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Griffin sophomore Hayden Colfax wins the triple jump, the 100 hurdles, takes third in the 300 hurdles, fourth in the high jump and Prep piles up 79 points
By Arnie Leshin
Through her 21 years of coaching track and field at Santa Fe Prep, Tove Shere has often waited until Saturday’s final event, the 4 x 400 relay, to know where her girls placed.
Not so this time, this time she knew her fourth state 3A track and field championship was going to be won, and in her final season of mentoring the Griffins, she would see her girls take the top step of the podium. The good news came when junior Taylor Lincoln dashed third in the 200 meters.
With only the 3,200 and 4 x 400 remaining, that gave Prep 70 points and left second place Capitan with no chance to hoist the championship trophy.
“These girls,” Shere said, “were outstanding, and this included the winners and those that finished sixth. Everybody contributed.”
Most of the Griffins ran through what Shere had contributed.
“She’s the best,” said versatile sophomore Hayden Colfax, “she’s always there to give us advice, talk about each event, just a super coach.”
And after the final results were announced, Shere joined her team in a lap around the oval.
Of course, Shere has no problem running and is used to the competition. She’s been remarkable in the triathlon, with the bicycle being her main strength. When she’s coaching, stay out of her way, give her space, especially with first place being her target.
As for Colfax, she now has four individual medals since making it to state her 8th grade year. In qualifying for 4-5 events, She went from a sixth than to a first last year, and this time she added victories in the 100 hurdles and triple jump to go with a third in the 300 meters and a fourth in the high jump. And can’t forget her legs on the relay teams.
It was also quite a weekend for Prep 8th grader Isabel Voinescu. After she teamed with fellow 8thgrader Grace Vivian to score some upsets until losing in three sets of the doubles championship at the state tennis played at Albuquerque Academy, it was not long before she made her way to where the team was staying and prepared for track and field.
She finished fourth behind Colfax in the triple jump by soaring 35-09 while Colfax went 39-11. She took fourth in the 100 meters in 13:36. Then Voinescu turned to the relays to bring more points to the Griffins. She ran first leg on the runner-up 4 x 100, first leg on the second place 4 x 200.
Then there’s Griffin freshman Chelsea Griscom who had a splendid first season with the swimming team, even making it to the podium as she mixed in with the best in the pool in the state championships at Albuquerque Academy.
And Shere praised her after she finished third in the 800 in 2:31.32, and sixth in the 1,600 in 5:45.25.
“She didn’t have much time in between these races,” said Shere, “and I thought she did one heck of a job, brought us more points,”
Meanwhile, Colfax won the 100 hurdles in 15:76, with sophomore teammate Layla Sharples right behind in 16:38. In the 300, Colfax hurdled the course in a third-place 47.46, and in fifth came Sharples in 48:65.
Prep totaled 79 points and Capitan scored 56. It was close until the stretch run when the Griffins, who placed in a dozen of the 19 events, began stringing together points. Academy of Technology and The Classics scored 18 for 12th place.
Tularosa set a state 3A record by racing the 4 x 200 in 42:09.65 to better the previous best of 42:10.77.
In the 1,600, ATC 8th grader Josette Gurule took third in 5:41.89. In the 800, she ran fourth by clocking 2:32.18. In the pole vault. ATC senior Lilia Noger-Onstott cleared the bar at 6-6, and teammate Naomi Lujan took sixth at 6-feet. In the long jump and triple jump, Noger-Onstott settled for 10th place,
In the relays, the Phoenix finished 11th in the 4 x 100, 11th in the sprint medley and ninth in the 4 x 400.
And with it being championship time for the Griffins, It was also a perfect time for Tove Shere to conclude her marvelous years of coaching at Prep.
No doubt she will be taking in as many Prep track and field meets as possible, and certain to be cheering for the Griffins at the state championships.
