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St. Michael’s boys fifth at Saturday’s final day of the state 4A-6A track and field championships, with senior Esteban Alcaraz, junior Justice Johnson, and sprint medley relay finishing second
Event as UNM brought Taos a second-straight team title
By Arnie Leshin, Santa Fe Today
Having to settle for second place can make for a completely different picture when it occurred Saturday at the closing day of the state 4A-6A track and field championships at the University of New Mexico.
It happened to St. Michael’s senior Esteban Alcaraz and sophomore Justice Johnson. One was terrible disappointed, the other composed and maybe even a little surprised.
The Horsemen did not have a winner, but these two and their 1,600 sprint medley quartet were runners-up. In the team scoring, they finished fifth with 34 points as Taos won its second-straight title on a sunny, high temperature breezy day.
But for Alcaraz and Johnson, they were this close to victory. Alcaraz had been here before in the 110 hurdles and 300 intermediates, but in last year’s final of the longer hurdles, his best event, he was disqualified and never got to run.
So after running fifth in the 110, he was especially looking forward to the 300 he missed last time.
“I’m confident about the 300,” he said after racing 16.4 in the 110. “I had the best qualifying time and I’m ready for it.”
But it didn’t go his way. He didn’t start all that well, but moved up quickly on the final turn and went after the leader, Las Vegas Robertson senior Arjay Ortiz, only to fall short despite his frantic finish. Of his college choices, Alcaraz has Adams State as the frontrunner.
Ortiz, the stellar Cardinal quarterback who also won the high jump at 6-feet-2, and who considers track and field not one of his favorite sports, turned in a personal-best 39.77 and Alcaraz timed 40.48, which was in tune with his qualifying time, but couldn’t hide his look of frustration at the finish.
“I should have been up there with him (Ortiz), he said. “But he went out in front and I came on too late.”
Meanwhile, Johnson, who scratched from the earlier 400, arrived with the sixth-fastest time of 2:02.24, but got away well and hooked up with West Las Vegas junior Miguel Coca in a race down the stretch. It appeared that Coca had a bit more as he leaned across the finish in 2:02.46 (his qualifying time was 1:59.47) and Johnson clocked 2:02.62.
Last year, Johnson did not qualify for anything and was reduced to a spectator. This time, he made a statement with his impressive run against Coca, who also won the 3,200 and was second in the 1,600.
“I thought I ran a good race,” Johnson said, “and raced hard to win it. But he (Coca) just held me off, and second place isn’t all that bad in my first try at state.”
The sprint medley Horsemen held off Robertson and Taos, but couldn’t catch East Mountain, which won in 3:38.16. St. Michael’s posted a 3:41.72 and passed the baton with Esteban, sophomore Hayden Lee, sophomore Sabastian Alcaraz and Johnson, who ran the anchor 800.
Santa Fe Indian School, with state cross country champion Michael Tenorio, on the medley anchor leg, made the podium by coming in fifth in 3:48.59.
In the distance races, St. Michael’s senior Austin Luttrell and sophomore Justin Angel qualified in both the 1,600 and 3,200. In the Friday shorter distance, Angel ran third 4:30.57 and right on his heels was Luttrell in 4:31.59. In the 3,200, it was Angel finishing fourth in 10:11.24, but Luttrell did not medal in his final race.
The 1,600 went to East Mountain senior Isiah Padilla in 4:24.49, and Coca timed 10:01.56 to take the 3,200. In the 1,600, Coca took second, and in the 3,200, Padilla was runner-up. Tenorio took sixth in 4:34.67.
In the triple jump, Horsemen junior Joey Fernandez went 40-10 to take fifth place, but failed to medal in the javelin.
St. Michael’s qualified in all four relays and also medaled in the 4 x 100 by racing fifth in 45.43. It made it into eight of the 19 finals.
