The Marfa Shorthorns Cross-Country team made a strong showing at the District Meet on Wednesday, October 8—an event hosted by Marfa ISD but held this year in Balmorhea due to the uncertainty surrounding the availability of the Marfa Golf Course. Balmorhea ISD stepped up to host, ensuring a successful and well-run meet.
The Horns left their mark on the course, highlighted by two individual District Champions: Alyssa Harden, a sophomore standout, won the Varsity Girls District Championship with a winning time of 14:23.2 in the 2-mile event, and Dania Fernandez earned the Junior High Girls District Championship, crossing the line in 16:30.4 to bring home gold for the JH Lady Horns.
All four Marfa XC squads competed—High School Boys, High School Girls, Junior High Boys, and Junior High Girls—with several impressive individual and team performances throughout the day.
The High School Girls team led the way for the Horns, finishing 2nd overall and advancing to the Regional Meet. Harden continued to anchor the team’s success, followed by Ora Webb, who clocked an impressive 15:16 as one of Marfa’s top performers. The team’s depth was on full display with strong contributions from Itzel Urrutia (16:02.8), Zoey Salgado (16:15.5), Giselle Torres (17:26.7), Ava Flores (17:25.4), Mikayla Bentley (19:21), and Heiti Montes (19:43).
When asked about the team’s standout performance, Head Coach Arron Luna praised the group’s consistency and chemistry. “The leadership from Alyssa and the dedication Ora has shown all season have really set the tone for this team,” Luna said. “Their work ethic has pushed everyone to perform at their best. One of the most motivating things we’ve had on the team this year are the additions of Mikayla and Heidi. Those two have been committed all season, and I look forward to seeing them improve in the upcoming seasons because they are freshmen with a lot of commitment and dedication.”
While the Lady Horns celebrated a trip to Regionals, the Boys Varsity team fell just short of qualifying for the first time in nearly a decade. Despite that setback, Meet Director Linda Ojeda remained optimistic about the team’s future.
“We were definitely missing one key ingredient—home field advantage,” Ojeda said. “Marfa has hosted district meets at the golf course for several years. We train there, we know the course, and we hosted several invitational meets there also. Competing in Balmorhea gave the home team an edge, and they wisely took advantage of it. Still, I know our teams will bounce back next year and set their sights on reclaiming the district titles.”
Next up for the Lady Horns Regional Qualifiers is the Regional Meet on October 21 at the Harold Patterson Sports Complex in Arlington at 11 a.m., where they’ll look to continue their remarkable season and punch their ticket to State.
Lady Horns roll over Sierra Blanca in District sweep
Tuesday evening, the Lady Horns traveled to Sierra Blanca and delivered a dominant performance, sweeping the Vaqueros in a key district matchup.
Marfa came out strong in the first set, earning a 25-22 win with solid kills from the usual suspects—Raven Martinez, Ava Flores, Itzel Urruita and Dariela Muñoz. The offense flowed smoothly, setting the tone early.
Set two brought out some great gameplay and teamwork. Freshman Liliana Zubia made her mark with a kill, and Giselle Torres held things down on defense with several key digs. Down 13-9, Coach Osi Alferez called a timeout to reset. What followed was a momentum-shifting rally: Sierra Blanca attempted a kill, only for Raven to dig it out. On the next attack, Zoey Salgado shut it down with a standout block, and the rally ended with an inevitable kill by Raven Martinez that fired up the team. The set ended 25-19 in Marfa’s favor, highlighted by five kills from Itzel, a block-point from both Ava and Zoey, and solid team defense.
With the sweep in sight, the Lady Horns came out blazing in the third set, jumping to an early 10-point lead. Ava Flores took control at the service line with 11 straight serves, including two aces. Marfa played their strongest set yet, with aces from Amaya Gomez and Liliana Zubia, plus kills from Dariela Muñoz and Adeline Marquez. Ava and Raven continued to add to their kill-count and the offensive power. The set ended in a dominant 25-11 finish, securing the sweep.
The Lady Horns are back on their home court this Saturday at 1 p.m. for a rematch against Fort Davis in district play.
Reminder: This Friday, the Marfa Shorthorns hit the road to take on the Grady Wildcats in another district showdown. Kickoff at 6:30 p.m. Junior High will also play at 4 p.m. Good luck, Shorthorns!