Runner-Up Finish for Pecos, Third Place for ATC

In 3A girls at Saturday’s state cross country championships run at Rio Rancho High, it was a runner-up finish for Pecos and a third place for Academy of Technology and The Classics

Panthers’ freshman Vanessa Dominguez ran fourth, ATC freshman Maggie Rittmeyer seventh, and freshman teammate Kate Ferguson 10^th for surprising Phoenix

By ARNIE LESHIN,  Santa Fe Today

Pecos was expected to finish among the top three in the 3A girl’s state championship run Saturday at Rio Rancho High School, but Academy of Technology and The Classics unexpectedly also joined the trio.

While the Panthers finished second to Albuquerque Cottonwood Classical, it was the Phoenix one-two punch of freshmen Maggie Rittmeyer and Kate Ferguson running seventh and 10th to pave the way for Tim Host’s team to pick up 77 points and land Rittmeyer and Ferguson on the podium.

The lone senior of the group is Lilia Noger-Onstott, and rounding out the squad is 8^th-grader Josette Gurule, freshman Kamryn Hoehne, and sophomore Marialy Ochoa, and freshman Naomi Lujan.

Gurule placed 13^th in 22:01, Hoehne 21^st in 22.39.90, Lujan 26^th in 22:53, Ochoa 27^th in 23:03.15, and Lilia Noger-Onstott 42^nd 24:14.65.

But Rittmeyer and Ferguson, as they’ve done all season, showed the way by keeping together, with Rittmeyer timed in 21:33.10 and Ferguson 21:42.55.

“It was a littler better this time, because last year it rained,” Rittmeyer said. “But I was also more familiar with the course today.”

Both she and Ferguson, whose sophomore brother, Colin, was the lone ATC qualifier in the boy’s championships, said they’ve been running quite some time, like as far back as third grade, but with the Phoenix they’ve been almost step-by-step since seventh grade.

Ferguson, who also practices with her brother, said: “I probably like track and field better. That’s where I run the 1,600, the 3,200, and also the hurdles.”

It was Noger-Onstott’s final state cross country championship. With the states and the regular-season Rio Rancho Jamboree, she said she has run this course about nine times.

“I do know the course very well,” she said.

While Cottonwood Classical finished one, two, three, with senior Rhylyn Jones over the finish line first in 20:31.60. Sophomore Ariel Pena was six seconds behind, and sophomore Jordyn Tatum clocked in 20:46.

Then came freshman Vanessa Dominguez of the up-and-coming Pecos girls, whose boys won their third-straight state title a short while later. Dominguez finished fourth in 20:55.25, the lone threat to the Cottonwood trio.

“We’re been making progress since last year,” Dominguez said. “The coaches have worked with us, gave us confidence, and we even thought we could finish first today.”

Head coach Patrick Ortiz praised his girl’s team prior to having his boys win a third-straight state championship.

But Cottonwood pieced together 48 points, 10 better than the Panthers.

Also cracking the top-ten for Pecos was junior Faith Flores placing sixth in 21:26.35, and 8^th-grader Savannah Ortiz eighth in the time of 21:36.85. The team has one senior, Mone Mondragon, who ran 33^rd in 23:25.65.

Santa Fe Prep replaced Hayden Colfax and Anna Swanson, who played in the state soccer tournament on Friday, and filled in 8^th grader Ellie Wirth and freshman Abby Francis.

It came in seventh and its first finisher was freshman Chelsea Griscom coming in 16^th 22:18.50. Eighth-grader Sophie Addison, the team’s most consistent harrier all season, placed 18^th in 22:23.95.

In the day’s first race, Santa Fe High senior Daisy Gephart was the team’s lone qualifier in 6A and took 37^th in 21:38. That was six spots better than last year, when she and the Demonettes qualified as a team out of district.

In 5A, Capital High senior Audrey Gonzales came in 66^th in 23:19.19 as the lone Jaguar qualifier.

“It was a great experience for me,” she said. “It taught me a lot about myself. The competition really pushed me to my limits.”

Capital head coach Rita Vigil said that it was a good time for Gonzales, and that the top finisher for her team was by Mayra (Flores) three years ago.

In 4A, St. Michael’s only qualified juniors Janai Clayton, Abbie Leugers and sophomore London Luttrell. Clayton ran 12^th in 21:29.15, Leugers 25^th in 22:02, and Luttrell 33^rd in 22:28.15.

“I wanted to finish in the top 10,” said Clayton, “but I thought I ran well.”

Leugers said she was happy with her the way she ran, but Luttrell, who did not finish last year’s race after becoming ill, did so this time but indicated it wasn’t such a good day for her.

Santa Fe Indian School finished 10^th, with senior Elizabeth Lucero its top runner by taking 30^th in 22:28.45. Next came sophomore Iris Emery 11 places behind in 22:58.45. The Braves’ other senior, Sunshine Easton, ran 72^nd in 25:37.90 in her fifth run at state.