by 
Marco Salas, James Duarte, Patrick Lopez,Juan Ortega, Andrea Castaneda, Carlos Salas, Jared Gonzales. Not pictured Colton Stratton. Maria Lopez | SMHS
San Manuel Miner
The Miners boys’ and girls’ cross country teams competed at the Division IV, Section III meet at Marana High School last Saturday. The Miners were among 18 teams competing for a berth in the state meet.
The Miners boys’ team qualified for the State Championship this Saturday, November 8 at 8:45. The state meet will take place at the Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix.
Patrick Lopez and Juan Ortega were the top boys’ runners.
Andrea Castaneda, who is making her second trip to the state meet, medaled with a sixth-place finished at the sectional meet.
A total of eight runners will represent the Miners at the State Championship Meet this weekend. They are: Andrea Castaneda, Patrick Lopez, Juan Ortega, James Duarte, Colton Stratton, Jared Gonzales, Carlos Salas, and Marco Salas.
“(We) are very proud of all our runners this season,” said head coach Maria Lopez, speaking for the entire coaching staff. “It will be hard letting all the seniors go.”
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
by by