Navajo Prep’s Martinique Larvingo seeks out multiple gold medals

FRUITLAND, N.M.

Martinique Larvingo knows what it is like to be number one.

She also knows that when it comes to the track and field state championships, being number one isn’t enough.

After entering the state meet as a top performer last season, she finished in the Top 3 in her events so the Navajo Preparatory School jumper and sprinter has made some adjustments to make sure she finishes even higher on the podium.

“Last year it wasn’t the greatest,” she said. “But this year I took it upon my initiative to work harder and to prove that I can run and compete, and beat a lot of these people who have been in 4A for a long time.”

Navajo Prep moved up a class this season to 4A. Instead of feeling out the playing field, Larvingo, a junior, decided to dive right in and continue to compete at different level.

She hasn’t let her new competition intimidate her as she’s already qualified in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, the open 200-meter dash, and the long and triple jump. She’s not stopping there.

For the last couple of weeks, she’s been seeded first in state competition in the triple jump and the 300 hurdles. She’s also trying to qualify for the 4×400 relay, 100- and 400-meter dash, and it’s all a part of the junior’s plan.

“That’s pretty much my goal this year,” she said. “This season I want to try and qualify in as many events as I can to basically prove that I can compete in 4A, and then in district I want to win all my individual events, and get as many relays as we can down for state.”

It is apparent that Larvingo loves to compete and has high ambitions to do well.

Navajo Prep girls track and field head coach Stephanie Zhane said Larvingo has always had that fire in her.

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