Zuni boys continue its dominance at state meet: T-Birds claim 21st state crown

By Santiago Ramos Jr.
Special to the Times

ALBUQUERQUE

For state powerhouse Zuni T-Birds, it was business as usual as the T-birds extended its long-standing state dominance in cross country.

Zuni secured another blue state trophy during the Class 3A New Mexico State Cross Country Championships Saturday at Albuquerque Academy High School.

In his 19th year at the helm, Zuni head coach Chris Carroll pointed out that this is the team’s fourth straight title if you don’t count the 2020 season when Zuni did not compete due to the pandemic.

The blue-and-gold clad T-Birds packed their first four runners in the top 10 to easily capture their latest blue trophy with 35 points. It was more than double state runner-up Cottonwood Classical Prep with 73 points.

Navajo Prep placed third with 93 points, followed by St. Michael’s (100), Newcomb (129) and Santa Fe Indian (146). Cuba was ninth (246).

“It’s 21 (state titles) now for the boys,” Carroll said. “They won (state) last year. The year before that we weren’t allowed to run because of Covid. And then we won the year before that. We won four in a row if we don’t count Covid.

“We’ve never won four in a row before,” he continued. “It’s something super that we got over that hump. Maybe we’ll just keep it going and see how long we can keep it up.”

The T-Birds, who won eight of 10 races this season, graduated two seniors off last year’s state championship squad. This year they are losing just one senior.

Carroll said that his runners were focused and determined.

“We got to keep our game plan in place,” said Carroll who has guided the Zuni boys to nine state titles with four for the girls. “So many people have all these false expectations you know. Their parents say ‘go for a perfect score’. You can’t think that way. You have to be making the right choices.

“We stayed on our game plan,” he said. “I felt like last year’s team ran not to lose. They just stayed in front of Tohatchi – to not lose a state championship. This year’s team we focused on our running to win. If you run to win, and running confidently, you focus, and get that pack time low and you’re gonna get what you come for.”

Zuni posted a pack time of 1:07 from its first runner to its fifth.

“We had four in the top 10 so it was a good finish for us,” Carroll said. “It’s fantastic. They came, they did what they came to do. They’ll be on Cloud 9 and we’ll keep moving forward.”

The 3A boys race came down to a dramatic finish with the top three runners running side by side down the home stretch into the Academy High football stadium.

Cottonwood Classical Prep senior Maximo Brito held off an intense challenge by Navajo Prep senior Devin Lansing and Zuni senior Alec Lastyano.

Only .16 of a second separated all three at the tape.

Brito crossed in 16:43.17 over the 5K course, just nipping Lansing with a 16:43.22 and Lastyano with a 16:43.33.

“I was sick at the Extravaganza and I was sick at state last year,” said Lansing who placed fourth at state a year ago despite being sick. “I was pretty good today, bring my A-game so I brought it.”

Lansing said he had a solid start.

“I was trying to conserve,” he said, while pointing out he didn’t want to start too fast and then die out later.

“My pace carried me,” he said.

Lansing said he made his move in the last 150 meters as he trailed Brito heading onto the track. As he got closer, the Cottonwood runner saw his shadow as Lansing lost the state title my milliseconds.

“I didn’t even see Alec,” Lansing said.

Lastyano, who finished fifth at state last year said he had a great start.

“We went out as pack,” he said. “I tried my best not to take the lead the first half mile, mile. Towards the end I was still in good position. I kept with my pace.”

The photo finish had the fans screaming.

“It was incredible,” Lastyano said. “I tried my best to go to the outside to pass. I believe I went a little too far (out). I didn’t have enough kick in me. It was a tough race. We all wanted that individual title. We all pushed it today. We got the team title. That’s we always come here to do.”

Tohatchi junior Briley Dauphinais, who won the 3A race at the Academy Extravaganza, finished fourth (17:00) just ahead of St. Michael’s junior Landen Sandoval fifth (17:01).

In addition to Lastyano taking third, Zuni had junior Andrew Romancito sixth (17:05), freshman Deron Lastyano seventh (17:06), freshman Aaron Lehi 10th (17:17) and junior Kiohn Duran 18th (17:50).

Thoreau junior Ian Silversmith took eighth (17:13), Crownpoint senior Tylon Tsosie 13th (17:45).

Newcomb’s top finisher, senior Deonquentin Begay finished 20th (17:56).

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