Returning to competition after missing nearly 10 days and two meets with illness, junior Mykala Seresun didn’t miss a beat Friday, Oct. 28, winning the Section I [Division IV] Championships in Holbrook.

Her 19:45.40 time was nearly 45 seconds better than the next closest runner in Northland Preparatory Academy’s Keven Griffen, who finished with a 20:30.10 time for second place overall.

“She was in bed for five days at least. You have to appreciate the effort she gave. All her training in the summer allowed her to come back easily,” Sedona Head Coach Harry Schneider said.

Seresun wasn’t alone, as the Sedona Red Rock High School cross-country team was outstanding Friday at the Hidden Cove Golf Course.

For the girls, Sedona finished third overall with 110 points, failing to defend its title from 2010 when the Scorpions won it at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff last October.

Hopi High School took first overall with 41 points while Northland Preparatory was second with 73 points.

Other top performances for the girls included junior Taylor Gage who was third overall with a 21:06.73 time while junior Eva Wilson was ninth with a 21:30.33.

“It’s probably the best meet for Taylor [Gage]. She ran well,” Schneider said.

The next closest runner for the Scorpions was sophomore Rayana Oleksak who was 49th overall with a 25:07.60 time. Sophomore Krupa Bhakta was 61st with a 26:45.23 time.

For the boys, Sedona took fourth overall as a team with 101 points while Hopi claimed the top prize with 31 points. Northland Preparatory was second with 56 points and Many Farms High School was third with 77.

“The boys don’t have a superstar, but they have depth and that’s a unique situation,” Schneider said.

Top performances for the boys included senior Brandon Snickers who was 12th overall with a 17:57.33 time. Snickers was just over a minute off the pace as Hopi standout Domonic Sinquah won gold with a 16:55.84 time.

Sedona senior Zac Johnson was the next finisher Friday for the Scorpions, coming in at 23rd overall with an 18:47.25 time.

Sophomore Kris Schindele was 25th overall with an 18:48.51 time while senior Gabe Greenfield was 27th with a 19:00.46 time.

Travis Okie, a sophomore for the Scorpions, finished 31st overall with a 19:18.64 time and freshman Rene Diaz was 32nd overall with a 19:19.92.

With the top five finish in Holbrook on Friday, both the boys and girls cross-country teams for Sedona have qualified for the Division IV State Championships in Phoenix this coming weekend.

“We have three girls that could be top 10 in the state meet, and our boys, we think they can be top 10 as a team. We’re all excited about the state meet,” Schneider said.

The state meet is scheduled to take place Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Cave Creek Golf Course. The girls start at 9:30 a.m. while the boys start at 10:30 a.m.