‘I just needed to fight more’: Eldorado senior enjoys more competitive season

By Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi
Special to the Times

RIO RANCHO, N.M.

It wasn’t all that long ago when Jasmine Turtle-Morales had to make a tough decision.

Over the summer, as she began her pre-season training, she had to choose between being a teenage girl and becoming the Class 5A two-time state champion distance runner.

Turtle-Morales said she gave up a boyfriend for running and she was glad she did as she won her second Rio Rancho Jamboree race over the week in a time of 19:05.20.

“At the start of the summer season, I didn’t do that well. I was distracted,” she said. “It kind of distracted me from running, I just had to break up with him so I can focus more.”

Turtle-Morales, a senior at Eldorado High, said she simply couldn’t give up a chance to win another state title for being an average teenager.

She said she’s worked her entire season to make up for lost time and opportunities and it hasn’t been easy. Winning the Jamboree was just what she needed.

“Last week I had two mental breakdowns because of (placing second in a race the weekend before). Everybody was rooting for me,” Turtle-Morales said. “I just kind of gave up on myself, but this race kind of helped.”

To make her season even more interesting, Turtle-Morales has found herself with some competition in Cleveland’s Leah Futey, who finished second in the race in a time of 19:15.80.

Turtle-Morales said it’s been an interesting season having someone like Futey nipping at her heels.

“No one really pushed me last year, but now I have Leah by my side. She’ll go with me and I just didn’t have that last year,” she said. “I’m actually happy.”

The two were hip-to-hip throughout most of the race, until Turtle-Morales found an opportunity to gain leverage downhill.

Turtle-Morales said it has not been an easy season, but she’s thankful that it hasn’t because the ups and downs have taught her some valuable lessons that she hopes will lead her to another state title.

“I’ve been off and on during the races,” she said. “I just needed to fight more.”

The second local runner to finish in the top 10 for the girl’s championship series race was eighth-grade runner Lorianna Piestewa from Miyamura.

Piestewa finished third overall in the race, which is considered the most competitive out of the four races included in the event regardless of classification, in a time of 19:31.40.

Piestewa has turned some heads this season and did not disappoint over the weekend. She said she simply approached the race like any other and it got her through.

“It’s nerve-wracking, but every race is,” Piestewa said. “I was pretty happy that I got to run with all the people I’ve seen before.”

Piestewa kept up with the majority of the pack and was cozily in the third position for most of the race.

She said she’s been working on putting more pressure on herself, which helped her in the race.

“Long runs and sprints every other practice,” Piestewa said. “I try to run with the boys, keep the competition.”

Three more runners filed in behind Piestewa before the next local runner, Shiprock freshman Kaydence Platero.

Platero said things have gone well for her so far this season. She said it’s been her debut season on the varsity team, which can be intimidating at times.

“It’s really challenging, it’s nice to go to different places, different environments, seeing other teams,” she said. “It’s been really good.”

Platero said she had to make some tough choices during the race that seemed to pay off for her over the weekend and in the long run as she prepares for the post-season.

She said she made the choice to not follow along with the front of the pack and instead ran her own race.

“It was a really good start,” she said. “We were headed up the hill. I saw how fast everyone was taking it, but I didn’t. When I got to the soccer field, I took off.”

Platero placed seventh overall in 20:07.30

She said it was good finish considering the race was a preview to the state meet coming up in a few weeks.

“I feel like I did really good along with my team,” Platero said. “I just need to work harder the next two weeks and try to beat my time. I want to finish top 10 in state.”

Other local runners that filed in behind Platero were Farmington’s Kamalani Anitielu in ninth with a time of 20:09.60 and Kirtland Central’s Aisha Ramone in 10th in a time of 20:13.00. And Eldorado finished in first as a team with 94 points.

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