| The New Mexico State Championships return to Rio Rancho for the 2nd year. Many of the stars of 2006 are back to make 2007 an exciting season. A-AA - AAA - AAAA - AAAAA
A-AA Boys Teams 1. Navajo Pine: The Warriors will be looking for a “3-Peat” in 2007. Navajo Pine returns three runners who finished in the top 10 in 2006 and 5 of their top 7. The track times of their returning runners are not eye-catching but they are similar to their results in 2006. Navajo Pin can run with the toughest schools in the state regardless of classification. 2. Jemez Valley: The Warriors return their top 6 runners from 2006. Their lack of a frontrunner led to a 4th place finish in 2006. Their top 6 finished in the top 30 but they failed to place a runner in the top 10. The team leader should be Nicholas England who finished 11th at last year’s cross country championship and finished 3rd in the 1600 in the fall. 3. Pecos: The departure of state runner-up, Patrick Ortiz, will be felt early in the season. But the Panthers return 8 of their top 10 runners and will improve as the season gets old. Pecos will be led by 4 upperclassmen that have significant experience and will get a shot in the arm from a talented group of freshmen, 5 of whom have varsity experience. 4. Peñasco: The Peñasco Panthers graduated their top two runners (Ben Sanchez and Martin Aguilar) and their #6 (Kyle Fast Wolf) transferred to La Cueva. The Panthers have major holes to fill but they have a young core ready to step up. The top position should be filled in by Jacob Sandoval. 5. Santa Fe Prep: The Griffins finished 6th a year ago and return all but one of their runners off of their 2006 roster. They also only have one senior on their 2007 roster. Santa Fe Prep could be a contender for the next two years. Others: Gallup Catholic, Rehoboth and East Mountain Boys Individuals: 1. Randy Nez—12th—Navajo Pine: Randy is the top returnee from 2006 when he finished 3rd. He was 4th in the 3200 in the spring but he always runs better on the trails. 2. Mario Armijo—11th—Pecos: “Meb” had a breakout track season where he finished an impressive 3rd in the 3200. He has improved drastically every season he has participated, look for another big leap in 2007. Armijo finished 14th in 2006. 3. Gabe Lilly—12th—Navajo Pine: Gabe was 8th in 2006 and is the 2nd returnee. He was one of the most consistent runners for the Warriors a year ago. 4. Jacob Sandoval—11th—Peñasco: Jacob experienced his breakthrough at the state meet where he finished 10th. The junior did not compete in track and field. 5. Thomas Martinez—11th—Navajo Pine: Thomas was 16th in 2006 but the junior had a stellar track season and his coaches believe that he will ascend up the Warriors hierarchy. Others: Tim Chee (Navajo Pine), Nicholas England (Jemez Valley), Derek Roybal (Pecos), Delfert James (Navajo Pine) A-AA Girls Teams: 1. Navajo Pine: The entire squad returns from the 2006 team who won the school’s first championship for girls. The Lady Warriors will be looking to take a new step up and contend with the larger schools. If they continue to improve the sky is the limit. 2. Santa Fe Prep: The Lady Griffins surprised many, including themselves, when they took home the 2nd place trophy a year ago. This squad returns 6 of 7 girls that ran at the state championship and will be led by defending champion Shawna Winnegar. The team will be strengthened by an improving Emma Hamilton who ran well in track and the young Billy Secular who does not compete in the spring. 3. Gateway Christian: The Lady Warriors placed 4 girls in the top 10 in the 3200m run at state this spring and collected all three middle distance individual titles in class 1A. This team is deep and on the rise. 4. Navajo Prep: This once dominant team is on the decline. They only had one distance runner qualify to state, Shahanna Begay in the 3200, but she has since graduated. On paper the Lady Eagles return 7 of 8 runners but their lack of participation during the spring may show in the fall. 5. Cloudcroft: The Lady Bears burst on to the scene in 2006. Cloudcroft was led by the “Schultz Twins” who will be looking to improve on their 8-9 finish from a year ago. They will need some help if the team has aspirations of ascending on to the podium at the end of the year. Their #3 runner a year ago, Estrella Martinez, finished 31st. Others: Bosque, Penasco, and Rehoboth Girls Individuals: 1. Shawna Winnegar—12th—Santa Fe Prep: The defending state champion had a sub par track season due to illness early in the season. She has since shaken off her rust and has been running healthy and fast all summer. She will have to come through with a big race in November is she plans on repeating as the field in 1-2A is deep and distinguished. 2. Courtney Schultz—12th—Cloudcroft: Courtney came into her own during the track season when she captured state titles in the 800m (2:21), 1600m (5:26) and 3200m (12:05). She is the top contender looking to dethrone Winnegar. 3. Amanda Sayer—10th—Bosque: Many, including myself, overlooked Sayer heading into the 2006 championships. As a freshmen she finished 2nd and will be looking to trade in her red medal for a blue one in 2007. 4. Chantel Hunt, Navajo Pine: Chantel led the Warriors to the team title when she finished 3rd a year ago. Going into the meet she was pegged by many as the favorite to win the individual title. She won state championship in track in 2006 in the 3200 and will be looking for a 2nd blue medal in cross county in November of 2007. 5. Hailey Lucero—8th—Mesa Vista: In 2004 Kelly Barmann burst onto the scene and shocked everyone outside of Cimarron. This season’s dark horse will not be able to sneak up on anyone. Look for her to blaze by in her back and gold uniform. Others: Camile Schultz (Cloudcroft), Guin Benally (Navajo Pine), Emily Nobles (Gateway Christian), Sarah Freese (Gateway Christian)
AAA Boys Teams: 1. Hope: The Huskies were the only squad in the 3A not to be touched by graduation. They finished 4th a year ago and return a troika of runners who could compete in any division in the state. 2. Wingate: The Bears return 4 of their top 7 including 2 from the top 5. Wingate has been in the hunt for the state championship in AAA lately and it doesn’t look like they are going to fade any time soon. 3. Zuni: The Thunderbirds lost their top two runners to graduation but return 4 runners who finished in the top 30. Zuni has one of the largest teams in AAA and should have no problems finding fleet replacements. 4. Pojoaque: The Elks said “good bye” to the loveable Mario Delgadillo but no one else. This group of Elks will have to find the work ethic of the old Elk teams if they plan on challenging the top teams in AAA. They have the talent but have yet to shown the dedication. 5. Thoreau: This squad returns all of their top 5 but none of the runners finished in the top 15 in 2007. This squad will need to improve if it wants to earn a top 5 position. There are three perennial AAA powers looming on the horizon. Others: Santa Fe Indian School, St. Michael’s, Laguna Acoma Boys Individuals: 1. Tony Sanchez—12th—West Las Vegas: Tony is the defending champ in 3A and he picked up a 2nd blue medal this spring in the 3200m (10:08). The lanky senior is a “Big-Race” runner who burst onto the scene in 2006 when he won the Big School division of the Rio Rancho Invitational. He came on as a surprise in 2006 but he will have to run with a target on his back for the 2007 season. 2. Shawn Begay—12th—Wingate: Shawn finished 18 seconds behind Sanchez at the state meet last fall to take home runner-up honors. He followed that up with a consistent track season that included a 4th place finish in the 1600m (4:37). 3. Ryan Fenton—11th—Hope Christian: Ryan rode his smooth stride to a 9th place finish in 2006 in XC and a runner-up finish in the 3200m (10:10) in the spring. His outstanding summer of training is going to catapult him into the elite of AAA. 4. Logan Wa uneka—12th—Wingate: Logan was 4th at last years cross country championship where he came from off the pace. At the state track meet his attempt at a front running strategy led to a 4th place finish in the 3200 (10:17) as he faded. He is seen as a possible contender to Sanchez’s title but he will need to find his own pace. 5. Juan Trujillo—12th—Pojoaque: Juan came on strong at the end of the 2006 XC season. He broke through at the Rio Rancho Invitational and never slowed down. He will have to repeat that performance if he wants to be mentioned in the same breath as the past Elk Greats. Others: Greg Vallo (Laguna Acoma), Dillon Shije (Sandia Prep), Trevor Serrao (St. Michael’s), Eric Fenton (Hope Christian) AAA Girls Teams: 1. St. Michael’s: The Lady Horsemen are once again the class of AAA. They return all of their runners from a year ago including 4 who finished in the top 10. If they improve they may be able to run with Eldorado and Albuquerque Academy. 2. Pojoaque: 1-3 the Lady Elks could run with anyone in the state in 2006. Their lack of depth resulted in a 23 point loss to, district rival, St. Michael’s. Their top three return and their middle school program is notorious for producing quality runners every year. This may be the only team that can give St. Michael’s a run for their money in AAA. 3. Cobre: Cobre returns 4 of the top 7 from a year ago. They could be a lot better if Erica Diaz returns to cross country following a year of volleyball. 4. Santa Fe Indian School: The Lady Braves return their entire roster from a team that finished 5th a year ago. Their lack of a front runner will probably keep them off of the podium. Elaine Torivio finished just out of the top 10 a year ago but their next best runner was not able to crack the top 20 and their 5th runner finished in the 40s. 5. Tohatchi: Returns their top 4 runners but none of them were able to crack the top 15. Tohatchi could finish 5th and not have a girl in the top 15 again. Others: Wingate, Laguna-Acoma, Zuni, Thoreau Girls Individuals: 1. Kate Norskog—9th—St. Michael’s: “Killer Kate” was the dominant force in distance running in the 2006 season. As an 8th grader she brought home gold medals in cross country, 1600m, 3200m and just missed a 4th in the 800m run. Her 11:18 (shares school record with Irena Ossola), 3200 at the Great Southwest shows her true potential. 2. Sophia Torres—10th—Pojoaque: Sophia battled through injuries throughout much of the 2006 cross country season but bounced back for track. She finished 2nd to Norskog in both the 3200 and 1600m runs. She has completed a solid summer. 3. Patty Murray—12th—St. Michael’s: Patty is part of the best 1-2-3 punch in the state. In 2006 she was a distant 2nd to Norskog in Cross Country but failed to duplicate that kind of performance in track where she placed 5th in the 3200 for her only medal. Senior motivation could drive her to a top 3 finish. 4. Tess Amer—11th—St. Michael’s: Tess had a tough 2006 campaign. A much needed recovery period after the spring track season followed by a good base of summer conditioning will put here back on track. If the diminutive Amer bounces back to the form she had as a freshman she could contend for the individual championship. 5. Jarita Diaz—10th—Cobre: Jarita had a solid 2006. She finished 4th in the 1600 and 3200m runs following a 5th place finish in Cross Country. She will finish higher if her twin training partner returns to the fold. Others: Jasenia Najera (Pojoaque), Camille Martinez (Pojoaque), Carolyn Ives (St. Michael’s) Brown Bedrick (Sandia Prep) Erica Diaz (Cobre)
AAAA Boys Teams: 1. Albuquerque Academy: Academy loses Dustin Martin, Los Alamos loses Nathan Romero. On paper LA looks stronger…but….on the track the “Red Army” looked a lot stronger. It will be a close race but the Chargers should squeak by the Hilltoppers. 2. Los Alamos: The boys from LA improved dramatically from September to November in 2007 giving Academy a run for their money at the state championships. Their pack time will give them an advantage in a small race, like state, but they are probably 1-5 points behind Academy. The boys on the hill stepped it up this summer and should not come out of the gates as slow as they have in recent years. 3. Shiprock: All of the Chieftains return from a team that finished 3rd in 2006. They will need to improve significantly to get within 20 points of Academy and Los Alamos. 4. St. Pius X: The Sartans return 4 of their top 5 off a squad that finished 4th a year ago. That group includes two runners who finished in the top 10 (Kevin Burnett 6th and Douglas Torres 10th). They will need an improved contribution from their #4 and #5 if they with to compete with Shiprock’s pack. 5. Belen: The Eagles team that finished 5th in 2006 is back in full to make a run at the podium. Belen is led by Joshua Garcia and Ethan Durban who were the lone Eagles to crack the top 20 in 2006. Others: Espanola, Piedra Vista, Farmington Boys Individuals: 1. Ben Johnson—12th— Albuquerque Academy: “BenJo” elevated himself to the upper echelon of New Mexico all-time distance heroes when he finished 2nd at Nike Team Nationals and 6th at the Footlocker Finals. A 4A State championship will be the first, and most important, of many goals for the Academy senior. 2. Kevin Burnett—12th—St. Pius X: Kevin finished 6th at the state cross country meet in November but he had a stellar track campaign in the spring. He was the state champ in the 800 (1:57), 2nd in the 1600 (4:21) to Ben Johnson and 5th in the 3200. 3. Allen Pittman—12th—Los Alamos: Allen was third in 2006 and had the best track season of the returning Hilltoppers (4th in the 3200 in 10:11). 4. Kyle Cooper—12th— Albuquerque Academy: Kyle was 12th in 2006 in cross country but his 3rd place finish in the 3200 can not be ignored. “Coop” has made strides and could improve into the top 5. 5. Gareth Gilna—11th—Los Alamos: Gareth was 4th in 2006, 6 seconds behind Pittman. He picked up the last all-state position in the 3200 running 10:21. Others: Pat Zacharias (Albuquerque Academy), Kyle Pittman (Los Alamos), Joshua Garcia (Belen), Douglas Torres (St. Pius X), Taylor Murray (Albuquerque Academy) Wade McCollough (Del Norte) Girls Teams: 1. Albuquerque Academy: The Chargers have 5 girls returning who have earned all-state honors in track distance events. They are once again the favorite to win the cross country title. Last year an improving Los Alamos team snuck up on them to take the team title. This year’s squad has too much firepower to be taken down. New student Lisa Peterkin adds depth to a team with many weapons. 2. Los Alamos: They are the Hilltoppers but if their trend of success continues they may have to change their name to the Podium-toppers. In 2006, once again they followed the road of steady improvement to a peak at state. They return 4 of their top 5 from the team that upset the Chargers at Rio Rancho. This year’s team looks very similar to the 2006 squad. Based on track times Academy is the favorite but the final result could go either way. 3. St. Pius X: Pius returns their top 6 runners from the squad that finished 4th a year ago, when they finished 13 points from a trophy. This team will not fall short of that goal. They will bring a solid pack of runners from 1-5. There will be a large point gap between 2nd place and Pius but the gap will resemble the one between 3rd and 4th place. 4. Kirtland Central: KC returns 5 of their top 7 including 3 runners who finished in top 20. The loss of Johniell Charles (13th in 2006) will be enough to keep them off of the podium. 5. Belen: The Lady Eagles return their entire team from 2006 when they finished 6th. That squad was almost 50 points from the podium. The 2007 version of the team will have to improve if they want to take home the green (3rd place) trophy. They have two tough front runners (Aleona Reyes and Shaylene Chavez) but there are big gaps between their 2nd and 3rd runners and their 4th and 5th runners. Others: Piedra Vista, Taos Girls Individuals: 1. Jackie Campos—11th—Santa Teresa: Campos burst onto the scene when she won the 3200m run at state in the spring of 2006. She validated that performance with a consistent cross country season that ended with a runner-up performance at state. In the spring of 2007 she defended her crown in the 3200. Campos and Foster have established themselves as the frontrunners in 4A. 2. Julia Foster—9th—Academy: Foster was wildly inconsistent as an 8th grader but she was able to pull it all together to win the individual cross country championship. She was unable to duplicate the performance in track but she did finish 2nd in the 3200 and 3rd in the 800m. Foster has a lot of potential and could be a dominant force for 4 years to come. 3. Margaret Wood—12th—Los Alamos: Margaret had huge race at state last November. Many had picked her to finish in the top 10 but few (if any outside her family) picked her to be in the top 3. She now has a “rep” and look for her to protect it late this fall. 4. Aleona Reyes—10th—Belen: Similarly to Wood, Reyes surprised many when she finished 4th in the 4A race a year ago. Aleona is a speed demon on the track where she collected medals in the 400m (5th) and 800m (2nd) runs. 2006 was a breakthrough year for Reyes. Look for her to improve in 2007. 5. Paige Throckmorton—10th—Academy: Paige finished 9th a year ago but many who see her practice believe that she could be the best runner in 4A. Others: Christina Johnson (Piedra Vista), Holly Walker (Los Alamos), Amanda Throckmorton (Academy), Amanda Kerr (Kirtland Central)
AAAAA Boys Teams: 1. Gallup: In 2006 the Bengals proved once again that what happens the previous spring has little effect on their fall campaign. Gallup rarely post track times that make them look like contenders but are always in the thick of things come November. Last fall they were the only 5A tam with 6 runners at 17:00 or better on the state course. No other team had more than 3. 5 of 7 varsity athletes return for their state title team. 2. Cibola: The Cougars success may come by way of the complete polar opposite of their counterparts the Gallup Bengals. Any running enthusiast that has ever been to a local JV track meet can see that Cibola has a feeder system to XC by way of a huge track team with incredible numbers in the distance events. In 2007 they are going to need to parlay some of that young talent into varsity caliber runners to replace their two mainstays: Anthony Roybal and Drew Rasmussen. 3. Eldorado: The Eagles were only 5th in 2006 and lose All-everything Matt Tebo but they did have the 2nd best cumulative time in their division and bring back 5 of 7 from their squad. Coach Butler is building a national caliber program on the girls side and the boys are going to be quick to follow. 4. LaCueva: The Bears were not pleased with how they finished the 2006 campaign and decided to take matters into their own hands this summer. Their early morning dedications may bring the Bears out of hibernation. 5. Manzano: Last year we did not even have the Monarchs listed in the “others” section of our preseason forecast. They subsequently went on to surprise us and the rest of the state by making it to the podium’s 3rd step. Coach V will get his squad to sneak up on the rest of 5A again in 2007. Others: Rio Rancho, Sandia Boys Individuals: 1. Nico Barrera—12th – Carlsbad: Nico does not get much big time competition down south but his 2nd place finish last fall make him the clear cut favorite. 2. Josh Bueno—12th- Rio Rancho: Josh was 3rd in 2006 and will lead a team of youngsters that could make some noise. The lack of a healthy track season last spring raises some concern. 3. Bryce Palmer—11th- Eldorado: Bryce could be the next running star to come out of Eldorado. He has the talent to contend for the individual title in 2007. 4. Sammy Smith—12th- Gallup: A weak track season may have some carry over to cross this fall. 5. Zach Doran—11th- Highland: Zach seems to be in the lead pack every weekend. Look for the non-placer to be right in the mix in 2007. Others: Donovan Jim (Gallup), Rob Selph (Rio Rancho), Kevin Palmer (Eldorado), Jacob Lozano (Hobbs) Girls Teams: 1. Eldorado: The Eagles have one loss in the last two years inside of the state lines. No one graduated from last year’s squad but Faviola Valdez has moved to Virginia but Butler’s gals are as deep as this state has seen in years. Eldorado is the favorite to win the 5A division and is one of the best teams in the nation. 2. Gallup: The Bengals are the lone group of harriers to defeat the Eagles in New Mexico. They return a solid crew and will be bolstered by a strong group of improving freshmen. 3. Rio Rancho: A youth movement will not be exclusive to just Gallup. It is also taking place on the “ranch”. As many as four new girls could be on Coach Chavez’s varsity. 4. La Cueva: The Bears surprised many with their 3rd place finish a year ago. The distance girls then backed it up with impressive times on the track. Laura Lavazo is the best of a deep group. 5. Sandia: The Matadors had a good fall in 2006 but they took a step back in track. Sandia did not have a single state qualifier at the state track meet. The talent is still there but they have to stay healthy to get things turn back around. Others: Carlsbad, Clovis Girls Individuals: 1. Rachel Velarde—12th—Eldorado: Rachel comes off a great junior year in both cross and track. She has established herself as the girl to beat in the distances this fall. 2. Elba Hoguin—11th—Valley: Splitting time between running and soccer is going to catch up with Elba one day. She has enough talent to beat most of the field this fall. Valarde may be the exception. 3. Brandy Castillo—11th—Carlsbad: Brandy has the 2nd best seed time last spring in 5A behind Velarde. All 5 of the top girls from 2006 return this fall. 4. Jordan Brown—11th—Gallup: At state time expect to see a bunch of Bengals in the top 20. Jordan is talented enough to run for the win. 5. Allison Bedonie—Eldorado: ther is three of 4 Eldorado girls that could fill this spot. Allison is the most consistnat of the bunch. Others: Kristy Hannah (Eldorado), Sarah Ellison (Alamogordo), Callie Osborn (Sandia), Erin Weeda (Albuquerque High) Back to Top | 
