Senior Maya Holder continues to pace the Santa Fe High girls as she runs sixth in Saturday’s annual Belen High Cross Country Invitational run

By Arnie Leshin 

Santa Fe High seniors Maya Holder and Simone Ropp took top-10 places in the girl’s varsity, and senior Tanner Black was the first Demon to finish at Saturday’s Belen Invitational 5,000-meter run at Los Lunas High School.

 

It was a preparation of head coach Peter Graham’s team for Saturday’s annual Capital City Invitational that it will co-host with Capital at the Municipal Recreation Complex. Graham will be the meet director for the morning event scheduled to go off at 8:30.

 

As for Holder, she’s been the top Demonette across the finish each meet. This time, she placed 6th in 22:16.72. In 10th was Ropp racing 22:44.13.

 

Santa Fe High scored 165 points for seventh place, with Rio Rancho handily taking the top spot with 30 points, 47 better than third place Albuquerque St. Pius X in the 11-school field.

 

Up-and-coming Demonette freshman Reinita Irizarry ran 26:47.31 in finishing 53rd, junior Maya Ellers came in 58th in 27:31.70, and junior teammate Amber Lujan was two spots behind while turning in a time 27:51.45.

 

In the boy’s varsity, Black clocked 19:21.62, and next came sophomore Mason Nichols taking 48thin 20:07.94. Junior Evan Marion was 66th in the time of 21:43.21, senior Matthew Chavez ran 82ndin 23:06.63, and in 86th was Adam Duran running 23:15.27.

 

The Demons pieced together 246 points for 11thplace, with Rio Rancho winning both the girls and boys team titles, scoring 36 points in the boys, 28 better than 3rd place Los Lunas, with 13 schools in the field.

 

In the junior varsity, Santa Fe High picked up a 13th place from freshman Sosoya Call in the time of 28:59.55. and right behind her in 14th was sophomore teammate Jaiden Eustice running 29:07.72. In 27th was sophomore Lili Gadret in 31:11.79. sophomore Samantha Spiers 30th in 32:01.55, and then came junior Bella Root racing 32:56.67 for 32nd place.

 

Capital High freshman Karen Medinia ran 38:33.45 to finish 42nd as the lone Jaguar in the field.

 

The Demonettes scored 77 points to finish third, with Rio Rancho taking another team title with 23 points, 20 better than second place Onate in a field raced by five schools.

 

In the boy’s junior varsity, Santa Fe High’s initial finisher was sophomore Bluebird Askan taking 48th in 23:50.44. In 53rd  was Capital High sophomore Maximiliano Quintana in 24:16.73, and 62nd was Demons’ 8th grader Rem Murata-Long in 24:49.66. The 53rd spot went to Capital sophomore Luca Buckley in 32:05.67.

 

Neither Santa Fe High and Capital had full teams. And it was Rio Rancho sweeping all four races by taking the first five spots for 15 points this time. Second was Los Lunas with 76 in the field of 10.