Maldonado finishes third in 5A state cross country

ALBUQUERQUE — Jerrick Maldonado’s bid for a Class 5A state individual cross country championship came up short on Saturday.

The Clovis High senior finished third in the competition hosted by Albuquerque Academy H.S., posting a time of 15 minutes, 57.33 seconds over five kilometers (3.1 miles).

Meantime, both CHS squads finished eighth in team standings, the boys with 104 points and the girls with 135. Rio Rancho Cleveland notched the boys’ team title while Rio Rancho claimed the girls’ crown.

Piedra Vista’s Makua Harvey was the individual champion in 15:49.91, followed by Ricardo Rangel-Valencia of Cleveland in 15:51.69.

CHS cross country coach Liz Ledezma said the race was decided late.

“They were all kind of hip-to-hip,” she said. “Over the last 200 or 300 meters, those boys kind of got away from him.”

As a junior, Maldonado was declared the winner of the 2019 race at Rio Rancho in a photo finish, but felt he had come in second behind Piedra Vista senior Triston Charles. He asked that the result be overturned, and the New Mexico Activities Association complied.

Meantime, senior Katarina Arbogast finished 19th to lead the Lady Wildcats, posting time of 20:46.81. Laurynn Sisneros of Eldorado won the race in 18:35.78.

Arbogast had never participated in cross country before this spring, nor track for that matter.

“I was so happy to see her come out,” Ledezma said. “To take second in the (District 4-5A) race, and then this, without really knowing how to pace herself, it’s quite an accomplishment.”