DON McDERMOTT / PVT Boys start the Pahrump Valley-hosted cross country meet, contested Tuesday on the Lakeview Executive golf course. DON McDERMOTT / PVT McKenzie Dean of PVHS crosses the finish line first in the girls' race in 19 minutes, 2 seconds. Advertisement

Avid cross country fans from the Pahrump Valley who got a rare look at the sport close to home Monday, experienced some thrills.

Two-time Nevada Class 3-A champion McKenzie Dean of Pahrump Valley easily won the girls' race, touring the 2.76-mile Lakeview Executive course in 19 minutes, 2 seconds, beating Las Vegas Clark standout Leah Ballard by 27 seconds (19:27).

Jacob Thornell of Bonanza cruised to victory in the boys' race, finishing in 15:37, a minute ahead of Clark's Troy Goudge.

Horizon Academy, from Amargosa Valley, debuted its girls team. The five girls all finished ahead of the final runner and totaled 134 points. Horizon Academy reportedly is seeking membership in the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association and hopefully will put girls and boys' basketball teams on the court in the winter.

Coach Andy Andersen's Pahrump Valley's girls' team had a full complement of runners as well, scoring 75 points to finish third. Stephanie Andros was eighth in 24:03; Ashlee Wolfe was 15th in 26:20; Nicole Dillon was 17th in 27:27, and Pam Hunter was 35th in 36:59.

Clark (39), Durango (53), Bonanza (107), and Horizon Academy (134) completed the girls' lineup.

The Pahrump Valley boys were fourth with 121 points, trailing Bonanza (36), Clark (49), and Durango (53).

For the Pahrump Valley boys, David Jacobi was 19th in 19:04; Alex Anderson was 22nd in 19:22; James Lucas was 25th in 19:54; David Binderim was 26th in 19:55, and Daniel Spradlin was 29th in 21:21.

Connor Chenevert, Ryan Ellis, Josh Armendariz, Noal Poulos, Dylan Dance, Ryan Fong, and Ben Rencher also ran for the Trojans.

NOTES -- Pahrump Valley is to compete in the Las Vegas Invitational, hosted by Henderson Basic, Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. ... Other September meets are tentatively slated at Las Vegas Mojave (Sept. 11), Page, Ariz. (Sept. 15), Las Vegas Vo-Tech (Sept. 18), Laughlin (Sept. 22), The Meadows (Sept. 25), and Angel Park (Sept. 29) ... The regionals are Oct. 26 at Laughlin, with the state meet Nov. 3 at Rancho San Rafael Park in Reno.