Santa Fe prep senior Elizabeth Whiting looks to top podium step in track and field championships

Santa Fe Prep senior Elizabeth Whiting hopes her final high school race gets her on the top step of the podium, with the weekend A-3A state track and field championships to run Friday-Saturday

Griffins also in chase for team honors, while Desert Academy senior Lia Kane runs the 1,600 and 3,200

By Arnie Leshin | May 5, 2017

It’s the state A-3A track and field championships, but it’s also the last run for the seniors who qualified for the Friday-Saturday event at the University of New Mexico.

One is Desert Academy’s Lia Kane. She’s hoping to land on the podium as she runs the 1,600 and 3,200. She has the fourth best time in the 1,600, but the one to beat is Laguna-Acoma sophomore Terri Dailey. Dailey is also favored in the 3,200. Kane’s best chance to medal is probably the 1,600, where she’s turned in a best of 6:06.04.

In the 3,200, Dailey’s toughest competition could come from Cottonwood Classical freshman Ariel Pena, who has run 12:15.66 versus the 12:14.02 raced by Dailey. It’s up to Kane to stay among the leaders in both distances. She has a good kick to match her experience.

Another senior is Santa Fe Prep’s Elizabeth Whiting in the 800. She has the best qualifying time of 2:25.08, and is so excited to be at state, she just might make the top step of the podium.

There’s Griffins’ senior Annika Birk in the 100 and 200 meters. She’s not up there with the leaders in regard to qualifying times, but she might manage to slip into the first six. But the favorite in both sprints is Santa Rosa junior Mikayla Garnand, plus she also has the fastest time in the 400.

Sophomore Keenan Geary of Clayton and senior Estrella Vargas of Raton should be the toughest test for Garnand in the 100 and 200, and Texico sophomores Baylee Sours and Shabry Boone in the 400.

Colfax qualified in five events last year, this time she will compete in four, with the fastest time of 16:65 in the 100 hurdles, and with freshman teammate Leyla Sharples having the fifth-best (17:25).

In the 300 intermediate hurdles, Colfax owns the fifth fastest, Sharples sixth, and the best of 46:14 goes to Eunice senior M’Lee Vinson. Bea Lowe, a junior and transfer from Santa Fe Waldorf, now wears the colors of Desert Academy and has gone 51:24 in the longer hurdles. She is also in the long jump.

In the high jump, Colfax has the seventh-best jump, but this is an event that can bring several jumpers the same height, with fewer misses deciding the outcome.

In the triple jump, Colfax also has the seventh-best, just ahead of Academy of Technology and The Classics junior Lilia Noger-Onstott. In the long jump, sprint favorite Garnand has the top jump of 17-2 and could possibly win four events.

Favored in the shot put and discus is Texico senior Andrea Loera, with Pecos’ junior Reyna Perez having the fifth-furthest throw.

In the relays, Prep’s best should be in the 1,600 sprint medley relay. It has the second-fastest time of 4:37.13, with Tularosa turning in a 4:34.44.

In the 4 x 100, it’s Tularosa, Texico and Raton in Prep’s way. In the 4 x 200, Santa Rosa is the quartet to beat, with the Griffins having the seventh-fastest clocking. In the 4 x 400, Prep has the fourth best time, with Texico the team to beat.

Others seniors hoping for a positive finale are Prep’s Selma Flint in the 400 meters, Griffins’ Liza Doyle in the 100 hurdles and long jump, Pecos’

Camille Cde Baca in the triple jump, and Prep’s Olivia Lesnfestey in the 1,600. Then again, there could be seniors not in individual events, but passing the baton in the relays.

There are a total of 542 girls who qualified.