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Best hope is Horsemen junior Justin Angel, with Pojoaque Valley favored to win 4A team honors and Pecos seeking its third-straight 3A championship
By Arnie Leshin | November 2, 2017
St. Michael’s boys have won two state cross country championships, both under current head coach Lenny Gurule, but while the Lady Horsemen have won state four times and have had two state individual champions in 3-time winner Irena Ossola and 4-time winner Katie Norskog, the Horsemen still seek their first.
The closest to win state was Andres Gonzales in his senior year of 2011. But after losing by a step to Herbert Beyale III of Shiprock, he raced Beyale again at the state track and field championships, defeating him on Friday in the 800, and losing the same day in the 3.200, then taking the 1,600 on Saturday against Beyale.
“They were all close,” said Gonzales, now a recent graduate of University of New Mexico and applying to law school, “In the cross country, it was windy that day and he trailed me most of the way, I guess to block the wind. We both got away to a good start and then left the pack behind.”
No change on the track oval.
“It was three close races,” Gonzales said. “In the 3,200, I lost at the finish. But I came back in the 800 to win by a second or two. It was a windy day and there was also a rain delay. On Saturday, we went at it again and again it was a tight race that I was able to win.”
Gonzales added that it was a great feeling to win two state championships, but he wished it was four.
“I began college and New Mexico State,” he said, “ran for a year. Then I transferred to UNM and ran for three years. In 2012, I attended the state cross championships in Rio Rancho.”
Gonzales was a freshman when St. Michael’s won state cross country in 2008 and finished 16th. In that race, senior Fred Baca settled for third place. In 2005, the Horsemen’s Matt Fant was the runner-up. The following year, Michael Hart came in third.
St. Michael’s also won state in 2006.
Now it’s Horsemen junior Justin Angel looking to finish first over the course at Rio Rancho High School. As a 4A harrier, he’s been impressive, especially in meets against the 5A and 6A runners. But this appears to be a well-balanced field in that class, with maybe 7-8 runners given a chance to cross the line first.
One is junior Tyrease James of Navajo Prep. There’s also West Las Vegas seniors Miguel Coca and JJ Esquibel, Pojoaque Valley junior John Hall and senior Avery Torrez, and Albuquerque Sandia Prep junior Epherem Zerai, and Santa Fe Indian School senior Thomas Lucero.
The boys follow the girls this year, with 3A starting at 1:05 p.m. and including Academy of Technology and The Classic sophomore Cole Ferguson, Desert Academy junior Jacob Kaare-Rasmusson, Santa Fe Prep led by sophomore Griffin Rutherford and junior Adrian Whitten, and the Pecos team seeking its third-straight state title.
Ferguson and Jacob Kaare-Rasmusson are their school’s lone entries, but while the Phoenix had a full two team and finished fourth at district, Kaare-Rasmusson was the lone entry from the Wildcats. Tim Host is head coach at ATC.
The Panthers are well-balanced with seniors Josh DeHerrera, Michael Montano and Carlos Cordova, and junior Angel Varela-Gomez. Their head coach is Patrick Ortiz, the former distance star at the school.
The starting time for 4A is 1:35 and St. Michael’s also has junior Eli Steward and Adrian Veruete-Maya.
Then there’s 5A toeing the line at 2:05, and Capital High senior Joseph Namingha qualifying for the third straight time.
