SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
St. Michael’s served notice this past Saturday that it would be in quest of another state 3A track and field championship for its boys and girls.
It was the annual Capital City Invitational held at the Jaguars oval but hosted by Santa Fe High and both the Horsemen and Lady Horsemen claimed invite titles.
St. Michael’s girls tallied 68.50 points, besting second place Albuquerque St. Pius X by 11.50.
Their versatile sophomore Raylee Hunt took a break from the larger menu she will bring to the May 3-4 state 3A championships and individually ran the 1,600 and won handily in 5:21.89.
She also anchored the victorious 4 x 400 relay.
Then there was versatile junior teammate Jada Lujan winning the high jump at 5-02 and dashing second in the 100 hurdles to Academy for Technology and The Classics junior Charli Koseoglu, who timed 16.23, and taking third in the long jump won by Santa Fe Prep’s Dahlia Reyes-Newell at 16-03.59.
Koseoglu’s teammate, junior Chanelle Jaeger, sped to first in the 400 and clocked 1:01.90, and took third in the 100 meters.
The pole vault went to Santa Fe High’s Esther Wiebe at 8-feet, with her teammate Shea Novak second.
For Capital, it was another step forward for up-and-coming junior Shyla Romero placing second in the discus at 97-10.
Then there was the relays, the 4 x 200 going to the Lady Horsemen in 1:55.68 with Grace Sandoval, Sophia Miera, Umg Chang and Bella Grigeo.
And St. Michael’s added the 4 x 400 in 4:15.45 with Sandoval, Miera, Lujan, Hunt.
The 1,600 sprint medley went to Santa Fe Indian School in 4:47.31 with a foursome of Haley Aguillar, Aliza Garcia, Kaydence Riley, and Destiny Marquez.
The Lady Horsemen had won state as far back as 2001, and then won again in 2002, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, and 2010. But after winning the Capital City Invite with 69.25 points, 12.25 better runner-up Albuquerque Cottonwood Classical, they look ready to win state again
As for Hunt, the two-time state 3A cross country champion, she individually ran just the 1,600 Saturday, winning in 5:21.90.
Except that wasn’t her usual menu. At state track and field last year she won the 800,1,600, 3,200 and finished third in the 300 hurdles and triple jump. In fact, her time of 2:19.74 in the 800 was a state record.
If that was a lot, how about her initial run at state as an 8th-grader when she did won the 300 hurdles, took second in the 1,600, third in the 3,200, and third in the 800. Now that’s a full day that brought out her versatility.
She sets her schedule, and it’s a tough one even without her doing the triple jump. Just running the three distance events is grueling, but no sense making a big deal about her just concentrating on the 1,600 this time. She won didn’t she?
But state will no doubt be tougher for her with more events and better competition.
