SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
After his Pecos boys won their third-straight state cross country championship, head coach Patrick Ortiz was asked about his girl’s team, as in how is their program doing?
It didn’t take long for Ortiz to answer.
“Watch them,” he said, “we’ve got some young girls working hard, we’ve got numbers, and I think they’re on the way to win state.”
He proved his point. Now in 1/2A, the Panthers responded at state by finishing third, then second, and on Saturday, held off the challenge of Academy of Technology and The Classic to claim its first state title.
It wasn’t easy. The young Pecos team with only one senior, was expected to have a fourth tight race against the young ATC team. The Panthe rs had won twice, and again the two schools ran so well, it took awhile before the official results were posted.
But Ortiz’ girls heard the good news before that. As he did when the Panther boys won state the first time, former Pecos graduate, athlete and head XC coach Sal Gonzales, now coach of the host Rio Rancho girls, raced to where the Pecos team and supporters were, and held up one finger to let them know they had won.
The celebration got underway. The Panthers, thanks to the lone senior, Faith Flores, had gathered in 36 points, three better than a disappointed Phoenix team. No other team came close, with third place Rehoboth Christian scoring 121 points.
The wait for the final results involved the No. 5 runners from each team. With Pecos ahead 17-26, Flores needed a good finish to hold off ATC, with its sophomore, Kamryn Hoehne, needing to stay with the leaders to give her team a chance to overtake the Panthers.
Hoehne did well, coming in 13th in 21:41.65, but that wasn’t enough when Flores’ 19th place in 22:19.95, kept her team ahead for the 3-point triumph.
She had been running since 8th grade and Ortiz addressed this.
“I’m very happy for Faith getting a state championship,” he said. “She had been with us when the program was first getting attention, more girls coming s d we soon had an up-and-coming team.”
Sophomore Vanessa Dominguez is the one who first achieved recognition, and who won her biggest race Saturday. She timed 20:24 for the 5-killomers, and right on her heels was ATC sophomore Maggie Rittmeyer taking second in 20:35.05.
But the Panthers also picked up 4th place from 8thgrader Mistiidawn Roybal (20:43.95) a fifth place from sophomore Kianna Quintana (20: 55.85), a 7th place from freshman Savannah (24:12.65) and then came Flores.
ATC was right there, and it has no seniors. Behind Rittmeyer came 8th grader Noelani Van Loom 3rdin 20:42.25, freshman Josette Gurule 10th in 21:25.20, 8th grader Lilty Rittmeyer, Maggie’s sister, ran 11th in 21:30.95, and then came Hoehyn.
Pecos and ATC had the first five finishers.
It was also a good day for St. Michael’s. Last year it was short runners and only qualified three girls for state. With five in its lineup this time, the Lady Horsemen, with four state championship under present coach Lenny Gurule, ran third, and now was able to hoist a trophy and step onto the podium.
“Much, much better this time,” Gurule said, ‘and senior Janai Clayton had her best, fifth, and her best time (20:46.85), and just worked her way up. And Violet and our other girls also ran well, although 8th grader Logan (Hunt) was tired after playing in Saturday’s state soccer final.”
It was also the last state for seniors Violet Eklund and Lauren Cordova. Eklund took 20th in 21:43.75, and Cordova placed 35th in 22:42.5 for a personal best, while junior London Luttrell was 25th in 21:52.50, and 28th was Hunt in 22:12.90.
Robertson won the 3A title with 87 points and next came Zuni with 92, while St. Michael’s tallied 111, one point and one spot over Santa Fe Indian School.
Head coach Joe Calabaza also has a young team minus seniors. Its top finisher was 8th grader Destiny Marquez running 11th in 21:07.30, 8thgrader Arianna Montoya took 22nd in 21:47.05, in 23rd was junior Iris Emery in 21:48.65, 8th grader Alexis Aguino 28th in 22:09, and then came 8thgrader Kendra Emery 30th in 22:21.80.
This is a current lineup composed of four 8thgraders and a junior.
In 5A, Santa Fe High senior Judith Allison’s last state run brought a 35th place in 21;15.55. Los Alamos had five of the first 14 places for 47 points, but Albuquerque Academy won with 21.
