Clovis runners grab red

RIO RANCHO - The Clovis High School boys cross country team was up on the podium at Rio Rancho Stadium Saturday afternoon, happily accepting the red trophy emblematic of its second-place finish in the Class 5A cross country state championships.

The Wildcats, who'd finished fourth in 2017, just missing a trophy - after an eighth-place finish in '16 and a 10th-place finish in '15, naturally had their sights set on the first blue trophy in school history. But when repeat champion Cleveland High placed five runners among the first 17 to cross the finish line, that was a daunting challenge.

The Storm garnered 62 points, 29 better than the 'Cats. Rounding out the top 10, in order, were Albuquerque (127), Rio Rancho (134), Volcano Vista (145), Piedra Vista (147), Sandia (199), Hobbs (200), Eldorado (201) and Oñate (259).

Yonas Haile also repeated as medalist, finishing the race in 15:49.55.

Sophomore Jerrick Maldonado led Clovis with a fourth-place finish (in 16:19). Also scoring for the runners-up were TJ Gregg (11th/16:43), Jon Fuentes (12th/16:52), Jose Salas (21st/17:17) and Kannon Brooks (43rd/17:49) for Clovis, which matched its highest finish in program history - set in 2003.

"It's their backyard, and they sleep in their own beds," Clovis coach Mark Bussen said of Cleveland's repeat. "It's not an excuse, but it is reality. Jon was a little sick, and we were worried, but he really gutted out a good race. They laid it out there, and I couldn't have been happier. They did all the right things. They got their rest, they didn't mess around. I told them this was a business trip, and they treated it that way."

Colton Wolf (63rd/18:13) and Elias Calderon (69th/18:23) also ran for CHS.

"We really had our head set on first place," Maldonado said. He said he wished his team could have traveled to Rio Rancho for the annual Rio Rancho Jamboree, one of the state's biggest meets, and get a preview of the state course.

"I honestly think coming out to the Jamboree would have been an advantage," Maldonado said, "because we could have seen what Albuquerque teams have this year, you know, and what they're made of. We went to (a preview meet in Carlsbad) to see where we stood in our district."

Maldonado said the southeast part of the state has hills and sand, and he didn't think the change in elevation had an effect.

"The sand is insane here," he said, happy to have bettered his 32nd-place finish in 2017. "I wasn't too fast.

"We have a really good chance (to win it in 2019)," he added. "We actually had a lot of young guys this year; they never really ran this course. But I think next year - I don't (know if we'll be in) in the Jamboree - but, hopefully, next year we'll have a little bit more experience and be better prepared."

One thing he learned Saturday was, "I honestly thought I started off way too fast. I kinda wanted to take off with Yonas, but I decided to stay right behind Patrick (Colburn of Hobbs, who finished second in 16:09). I took off fast that first mile, but both of them got gaps on me and I had no chance to catch up."

The Clovis girls finished 13th among the 15 qualifying teams, scoring 335 points. Bussen said he figured the girls would end up around that range.

"The girls ran well," Bussen said. "They weren't as talented as the boys this year, but they worked just as hard. They had a great year."

Eldorado, led by individual champ Jasmine Turtle-Morales, denied the Cleveland girls a repeat of their 2017 crown, as the Eagles scored 57 points, eight better than the Storm.

Rounding out the top 10 teams were, in order, third-place Albuquerque High (96), Rio Rancho (134), La Cueva (136), Volcano Vista (166), Alamogordo (166), Sandia (192), Oñate (261) and Piedra Vista (281).

The Wildcat girls were led by Analysse Hamlett, who was 28th in 21:04. Also scoring for Clovis were Shylee Tree (58th/22:12), Faith Hays (74th/22:49), Ali Tree (86th/23:27) and Veronica Perez (89th/23:37). The team's sixth- and seventh-runners were Layla Walley (98th/24:10) and Fatima Hernandez (104th/25:34).