Girls cross country: Stacked Class AAA should make for tough season
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9/1/2008 - 9/2/08
Sophia Torres, of Pojoaque Valley High School, is bringing a pack mentality to the 2008 cross country season."She's not out for herself," Allan Lockridge, Pojoaque Valley head coach, says of Torres, a junior and the reigning Class AAA individual state champion. "She knows she wants to win, but she also wants to organize our team."
Pojoaque Valley is one of five teams in pursuit of the Lady Horsemen of St. Michael's, owners of the past three state titles.
"You can't replace what we lost," Lenny Gurule, St. Michael's head coach, says of the graduation of Patty Murray and Carolyn Ives, who contributed to all three championships. "I feel we have a lot to prove to live up to our reputation. I wouldn't say we're a complete favorite."
Not with Zuni in the same class and Pojoaque Valley, Santa Fe Indian School, West Las Vegas and Las Vegas Robertson in the same district.
"Four of the top five teams in state are in our district," John Grimley, Santa Fe Indian School head coach, says of District 2AAA. "Actually, we have five teams that should be there, if you want to have the best teams at state."
Only the top three teams from each district qualify for state. Grimley, though, has a point.
St. Michael's, Pojoaque and West Las Vegas finished first, third and fourth, respectively, last season. West Las Vegas edged Santa Fe Indian School at the district meet.
So who knows how high the Lady Braves would have placed if at-large teams were added to the starting line.
"All I know is one of the best teams in state is going to be sitting at home," Grimley says.
No spot seems secure.
"I don't want to sit here and say this is the year we beat St. Mike's," Lockridge says. "I lost one of my best runners to Canada at a time when it would have been nice to keep her. Plus, St. Mike's has a tradition of coming through."
Camille Martinez opted to spend her senior year at United World College in Victoria, British Columbia. Martinez was fourth, two years ago. She would have been the perfect complement to Torres and Jesenia Najera, who missed last season after placing third at state in 2006.
"She's a long way from being 100 percent," Lockridge says of Najera. "But it's nice to have her back."
The same can be said of Ariel Castaneda. The wisp of a freshman announced herself with an 11th place at state last season, six spots in front of Martinez.
Also in that race were Olivia Mermejo and Marlinda Pecos. The Santa Fe Indian School standouts qualified as individuals. Mermejo crossed in 13th and Pecos finished 34th.
"She has come back very determined," Grimley says of Pecos, a junior. "She put in a lot of work this summer. I don't get to see the kids over the summer, but I give them a training log. When she came back, she had filled it all out. She did everything she was told."
It showed.
Pecos won a Saturday scrimmage in Pojoaque.
"Olivia is another one with a tremendous upside," Grimley says of his junior, who was the team's top runner last season. "We have two real good leaders, and the rest are catching up quick. We have a group of seven or eight girls vying for the last five spots."
St. Michael's has eight girls — total. Four have state experience. Three scored last year. Two are among the best in the state.
Kate Norskog seems fully recovered from her injuries and illnesses from a year ago.
"With everything that she went through, for her to go back and place fourth was pretty remarkable," Gurule says of Norskog, the 2006 individual state champion as an eighth-grader. "Right now, this is the fittest she's ever been at this point of the year."
Amer, a senior, is a state champion in track and ran fifth at last year's state cross country meet. Renee Rivera, the Lady Horsemen's fifth runner a year ago, is back. As are Meaghan Martinez-Palmer and Katharine Egli.
"We have a lot to prove," Gurule says, "but I feel we have the team that can do it."
Santa Fe Preparatory is taking the same confident and cautious approach.
"It's our goal," Jody LeFevers, Santa Fe Prep head coach, says of winning the Class A-AA state championship. "If not this year, then when?"
The Blue Griffins ran second to Navajo Pine last season. Navajo Pine lost three seniors to graduation. Another runner defected to volleyball. The Lady Warriors, though, are deep in talent and rich in tradition.
"That's the big question mark," LeFevers says of what exactly Navajo Pine has coming back and coming up. "Unless there's a couple of twins, everyone else we know well enough."
Those twins — Courtney and Camille Schultz of Cloudcroft — graduated and headed to Oklahoma State University on full-ride athletic scholarships. And with Shawna Winnegar, of Santa Fe Prep, also part of the Class of 2008, individual honors are up for the taking.
Not only is Santa Fe Prep seeking one title, it wants two. Emma Hamilton ran fourth as a junior.
"If state were held tomorrow, I don't think anyone could beat her," LeFevers says of Hamilton. "She's a lot more mature in her approach to training and she's handling higher mileage. She's faster and stronger than she was at this time last year. She's taken another step in her own development as a runner."
So, too, have the rest of the Blue Griffins.
Billie Secular, Jessie Talbert, Laura Hamilton and Gianou Knox, who ran at state, return.
"With that kind of maturity and experience on the team, I'm expecting those six to play a large role," LeFevers says.
That's not where the talent ends.
"I have 18 girls in the program and 12 are varsity-level runners right now," LeFevers says.
To test his talent, LeFevers rearranged the schedule to face tougher competition prior to state. He hopes to run into Navajo Pine before the second Saturday in November, which just happens to be the day of the state meet.
"We want to get a look at them a little earlier this year," LeFevers says.
Los Alamos usually sees its competition — Albuquerque Academy — early and often and well before the Class AAAA state meet. But there is another foe, Belen, which enters as the reigning state champion.
"It's good for everybody, to have it be more than the same two teams all the time," Kathy Hipwood, Los Alamos co-head coach, says of Belen's emergence. "Good competition makes you perform better."
Los Alamos has been the standard, winning six state championships since 2000. Even though Academy enters as the favorite, a season — and the state meet — has yet to unfold.
"It's too early to know how things are going to pan out," Hipwood says. "But our girls had a great summer of training. They are hard working and they have improved."
The key?
Staying with Academy and Belen early.
"They got away from us," Hipwood says. "We ended up fighting hard and never gave up, but you can't come back against really good teams. That's something we want to work with them on."
Holly Walker was the lone front-runner. It helped her to a state-runner finish. Walker will challenge for individual honors again, while Ariana Rowberry, Megan Reader, Hannah Little and Adrienne Larson add valuable state experience. Victoria Honnell is in her first year, but runs like a veteran. Victoria Trujillo and Elizabeth Burg comprise the top eight.
Walker was second to Jacueline Campos of Santa Teresa. Campos returns. So does Julia Foster of Albuquerque Academy. Foster won the 2006 individual title as an eighth-grader, but was not among the top seven last season, a year filled with injuries.
Foster is expected to be at Saturday's UNM Invitational in Albuquerque. Los Alamos will be there. Belen, too.
"In general, we haven't come away feeling great," Hipwood says of the UNM meet. "We're hoping to run better than we have the past few years."
Santa Fe High is hoping its improvement will result in a spot at the Class AAAAA state meet.
"It's not an easy district any more," Peter Graham, Santa Fe High head coach, says. "Three teams will be fighting it out for that third place."
Albuquerque La Cueva and Albuquerque Sandia are locks for the top spots. The final state ticket will go to either Albuquerque Valley, Albuquerque High or Santa Fe High.
"Our girls are stronger," Graham says of his 12-runner roster. "I think we can be right there."
Santa Fe High is led by Katie Allen and Leslie Gomez, a pair of returning letterwinners, and sophomore Kara Shain.
Boys cross country preview will publish on Wednesday.
