CAPITAL CITY CROSS COUNTRY MEET AND MORE

By Arnie Leshin 

Kudos to St. Michael’s 8th-grader Raylee Hunt, who for the second straight week, crossed the finish line ahead of another former state cross country champion. Last week, in her varsity debut, the 14-year-old Hunt showed her heeled to reigning state 3A champion Albuquerque Cottonwood Classical Prep in the St. Pius X Super Cinco in Albuquerque.

And this time, the youngster left Pecos senior Vanessa Dominguez, one of the finest harriers in the state behind in winning the annual Capital City event hosted by Santa Fe High Saturday. Last year, Dominguez finished second at state. In her 8th grade varsity debut, she ran sixth. As a freshman, she won the state title, and now she came upon a new challenger who finished in 20:11.9 and left Dominguez some one minute and 11 seconds behind in 21:33.1.

And Isaiah Velasquez won’t need need an introduction when he meets up with Chris Humetewa Saturday. Until this coronavirus  pandemic season, they had been Santa Fe Indian School teammates, and now, because of tribal rules are running under the colors of their respective district schools, and Saturday they meet up in the district finals to be run at Rio Rancho Cleveland High, where Humetewa now runs.

That’s what came out of Saturday’s annual Capital City cross country meet hosted by Santa Fe High School.

For the second straight week, Hunt, the sparkling newcomer for Lenny Gurule’s St. Michael’s team, ran like she’s been hung up on the trails for more than you might surmise, but at the age of 14, you have to figure it’s easily her favorite sport and Gurule, the former state 880-yard champion and in his 18th season as head coach, is just happy to land yet another promising youngster.

“I’ve had quite a few good runners,” he says, “but never one quite like Raylee, a 14-year-old  8th-grader. She sure can run and she sure showed it in her first two races.”

That she did. lining up in her first high school race last week, she had a huge challenge running the 2.64-mile course at St. Pius X’s Super Cinco event in Albuquerque against reigning state 3A champion Cottonwood Classical Prep of Albuquerque. But she traveled the court in 16:58, and except for a late burst by Cottonwood senior Alyx Mastor that fell short, young and talented Hunt handled it like she’s been there before, only this time it was in high school varsity competition, and it was her race from start to finish.

Mastor ran second in 17:07, third was junior teammate Lisa Cardinale in 18:09, then came senior teammate Sophia Lopez in 18:19, and fifth was Cottonwood junior Aiubry Lozoya in 18:19. Except for Mastor, who did not run track and was a late cross country addition, the others finished fifth, seventh and ninth at state to place ahead of Zuni and Laguna-Acoma.

Next came Saturday’s run. Now Hunt had to contend with Dominguez, who is pretty good, but heck, it certainly didn’t bother Hunt, and whether she knew this or not, she crossed the finish line in 20:11.9 and Dominguez ran 21:33.1 behind, and that’s a minute and about 11 seconds distance.

Right behind Dominguez were teammates Mistidawn Roybal and Kianna Quintana. Also in the race was Santa Fe High, Taos and Hunt’s teammates. The first Demonette to finish was sophomore Lili Gadret in sixth, and fifth went to Taos senior Kelly Tonrey.

Said Pecos’ head coach Patrick Ortiz: “After the race Vanessa asked me if I thought she had run against Hunt before, and I informed her that no way, for Hunt is only in the 8th grade now, and never raced in varsity before.”

Then came the boys and Velasquez, who finished 10th last year in the 3A state championships, is one the four Indian School runners who had to abide with the tribal rules, and instead of being together again, and also favored to win 3A, they were informed that they now had to run under the colors of their respective district schools, which landed Velasquez with Braves’ seniors Ethan Vigil and Isaiah Desheno at Santa Fe High.

Vigil and Desheno, who first settled in at Pojoaque Valley until the Elks announced they weren’t doing cross country, became Demons, but are trying to pick up the pace after finishing 11th and 12th, respectively, Saturday.

But Velasquez did fine, winning in 17:47.3, and ahead of Santa Fe High sophomore Tanner Black, who clocked 18:07.0. Third was Santa Fe Prep senior Josh Abeyta, and fourth was Taos senior Eddie Duran. Pecos’ initial finisher was 10th place senior Antonio Garcia, and the first St. Michael’s to finish was 13th place Dennis Ortiz.

So Saturday, Velasquez, Desheno and Vigil will be having a reunion with Humetewa, who finished 3rd and 3rd his last two times at state. Even Indian School head coach Joe Calabaza expects to attend. And it will be a familiar scene to see Velasquez on the heels of Humetewa. Cleveland won state 5A last year, but Humetewa had the better time in the 3A race.

Humetewa also ran Saturday and settled for fourth place in the Albuquerque Academy event, and which will be the site of the state championships on March 26th and 27th.

The winner in 16:47.0  was Chargers’ sophomore Justin Hickey, with Cleveland senior Ricky Rangek second in 17:14.0.  Next came Academy freshman Joaquin Deprez in 17:14.5, and Humetewa i17:15.0 and in fourth place. Storm senior Jon Fragua placed fifth in 17:32. Humetewa was right up there and among the frontrunners after an early jam.

CAPITAL CITY CROSS COUNTRY MEET

GIRLS TOP FINISHERS:
1. Raylee Hunt, St. Michael’s — 8th grade           20:11.9
2. Vanessa Dominguez, Pecos — Senior             21:33.1
3. Mistidawn Roybal, Pecos — Soph.                  22:39.8
4. Kianna Quintana, Pecos — Senior                   23:09.5
5. Kelly Tonrey, Taos — Senior                            23:23.6
6  Lili Gadret, Santa Fe High — Soph.                 24:15.5
7. Kristina Ragland, Pecos — Soph.                    24:26.4
8. Marielle Gomez. Taos — Junior                       24:26.8
9. Lexi Gonzales, Pecos — Senior                       25.12.1
10. Lauren Patton, St. Michael’s — 8th grade      25:47.8
11. Paris Dixson, St. Michael’s — Senior              25:52.8
12. Jade Mares, Taos — Soph.                              26:06.0
13. Maddy Rolison-Elliot, Taos — Senior             26:19.7
14. Brianna Taylor, Taos — Junior                        26:20.5
15  Amber Lujan, Santa Fe High — Junior           26:43.5
16. Lauren Barela, St. Michael’s — 8th grade      27:06.4
17. Landra Monelet, Santa Fe High — Soph.       28:19.9
18. Maya Ellers, Santa Fe High — Junior             29:28.0

BOYS TOP FINISHERS:

1.  Isaiah  Velasquez, Santa Fe High — Senior    17:47.3
2   Tanner Black, Santa Fe High — Soph.             18:07.0
3   Josh Abeyta, Santa Fe Prep — Senior             18:20.6
4.  Eddie Duran, Taos — Senior                             18:27.8
5.  Mason Nichols, Santa Fe High — Soph.          18:30.8
6.  Jesus Perez, Santa Fe High —  Junior             19.04.6
7.  Lewis Sisler, Santa Fe Prep — Soph.               19:06.2

8.  Gabe Cordova, Santa Fe Prep — Soph.           19:10.8
9.  Evin Axelrod, Santa Fe Prep — Junior             19:14.9
10. Antonio Garcia, Pecos —  Senior                     19:15.8
11. Ethan Vigil, Santa Fe High — Senior               19:35.4
12. Isaiah Desheno, Santa Fe High — Senior       19:37.1
13. Dennis Ortiz, St. Michael’s — Senior               19:38.7
14. Ryan Kuhn, St. Michael’s — Junior                  20:25.3
15. Jaden Perea, St. Michael’s — 8th grade          20:32.2
16. Derek DeHerrera, Pecos — Senior                   20:52.4
17. Mark Allen, Santa Fe High — Junior                21:09.4
18. Matthew Chavez,  Santa Fe High — Junior     21:13.1
19. Derek Martinez, St. Michael’s — Junior           21:16.9
20. John Allison, Santa Fe Prep — Senior            21:23.0
21. Duncan Stewart-Jackson, Taos — Senior      21:23.3
22. Eduardo Munoz, Taos — Junior                      21:27.5
23. Isreal Villegas, Pecos — Soph.                        22:33.8
24. Irvin Loya, St. Michael’s — Soph.                    23:061.
25. Abel Strock, Pecos –8th grade                       25:17.5
26. Derrick Romero, Pecos — Senior                    25:50.6
27. Gabe McMahon, St. Michael’s — Senior         26:34.3