Wrestling stays in the family for Capital High sophomore cross country runner Emma George

She intends to join the grapplers after XC. Younger brothers Adrian and Alex were runners-up at state wrestling and All-State back at Santa Fe High

By ARNIE LESHIN, Santa Fe Today

You figure that Capital High sophomore Emma George, youngster sister of brothers Alex and Adrian, is still a wrestling fan even though her brothers have already graduated. Having said that, she might even be attending some of the Jaguar matches.

Better yet, she intents to go right from the cross country course to the mat, the one where wrestlers clash. No problem, she said after running the 5-kilometer race Saturday morning at the annual Academy of Technology And the Classics Invitational.

“Because of my brothers,” she said, “I grew up with wrestlers because my dad was also a wrestler and later became a coach, and so I just stayed with it, even practiced with them. My mom ran at Capital and also at New Mexico Highlands.”

Even looked ahead to joining head coach Marcos Gallegos’ grapplers. She intends to contend at the 106 weight, which is what younger brother, Adrian, did at Santa Fe High when he finished fifth as an 8th grader in the 4A weight of 103 back in 2011. The following year, he went at 106 and lost in the championship round after compiling a 31-4 record. That’s back-to-back All-State honors.

Older brother Alex, a Demons’ senior, did the same as Adrian that same year by placing runner-up at the 126 weight to conclude at 26-4. In the final, it was a tight match that Alex lost in overtime in his All-State season.

Adrian then transferred to Capital, but a football injury sidelined him for the season. He did wrestle as a senior and made it to state.

With these genes, Emma must be quite an athlete. Running 3.1 miles and practicing every day over hills and dales, is not easy. But she’s happy to keep in shape and doesn’t mind being one of only two girls on head coach Rita Vigil’s team.

Yes, it’s her and senior Audrey Gonzales. Saturday, George turned in a varsity time of 21:49 to finish 18th. Gonzales ran 22nd in 22:22, and two must be her favorite number.

Said George: “I paced myself at the beginning, felt good, and sprinted in the last 400 yards.”

It was a good run for the St. Michael’s girl’s quartet even though, for the second-straight week, they were short one runner. Last week, freshman London Luttrell was nursing a cold, and this time it was junior Abbie Leugers attending a funeral.

But junior Violet Eklund got away to a good start, stayed with the frontrunners and finished third in 20:37. Junior Janai Clayton took fifth in 20:45, and Luttrell placed 11th in 21:33. The fourth member, junior Lauren Cordova, ran 27th in 22:50 with a sprint to the finish.

“I got away to a good start,” said Eklund, “stayed with the pace, and finished well. I ran here before and like this course.”

Clayton, who make a big run down the stretch last year, was satisfied.

“I began well, picked up the pace at the halfway mark,” she said, “so I had something left over the last mile.”

The host ATC got a fine race from sophomore Maggie Rittmerger when she placed 13th in 21:25 to lead the Phoenix, with sophomore teammate Kate Ferguson two sports behind in 21:30.

Santa Fe Prep’s top finisher was freshman Anna Swanson, who clocked 21:47 and ran 17th. The Griffins ran in a tight pack, with junior Charlotte Wirth 28th in 22:59, sophomore Hayden Colfax 29th in 23:02, and freshman Chelsea Griscom 30th in 23:07.

Shiprock totaled 36 points to win the team title, with Pojoaque Valley the runner-up, East Mountain third and Prep fourth. Capital and St. Michael’s did not have the required five runners to place here.