St. Michael’s freshman Raylee Hunt in quest of first place

The next stop for St. Michael’s freshman Raylee Hunt is Saturday’s state cross country championships over the course at Albuquerque Academy.

Of course that includes practice until than. This past Saturday, she had no problem coming away with the girls 5,000 meters over the Pendaries Golf and Country Club in Rociada. She finished alone in 20:16.20, well ahead of Santa Fe Prep 8th-grader Sophie Bair, but the team title belonged to the Griffins.

They also won the boys title to make them a threat for state honors Saturday. The girls pieced together 33 points, with second place Santa Fe Indian School 14 points behind. Third was host Robertson with 58, and West Las Vegas

82.

St. Michael’s did not have a full girls team, but Hunt is used to it. Her main strength is getting off to a quick start and leaving the rest of the field a distance behind. Last year, she ran second at state in a close finish, but this year she’s been all along placing first.

At this year’s prestigious Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival in Arizona, Lady Horsemen head Lenny Gurule entered her in the elite 5,000 meters Sweepstakes race and she turned in a personal-best 18:02.37. Of course, no course not all courses are alike, so times vary.

It usually doesn’t matter to Hunt, whose junior sister Logan is on the St. Michael’s state championship soccer team, she just takes off and leaves it at “Catch me if you can.” At Saturday’s district, she left second place Bair vying for anything but first place, and she timed 21:40.07.

Santa Fe Prep came away with 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 22nd, 26th, 27th, but also picked up first place points because the Lady Horsemen did not enter a full team and was unable to compete for team honors, but officially it was Hunt’s triumph.

Right behind Bair was freshman teammate Nya Griego in third, and on her heels was another freshman teammate with Helen Desmond in fourth place. The Griffins also had senior Sophie Addison take 6th, sophomore Bella Caldwell ran 25th, and down the list were Prep freshmen Elianaha Liebermon and Annabel Leon-Lubpwicz placing 30th and 31st to complete.

Addison came across the finish in 23:19.84, Griego was timed in 21:53.35, Desmond 22:11.31, and Indian School’s young squad also ran well, with junior Destiny Marquez taking fifth in 22:22.74, and 9th, 10th, 11th were all in the colors of the Braves — freshman Destiny Chino, junior Alexis Aguino and junior Kendra Emery. Chino was timed in 23:39.79, Aguino ran 23:45.41, and Emery finished in 24:09.37.

The one-day state championships Saturday run at Albuquerque Academy will start at 9 a.m., with 2A racing first, 4A second, 3A third, and 5A fourth. Awards will be presented after each boys and girls race.