Foggie cruises to win in cross country debut

Clovis High junior Gabby Foggie isn’t about to transition away from track to cross country, but she sure made a big impression in Friday’s season-opening Clovis High Invitational cross country meet.

Running in the sport for the first time, Foggie led a solid CHS showing, winning the three-mile race easily in a time of 21 minutes, 31.02 seconds to lead the Lady Wildcats to the team championship at Ned Houk Park.

Clovis, with all seven runners finishing in the top 12, tallied 24 points and doubled up runnerup Hereford with 48. Artesia was third with 80, followed by Hobbs 97, Roswell High 144 and Portales High 170.

Junior Sammy Fuentes won the boys’ race in 17:26.48. The Wildcats, with a plethora of new runners, finished second with 85 points to 41 for Hobbs.

Rounding out team scores were Hereford 90, Roswell High 95, Lovington 108, Artesia 111 and Tucumcari 172.

“They both did good,” CHS cross country coach Liz Ledezma said of Foggie and Fuentes. “They ran relaxed. I think they’ll both PR (set personal records) in the next two meets.”

Foggie, a Class 5A state 400 champion in track in each of the last two years, couldn’t pinpoint a reason to try out for cross country this fall.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “I just wanted to do something to stay in shape for track.”

She posted a comfortable margin over runnerup Makaylea Morrison of Artesia (21:15.24).

“I was super-nervous at first, but once I got out front it wasn’t that bad,” Foggie said. “I knew I was going to get at least in the top five, but I really didn’t think I’d win it.”

Sophomore Jarelly Navarrete (22:17.94) was third for the Lady Cats, while freshman Brooke Newcomer (22:30.25) took fifth, eighth-grader Christina Waltrip (23:14.45) seventh and eighth-grader Rosalia Morales (23:29.82) ninth to round out the team’s scoring. Sophomore Joselyn Foggie (23:46.90), Gabby’s sister, and eighth-grader Jolena Maldonado (23:50.29) – Jerrick’s sister – were 10th and 12th, respectively.

“It was a good first meet for the girls,” Ledezma said. “Gabby reminds me of (former CHS standout) Jerrick (Maldonado). She runs so effortlessly.”

Fuentes also cruised in the boys’ race, finishing well ahead of Chris Cordova of Hobbs (18:03.97).

Junior Rudy Ledezma, the team’s only other experienced runner, was 13th in 20:36.75.

“It was pretty easy,” Fuentes acknowledged. “I’d sprained my ankle on Sunday and hadn’t run at all since Monday, so it took me a while to warm up. Once I got to the top of the hill, I picked it up.”

The Cats’ other five runners were all bunched between No. 20 and No. 33. All are eighth-graders or freshmen.

“They’re all really young,” Fuentes said. “We’ve been trying to motivate them to be consistent.”

Portales had five runners in the girls race, led by Miriam Cadillo in 32nd place at 28:13.06. The Rams’ lone entrant on the boys’ side, Finn Anderson, was 47th in 30:25.54.

Next up for Clovis and Portale is the Lovington Invite on Saturday.