Bloomfield’s Andrew Himes completes impressive showing at 4A state meet

By Quentin Jodie | May 22, 2025 | Track & Field |

ALBUQUERQUE

Bloomfield junior Andrew Himes had a field day during last week’s New Mexico Class 4A state track meet.

Himes won two state crowns – 110-meter hurdles and triple jump – while adding a state runner-up finish in the 300 hurdles and a bronze medal in the long jump.

With those top finishes, Himes collected 19 points which trailed the 21.50-point total from St. Pius X senior Bryan Thomas.

“I didn’t know what my final (point) total was going to be, but it’s crazy,” Himes said.

Of those impressive medal haul, the Bloomfield track star collected his third consecutive state title in the triple jump with a 43-feet, 1-inch effort. Himes edged out Albuquerque Academy’s Ben Cruz by 1.50 inches with Cruz coming second at 42-11.50.

“I’ve been thinking about it all season,” Himes said of defending his state crowns. “It’s crazy to think about that. I mean, I’ve been winning (state) since I was freshman, so it’s pretty good.”

To master his craft, the Bloomfield credits his practice regimens as well adding some muscle mass to his core.

“Weightlifting is a big thing,” Himes said. “Weightlifting keeps you healthy. It helps you not get hurt and, you know, learning the technical drills is the biggest thing ever.

“Do every bit of practice that you can outside of normal afterschool practices,” he added. “The actual overtime hours that you do will get you in position to win.”

And while he has yet to break the school record of 44-10.50 in the triple jump, which was set by Brendan Ramsey in 2016, Himes was ecstatic that he surpassed his dad’s mark of 43-00.25 during an earlier meet when he hit a 44-02.

“I’m happy that I broke his dad’s personal record,” the Bloomfield jumper said of his dad Mark Himes.

In the 110 hurdles, Himes won the event in 14.84 seconds with Hope Christian senior Breylon Williams clocking in at 15.25.

“It was crazy,” Himes said. “I got a bad start. I was playing it safe, so that I didn’t false start. But it was kind of nerve-wracking because two guys beside me were ahead of me, but I pushed it and I ended up pulling through with the win.”

In the 300 hurdles, the roles were reversed with Williams winning the state crown in 38.58 seconds while Himes clocked in at 39.59.

“It was close, but I ran the 4×200 before that,” Himes said. “I think if I had not run that race, I would have had more energy and I would have been able to pull that one through, too, as well.”

Himes added a third-place finish in the long jump with 20-08.25 effort as Academy’s Santiago Begay won the state crown with a 21-04 effort.

Other state medalists for Bloomfield include three fourth-place finishes from Ryli Heckman in the girls 100 (16.20), Trace Estrada in the boys triple jump (42-10.50) and the boys sprint medley relay team (3:41.18). The boys 4×800 team also earned a sixth-place finish at 8:25.03.

For Aztec High, freshman Jake Roberts won the boys pole vault as he cleared 13-06 while junior Alisia Valerio placed second in the long jump with a 15-11.75 attempt while Brianna Work taking sixth at 17-0.

The Tigers also received a bronze medal from junior Edgar Hinojos-Perez in the high jump with a 6-02 effort.