PV hurdler overcomes jitters, wins state title

ALBUQUERQUE – As one of the favorites, Piedra Vista senior Devyn Ericksen was feeling a bit clammy at the start of the finals in the 5A girls 100-meter hurdles Saturday.

“My start was very nerve-wracking,” Ericksen said. “I mean, I was breathing heavily, and my hands were not staying still. You know, I didn’t have the best start, but it also wasn’t my worst.”

Despite those jitters, the PV hurdler trusted her training as she picked up some speed in the midst of her race at the UNM Track & Field and Soccer Complex in Albuquerque.

Ericksen won gold with a time of 15.47, as she beat her state qualification time of 15.68. Down the stretch, the PV athlete outsprinted Sue Cleveland’s Morgan James (15.60) and Eldorado’s Onaleigh Leiro (15.88) for the title.

“This is very exciting,” Ericksen said. “I’ve worked so hard for so many years and to finally have a state title is so amazing.”

The PV hurdler added a third-place finish in the 300 hurdles with a time of 47.17 behind James (45.64) and Leiro (46.08).

“We were all right there with each other, so it was a good race,” Ericksen said.

Looking back at her prep career, the PV track star considers her sophomore campaign as one her best seasons. That year she hit a personal record of 15.68.

“I haven’t hit a 15.68 since then, but I’m excited that I’m a state champion,” Ericksen said.

The PV senior is leaving the Panther girls track program with six state medals as she placed fourth in both hurdling disciplines her sophomore season and third (300) and fifth (100) at last year’s state meet.

The Lady Panthers also received third-place finishes from junior Karissa Loudermilk and senior Nicole Pierce in the high jump and 1600-meter run, respectively.

Loudermilk cleared 5-feet, 4 inches on Saturday while Pierce ran a new PR of 5:23.14 on Friday in the one-mile race.

On Saturday Pierce added a sixth-place finish in the 3200 with a time of 11:57.40.

“I thought I did really well running the mile race,” Pierce said. “But my two-mile didn’t go as exactly as I planned, but I’m keeping my head up.”

Pierce is ecstatic that she set the school record for both running events this past season. The previous record holder was Shyla Rogers as she set those times – 5:30.13 in the 1600 and 12:05.94 in the 3200 – during the 2019 season.

“I’m really happy that I was able to do that,” Pierce said. “It gives some of the younger runners something to shoot for. My message to them is to just have fun and always keep your head up.”

Behind those three girls, the Panthers finished ninth overall in the team standings with 20 points.

The PV boys scored 14.50 point with junior Spencer Womack winning silver in the triple jump and bronze in the high jump.

Womack cleared 6-04 in the high jump on Friday. The following day he soared 43-09.25 in the triple jump, losing the state title to Albuquerque High’s Fredrick Ford, who surged ahead with a 45-10.25 effort.

The PV team also had two pole vaulters make a podium appearance with junior Grant Frost matching Alamogordo’s William Ochoa 13-feet effort for second-place.

PV’s Miguel Benavidez (12-00) added a sixth-place finish.

Farmington High’s Alex Serrano and Gilberto Quezada took fifth-place honors in the 110-meter hurdles and pole vault, respectively.

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