Pecos boys going for a second-straight 3A track and field championship this weekend at UNM, Panthers girls improving, Santa Fe Prep well balanced among its girls and boys

Desert Academy senior Lia Kane in the 1,600, 3,200, ATC senior Sean Delica, Prep senior Patrick Boyd race the 100

By Arnie Leshin | May 2, 2017

The Pecos boys have everything in order as they go in quest of a second-straight 3A track and field championship at the Friday-Saturday A-3A state championships at the University of New Mexico.

The Panthers came out of the district qualifying that they hosted. They have qualified in 16 of the 19 events, are extra strong in the 1,600 and 3,200, and have several defending champions out to repeat.

The Pecos girls scored four points last year at state and finished last in the 20-school field, but don’t expect it to happen this time. The young Panthers are vastly improved, qualifying a dozen athletes in 11 events that includes the 1,600 sprint medley relay.

Santa Fe Prep is well balanced and both its girls and boys should be up there among the leaders. Always deep in depth, both qualified in 15 events.

The Griffin girls have freshman Hayden Colfax in four events, one less than last year, and she has the best time in the 100 hurdles (16:65). She also has three other teammates in the field. Colfax is also in the 300 hurdles, the high jump and the triple jump, as well as running in the relays.

Prep senior Elizabeth Whiting’s time of 2:25.08 in the best in the 800 field.

Then there’s Desert Academy senior Lia Kane looking to land on the podium in the 1,600 and 3,200, while the 3,200 also includes Academy of Technology and The Classic 8^th grader Kate Ferguson. The youngster is also in the 300 hurdles.

The Griffins have senior Annika Birk racing the 100 and 200 meters. As for Pecos, junior Rayna Perez is in the shot put and discus. The Panthers have six 8^th graders and three sophomores among those competing.

ATC junior Lilia Noger-Onstott will be busy jumping in the long and triple jumps and soaring in the pole vault. And Prep has qualified in all four relays.

As for the boys, Pecos will be banking on defending champion senior Julian Garcia in both the 1,600 and 3,200, junior Carlos Cordova in the high jump, its 1,600 sprint medley relay quartet, and contenders Josh DeHerrera, a junior, in the two distances races, as well as in the 300 hurdles, and Cordova in the triple jump, and not to forget sophomore Omar Dominguez in the two hurdles.

Prep has done well with the return of senior sprinter Patrick Boyd, who took a semester in a foreign land. In the 100, he will have to outrace Phoenix senior Sean Delica, who has sped 10:94 and has the best time in the field.

But in the 200 and 400, Boyd’s times are the fastest at 22:93 and 51:25, respectively. He will also be in the high jump and race the anchor legs on the relay teams.

The Griffins also have an up-and-coming sophomore in Sam Sparks, who has qualified in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. He’s right up there in all three jumps.

Desert Academy’s brothers, senior Jonas Kaare-Rasmussen and sophomore Jakob Kaare-Rasmussen will be in the 800 and 400, respectively. And senior Max Logan will race the 200 and 400 and throw the discus.

Pecos’ boys won state last year with 64 points, 15 better than second-place Estancia. Prep was ninth, ATC seventh and the Wildcats 13^th.

In the girl’s team scores, Eunice was on top with 56 points, five more than runner-up Lordsburg. The Phoenix was eighth, Prep ninth, Desert 17^th, and then came Pecos.