Wingate cross-country coach optimistic about season
MCGAFFEY, N.M.
In his second season heading the Fort Wingate cross-country program, Donavan Jackson is still looking for that breakout year.
File photo
In this file photo, Wingate then-senior Latisha Lopez finished third at last year’s New Mexico Class 3A state cross-country meet. Wingate returns three girls and five boys from the 2017 varsity team.
“We’re still at the beginning of building the program,” Jackson said. “What we have our eyes set on right now is taking both the boys and girls to state. If we can do that this year I think it’s going to be a great step going forward. It’s going to start building the program even more.”
Jackson, who ran cross-country at nearby Gallup High, has been with the Wingate program for three seasons. In his first year he assisted longtime coach Tony Notah before taking over the program.
Now that he has a full year under his belt, Jackson is optimistic about the upcoming season, especially with his boys’ team.
“They’re actually looking pretty good,” Jackson said last Saturday during the McGaffey scrimmage. “They’re pretty young but we have that core group coming back and they’re hungry.”
Senior Kyren McCray, a state qualifier last season, is Jackson’s top runner back. The rest of the varsity squad are sophomores consisting of Rope Allison, Kirmiyah Sherman, Triston Chee and Logan Tsosie.
The second-year coach said his boys are going to contend at some of the local regional meets and the one thing they are going to work on is bringing down their pack time.
“I think we’re going to see some good numbers from the boys team,” Jackson said. “We’re looking for them to all coming in closer at the finish line.”
As for the girls’ squad, Jackson has three returning varsity runners but they are not very big in terms in numbers.
“We have 10 runners in our program and half of them are new,” he said. “With what we saw today we’re going to be needing our fifth runner to move up.”
Nonetheless, he feels that his girls’ team will be in the mix for one of the top three spots during the district meet come November.
“I think we have a shot,” Jackson said. “The problem we have is keeping them from being injured. If they all can stay healthy things are going to look promising.”
The Lady Bears return three runners who have varsity experience in junior Jewels Leslie and sophomores Riley Ahasteen and Tenara Morgan.
“Jewels ran state last year,” Jackson said of his pupil. “That was the second year she ran at state so she’s going to be our top runner.”
Wingate opens the season tomorrow, taking part of the Nashdoitsoh Invitational, which is hosted by Tohatchi High. Most of the District 1-3A schools will be at that meet on Friday as Hamburger Hill will serve as the course for the district meet in November.
“I have no doubt that Kyren and Jewels will make state but we’re looking at getting both teams to go,” Jackson said.
On Sept. 14, Wingate will host their own Bun Buster meet with district members Crownpoint, Navajo Prep, Thoreau and Tohatchi participating. Zuni, the district heavyweight, will not be attending.
“We’ll see the teams in our district periodically,” he said. “We’re going to take a good look at how they are but the district meet is going to determine who’s going to state. I just hope that our kids will be running their best at the time of the season.”
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow