PHOTO: Vista Ridge's Ali Deitsch won the Class 4A Region 3 championship on Thursday, clocking 19 minutes, 2 seconds on the 5K course in Monument Valley Park.

Photo gallery from regional races
Video: Start of the Class 4A Region 4 Boys Race

Palmer Ridge's Spencer Wenck missed his season's goal by a sliver of time, but he came away from Friday's Class 4A Regional cross country meet with some impressive credentials.
Wenck, a senior, ran one of the fastest times ever recorded by a high school student on the Monument Valley Park course, covering the 5K distance in 15 minutes 23 seconds, possibly a course record.
Judy Fellhauer, former Doherty High School cross country coach, has confirmed that Adam Goucher ran a 15:14 in Monument Valley Park, but said the course may have changed. (See her comment below)
Wenck's time certainly is one of the best ever recorded there. Nobody at the meet - including some veteran coaches - could remember a faster time.
Wenck had wanted to beat the 15:22 mark, which would have beaten the fastest time recorded at the state meet last year.
"I missed it by a second, so I'm not too disappointed," Wenck said. "But it would have been nice to have that one second."
But his blistering time on Thursday put him ahead of some fast customers, including Goucher (state high school champion, NCAA champion, Olympic qualifier) Brent Vaughn (Smoky Hill, NCAA All-American) and Ian Burrell (Air Academy, NCAA All-American).
It was a big day for Colorado Springs-area runners who qualified for next week's state meet. Palmer Ridge's Ali Deitsch and Vista Ridge's Beth Luckel won individual regional championships.
Among the girls teams, Liberty (5A Region 5), Vista Ridge (4A Region 4) and Air Academy (4A Region 3) won regional championships and have qualified for the state meet. Other state-qualifying girls teams include 5A Palmer and Class 4A Cheyenne Mountain, Coronado and Palmer Ridge.
Among the boys teams, Palmer won the Class 5A Region 5 meet. Cheyenne Mountain is the Class 4A Region 4 champ, and Lewis-Palmer won the Class 4A Region 3 meet.
Mesa Ridge, Palmer Ridge and Air Academy also earned state berths.


Class 5A Region 5 Girls
Teams (Top six qualify for state): Liberty 62, Highlands Ranch, 64, Palmer 111, Pine CReek 117, Rock Canyon 129, Mountain Vista 133, Chaparral 212, Rampart 214, Doherty 254, Douglas County 276, Ponderosa 284, Fountain-Fort Carson 292, Castle View 320, Legand.
Individual (top 15 to state): 1. Eleanor Fulton (HR) 17:50, 2. Hannah Everson (LIB) 18:10, 3. Heather Bates (PC) 18:19, 4. Laura Yarrow (PC) 18:24, 5. Gina Hauptman (LIB) 18:30, 6. Kristen Kientz (HR) 18:35, 7. Ali Will (RC) 19:04, 8. Kristi Oslund (HR) 19:12, 9. Hannah Dimmick (LIB) 19:15, 10. Alli Groninger (PAL) 19:16, 11. Hemming Bre (POND) 19:19, 12. Whitney Maurer (FFC), 13. Brooke Mackay (MV), 14. Rachel King (DC).
Class 5A Region 5 Boys
Teams (Top six qualify for state): Palmer 70, Chaparral 105, Mountain Vista 108, Rock Canyon 120, Highlands Ranch 137, Castle View 164, Pine Creek 172, Ponderosa 196, Legend 199, Doherty 239, Fountain-Fort Carson 273, Liberty 299, Rampart 304, Douglas County 342
Individual (top 15 to state): 1. Tyler Nelson (HR) 15:54, 2. Stephen Chipman (MV) 15:56, 3. Keagan Vargo (CHAP) 15:57, 4. Andrew Goodman (PAL) 16:12, 5. Ben Goodman (PAL) 16:26, 6. Nathan Purdue (CHAP) 16:28, 7. Jake Dysart (RC) 16:28, 8. Chris Ganem (CV) 16:29, 9. Tucker Hamilton (RAM) 16:41, 10. Conner Johnston (RC) 16:42, 11. Colin Best (HR) 16:44, 12. Garrett Kenyon (LIB) 16:46, 13. Andy Thomas (PC) 16:53, 14. Michael Warburton (POND) 16:58, 15. Eric Steiner (MV) 17:02.
Class 4A Region 4 Girls
Teams (Top five qualify for state): Vista Ridge 51, Cheyenne Mountain 64, Coronado 77, P. Centennial 108, P. West 141, P. South 153, Canon City 198, P. East 215, Widefield 215, Mesa Ridge 267, Sierra 317, P. County 363.
Individual (Top 15 qualify for state): 1. Beth Luckel (VR) 19:45, 2. Amanda McCann (VR) 19:47, 3. Greta Sloan (CM) 19:47, 4. Danielle Grossman (CM) 19:48, 5. Carly Moore (P. CENTENNIAL) 19:59, 6. Jessia Kleven (P. South) 20:00, 7. Mattie Jenain (P. West) 20:01, 8. Cali Antolini (MR) 20:04, 9. Lina Arista (VR) 20:07, 10. Gia Palumbo (P. CENTEN) 20:08, 11. ALexis Work (COR) 20:16, 12. Racquel Valadez (VR) 20:21, 13. Bailey Gearheart (COR) 20:27, 14. Emily Waggener (P. East) 20:34, 15. Kaitlin Burrell (COR) 20:34.
Class 4A Region 4 Boys
Teams (Top five qualify for state): Cheyenne Mountain 47, Coronado 74, P. South 99, P. West 103, Mesa Ridge 130, Widefield 153, Sierra 208, P. Centennial 228, P. Central 240, P. East 255, Vista Ridge 288, Canon City 320, Harrison 355.
Individual (Top 15 qualify for state): 1. Mike Cernoia (P. WEST) 16:05, 2. Josiah Valenzuela (MR) 16:15, 3. Jesse Mathews (COR) 16:23, 4. Jordan Montera (P. WEST) 16:31, 5. Postyn Smith (CM) 16:39, 6. Ludovic Funfrock (CM) 16:39, 7. Mitch Kayson (CM) 16:40, 8. Brandon Lange (P. SOUTH) 16:41, 9. Ryan Mott (COR) 16:44, 10. Shane Molina (MR) 16:45, 11. Jake Fox (CM) 16:56, 12. Rudy Castillo (P. CENT) 17:11, 13. Drew Stimpson (COR) 17:14, 14. Charlie Lucero (P. SOUTH) 17:19.
Class 4A Region 3 Girls
Teams (Top four teams to state): 1. Air Academy 66, Discovery Canyon 69, Denver South 74, Palmer Ridge 82, Woodland Park 107, Lewis-Palmer 122, Sand Creek 208, JFK 211, Elizabeth 264, Wasson 331, Thomas Jefferson 337.
Individual: 1. Ali Deitsch (PR) 19:02, 2. Kellyn Roiko (AA), 3. Amelia Evans (AA) 19:19, 4. Allie Morgan (DCC) 19:21, 5. Sydney Scott (DS) 20:02, 6. Kellyn Craig (DS) 20:08, 7. Kendall Bundy (DS) 20:11, 8. Heather Gentry (PR) 20:11, 9. Emily Husted (DCC) 20:16, 10. Janae Johnson (DCC) 20:23, 11. Diana Trillo (SC) 20:29, 12. Alysaa Carman (DCC) 20:32, 13. Michaela Diamond (LP) 20:33, 14. Morgan Craig (D. South) 20:50, 15. Lauryn Can Valkenb (AA) 20:54.
Class 4A Region 3 Boys
Teams (Top six qualify for state): Lewis-Palmer 68, Palmer Ridge 85, Air Academy 86, Ridgeview Academy 131, D. South 141, Discovery Canyon 151, Woodland Park 153, Falcon 178, JFK 203, Sand Creek 275, Thomas Jefferson 312, Elizabeth 335, Mitchell 371, Wasson 450.
Individual (Top 15 qualify for state): 1. Spencer Wenck (PR) 15:23 (course record), 2. Bryce Gregoire (FAL) 16:45, 3. Brandon Gallardo (JFK) 17:00, 4. Josh Davis (LP) 17:04, 5. Darren Thomas (AA) 17:08, 6. Corey Brown (SC) 17:09, 7. Rovel Berhe (TJ) 17:15, 8. Seth Polich (LP) 17:15, 9. Joe Hopfe (WP) 17:16, 10. Graham Ruhmann (WP) 17:16, 11. Kedane Berhane (D. SOUTH) 17:21, 12. Brandon Schow (PR) 17:31, 13. Braden McGregor (LP) 17:32, 14. Ricardo Saguillan (RA) 17:33, 15. Jerrett Eller (LP) 17:37