Rehoboth’s Emily Garcia wins two state crowns

ALBUQUERQUE – Emily Garcia knows firsthand in what it takes to be a champion.

The Rehoboth Christian distance runner won her first state track title last season. In her final high school meet, Garcia added two more state crowns to her collection at last week’s Class 2A state meet in Albuquerque.

On Friday, Garcia captured the 1600-meter crown as she covered the four-lap race in 5:38.95. The following day, she repeated as the 800-meter winner, setting a new school record of 2:24.44.

“I came into this season real hungry,” Garcia said. “I wanted to defend my state title and winning the 1600 was an added bonus.”

In the 800, Garcia showcased her speed, especially in the final segment of the two-lap race. The Rehoboth senior was challenged early on by Capitan’s Evelyn Daughterly, but in the final 300 meters Garcia went into overdrive as Daughterly trailed 10 seconds back at 2:34.66.

“My legs were really tired,” Garcia said. “You know, I had a big day (on Friday), but I just stayed disciplined with my plan. I didn’t let her get into my head; I just ran my own race.”

By running her own race, Garcia beat the school record by nearly two-tenths of a second. The previous record of 2:24.61 was set in 2009 by Tara Postma.

In the mile race, Garcia set another PR as she beat her seed time by nearly seven seconds despite some gusty winds that reached 30 mile per hour on Friday afternoon.

“I wanted to win this race,” the Rehoboth harrier said. “My plan was to run smart and just stay disciplined.”

Like her 800, Garcia outkicked her strongest challenger as Penasco’s Rochelle Lopez finished the 1600 race in 5:45.25.

“It goes back to my training,” Garcia said of her kick. “I ran at a reasonable pace, and I just got progressively faster after each lap.”

Garcia also played an instrumental role on the sprint medley and 4×400 relay teams as both squads took second-place honors on Saturday.

In the 4×400 relay team, Rehoboth finished behind state champ Menaul as the Albuquerque private school won the race in 4:17.99 while Rehoboth clocked in at 4:18.38.

The 4×400 relay team members include senior Elizabeth Brochey, sophomore Katie Garoutte, freshman Lily Cavanaugh and Garcia.

Of that group, Brochey, Garcia and Garoutte teamed up with sophomore Marvah Toddy in the sprint medley relay as that race ended with some controversy.

Capitan, which crossed the finish line in first place, was initially disqualified for not passing the baton within the 20-meter exchange zone during the second handoff.

The Lynx were subsequently awarded the first-place medals, but Capitan successfully petitioned the state meet officials to overturn its disqualification. They argued that they should have been allowed a 30-meter exchange zone, instead of 20. (See separate story.)

With its reinstatement, Capitan walked away with the state crown as the Tigers finished the race in 4:36.38 while Rehoboth was timed in at 4:38.59.

“We did get second in both relays, but the relays performed as well as I would have asked them to,” Rehoboth coach Jeffrey Kempton said.

Garoutte also fared well in the open as she placed second in the 100 behind Charli Koseoglu of ATC. Koseoglu captured the state crown with a winning time of 12.60 while Garoutte clocked in at 12.79.

“It felt good to get on the podium, but I want to stay humble,” Garoutte said. “I have two more years and I want to try and build up for that.

“I feel like I need to work on my start more,” she added. “I’m going all out with it being the last track race of the year.”

Unfortunately, the Rehoboth speedster was disqualified in the open 400 as she took off a tad too early when the starter gun went off.

Nonetheless, Kempton was proud of her.

“Katie did an awesome job,” the Rehoboth coach said. “She had a phenomenal season. She definitely played a major role in both of our relays. I just love the effort that she put in this season.”

Earlier this season, Garoutte set the new school records in 100 (12.77) and 200 (26.61) during the Winslow Invitational in late April.

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