Finding motivation
Navajo Pine sophomore Annoesika Laughlin leads the Class 2A state cross-country meet. Laughlin made history by becoming the first individual girls state champion in cross-country for Navajo Pine. (Times photo – Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi)
Navajo Pine sophomore Annoesika Laughlin leads the Class 2A state cross-country meet. Laughlin made history by becoming the first individual girls state champion in cross-country for Navajo Pine. (Times photo – Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi)
Navajo Pine’s Laughlin wins first state title, school’s first individual title
RIO RANCHO, N.M.
About three weeks before the New Mexico state cross-country meet, Annoesika Laughlin had to make a choice to either sink her season or keep it afloat.
After a no-so-hot performance at the Rio Rancho Jamboree, where Laughlin placed 27th overall, the sophomore told herself she was better than the three losses that tarnished a nearly perfect season. In the end it paid off.
“I was really upset about it because of how low I got,” she said. “After I lost that meet I realized I needed to step back up my game like how I was in the beginning of the season.”
She filled her mind with positive thoughts and pushed herself in practice in the weeks leading up to the race.
On Nov. 8 she made history and with a time of 19:25.60 she earned her first state title in Class 2A and the first individual girls state cross-country title for Navajo Pine.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow