out of the past 14 years.
This year was no exception. The incredible depth of the Thunder allowed it to overcome the loss of Senior Co-Captain Matt Anciaux, who had bravely battled health issues and injuries to return to top form this season (posting a career-best 15:55 at the Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival) only to suffer a setback shortly thereafter.
Senior Co-Captain DJ Harris is the 2015 Arizona D1 Boys State Champion, winning the race in 15:50.
He joins fellow Thunder runners Matt Boughton (2006, 2007) and Garett Kelly (2005) as Arizona D1 Boys State Champions. He capped off an incredible career (3-time State Meet runner, 2-time 1st-Team All-State) and completed what is arguably the best year ever by a Thunder runner: in addition to winning the individual title at the State meet, he also broke the DVCC State Meet record of 16:05 set by Andrew Kellogg in 2008; earlier this season, he set the DVCC 5k record of 15:20 at the Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival, beating the long-standing record of Matt Boughton (15:30 at the 2006 Regional Meet).
Senior Xavier Esparza finished in 5th place (16:08), earning a spot on the 1st-Team All-State squad. After missing most of the year due to personal challenges, he returned late season and completed his career as one of the few 4-time State Meet runners in Thunder history, earning spots on three 1st-Team All-State squads in the process. He was the model of consistency in the State Meet over his career: 2015-5th (16:08), 2014-5th (16:09), and 2013-6th (16:11).
Sophomore Habtamu Cheney finished in 8th (16:15), earning a spot on the 2nd-Team All-State squad in his first outing as a State Meet runner. He was one of the most-improved Thunder runners this season, showing a 60-second improvement in his times from last season, including impressive finishes at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic (63rd-15:26) and the Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival (41st-15:59). He has a bright future and will be leading an impressive group of returning Juniors next season.
Junior Chris D'Angelo finished in 15th (16:26), improving his 15th-place finish from last year by 15 seconds to earn a spot on this year's 3rd-Team All-State squad. He burst onto the scene last year and continued to deliver on his potential this season, posting incredible times at the Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival (22nd-15:43) as well as at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic (62rd-15:35). He is already a 2-time State Meet runner with two 3rd-Team All-State honors to his credit. DVCC will be counting on his energy and leadership in his Senior year next season.
Sophomore Reece Donihi finished in 16th (16:30) in his first outing as a State Meet runner, gaining 3rd-team All-State honors with his top-20 finish. He is likely the most-improved Thunder runner this season, showing a full two-minute improvement across the board in his times from last season. He nearly broke the 16-minute barrier at the Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival (45th-16:03). He is on a positive trajectory and will be one of the Thunder runners to watch next season and beyond.
Junior Nicholas Walrod finished in 27th (16:47) in his first outing as a State Meet runner. He also showed significant 60-second improvements in his times this season, highlighted by a clearing of the 16-minute bar at the Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival (37th-15:56). The Thunder will be counting on his leadership when he returns for his Senior year next season.
Senior Anthony Ramirez finished in 54th (17:15) in his last race as Thunder runner. He completed his career as one of the busiest DVCC runner ever, having competed in a total of 27 races. His senior year was certainly his best, including a 16:45 at the Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival, a career-best of 16:30 at the Cool Breeze Evening Invitational, and a spot on the State Meet squad in his final outing.