LA’s Tagoya Pedro defends state crown

ALBQUERQUE

Lightning struck a second time for Laguna Acoma harrier Tagoya Pedro.

The LA senior capped his prep career with his second consecutive New Mexico Class A-2A state cross-country crown at Albuquerque Academy on Saturday morning.

Pedro was the lone runner in the small schools division to cross the finish line under 16 minutes as he completed the 5K race in 15:35.2.

“You know, there were some really good competitors out here today, so I just tried to keep my foot on that gas pedal as long as I could,” said Pedro, who has committed to run collegiately for Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado next fall. “This was just an amazing opportunity, and I’m very happy with what I was able to produce timewise. I’m happy for my team too. We got third and I’m just amazed with how everyone performed.

“Everyone did awesome,” he added.

Early on, it was Oak Grove Classical senior Joshua Marquez who set the pace after the first mile by running a 5:11.8 with Pedro coming in next at 5:13.2.

“I kind of knew that he would do that,” Pedro said of the Oak Grove runner of getting out ahead.

But in the next mile, the LA harrier took over as he established himself as the runner to beat. In fact, he put some distance between him and Marquez as he gained a 15-second lead after the second mile.

“After like 1.5 (miles) in, that is when I really started surging because I felt like the pace slowed down a little bit,” Pedro said. “So, I was like OK, I’m taking it from here and after that I just put foot on the gas.”

Marquez eventually faded down to fourth as Pecos senior Brandyn Encinias placed second at 16:00.2 while Menaul’s Brayden King clocked in at 16:00.3 and Marquez at 16:07.2.

“Pressure makes diamonds, and it’s really good to have competitors,” Pedro said. “You know, when my competitors are at their best, I’m at my best. That’s the mentality that I have, so as long as my competitors are pushing me, I know that I can definitely be at my best.”

With his finish, Pedro helped the LA boys to a third-place trophy as the Hawks scored 100 points. LA also received an eighth-place finish from junior Carter Patricio, who clocked in at 16:50.1.

“I really didn’t think about it,” Patricio said of his race goals. “I kind of went in there with a blank mind and I just kind of ran my race.”

Pecos, which had three runners in the top 10, won the state title with 46 points headed by Encinias. The Panthers also received a sixth and ninth place finish from Carlos Ragland and Thomas Garcia, respectively. State runner-up Oak Grove finished with 69 points, and they also had three runners that finish in the top 10. Marquez led the way with his fourth-place finish followed by senior Malakai Goldie (fifth) and Miles Shiver (10th).

“We were trying to get second, but we still did good,” Patricio said. “We were pretty confident going in, but Pecos and Oak Grove are good teams.”

LA coach Lacey Natseway noted that she was pleased with how things turned out.

“I’m proud of each and every runner from my first to my seventh runner that passed that finish line,” Natseway said. “You know, this is a bittersweet moment because this was Togo’s last race with us. He really motivated a lot of these younger runners, and they look up to him.

“He’s a well-rounded kid,” she added. “I know he inspired his teammates, and he always encouraged them. He’s the kind of runner that everyone in our community is going to remember.”

As one of LA’s most decorated runners, Tagoya is leaving his mark with the LA boys program, which includes two state titles, and a pair of runner-up finishes from his sophomore and freshman seasons.

“Leaving Laguna Acoma with two state cross country titles is really honorable,” Pedro said. “I mean, I’ve worked hard to get here. My teammates pushed me, and I have to thank my coaches and my family. There were there too, so everyone played a role in helping get here.

“I’m glad that I was able to run for Laguna Acoma,” he continued. “I thrived in the program so it’s a real big honor. I hope next year one my teammates can take over and continue that legacy.”

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