12 Scorpions Battle for Glory at State Track Championship

The Sedona Red Rock High School varsity track and field team showcased their talent at the Division 5 State Championship on May 9 and 10, held at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, sending 12 athletes to compete.

The boys’ 4×400-meter relay, comprised of Ramon Betancourt, Chokyi Carstens, Keldon Cain, and Ariel Bustos, entered the meet ranked 11th. They shattered the school record with a time of 3:33.75 on May 9 and further improved to 3:32.09 in the finals, securing fourth place.

Head Coach Sean Eicher expressed pride in the team’s achievements, emphasizing the rarity of such success at schools their size. “For schools this size for relays to do anything is really rare,” said Tom Swaninger, Superintendent of Sedona-Oak Creek School District. “To be able to put four athletes together to score so high is really impressive.”

Individually, Betancourt achieved remarkable success, finishing second in the 400-meter race, narrowly missing first place by just seven one-thousandths of a second. His dedication was evident as he shared his commitment to balancing schoolwork and athletics with Dr. Swaninger. Betancourt also placed seventh in the 200-meter run with a time of 23.52 seconds.

In the pole vault, Ari Tedrick and Khyrstian Cordova displayed significant improvements. Cordova tied his personal best by clearing 12 feet, earning sixth place, while Tedrick consistently placed in the top four at previous meets, finishing fifth at state after also clearing 12 feet.

Sophomore Avery Raczynski qualified for the finals in both the 200- and 400-meter sprints. She recorded a personal best of 1:05.22 in the 400 meters, raising her state ranking from 24th to 15th. In the 200 meters, she finished 20th with a time of 28.59 seconds, just shy of her earlier personal record.

Aubree Doyle, who barely qualified for the 800-meter run, significantly improved her performance through an intense training regimen. She finished 14th at the state meet, setting a new personal best of 2:35.23, trimming five seconds off her previous record.

Recognition at the team awards ceremony on May 7 highlighted the athletes’ accomplishments. Chokyi Carstens and Avery Raczynski were named Most Valuable Players for their respective teams. Betancourt received the Outstanding Athlete award, while Keldon Cain was honored as the Utility Athlete. Tedrick and Vincent Smith-Shayawatt earned Most Improved accolades, and Aubrie Doyle and Justin Pallarez were commended for Best Sportsmanship.