Sports

N.M. state cross country

Shiprock's Beyale wins state at the finish

By Nicole Baker
Special to the Times

RIO RANCHO, N.M., Nov. 10, 2011

For 3.1 miles, as Shiprock's Herbert Beyale III and St. Michael's Andres Gonzales raced neck-and-neck at the front of the pack, the boys Class 3A New Mexico state cross-country title hung in the balance Saturday.

All the way around the Rio Rancho High cross-country course, Beyale and Gonzales paced each other, with neither runner giving an inch in their desire to be the first across the finish line.

Even coming through the gate into the stadium, Beyale and Gonzales were still shoulder-to-shoulder. It was a contest that would come down to just one-tenth of a second.

"I knew (Gonzales) had a good kick," Beyale said. "I thought for sure he would beat me. I just stuck with him every step. I knew I had to make my move and when I did he made his move. It was neck-and-neck the whole way."

With just a few steps to go and everything riding on what would happen next, both Beyale and Gonzales made their final push.

For the Chieftains and Beyale it was an almost photo finish that they will remember for a long time as the Shiprock senior won the state title by just a step.

Beyale, with his fist in the air, finished with a time of 16:30.70 with Gonzales timed at 16:30.80.

"Wow, I really can't believe it," Beyale said. "My plan was just to stick with (Gonzales). To stay just behind him and let him pace me, to let him break the wind.

"Even coming into the stadium, I kept thinking this is it," Beyale admitted. "I think I lost. But (Gonzales) still didn't take off. I thought, 'I think I can do it.'

"I was really surprised. Even with 100 meters left I thought I lost it, " Beyale added, noting that Gonzales never kicked as expected and he continued to stick with him. "The last three steps I kept thinking, 'This is mine. I just have to get my foot ahead of him.'"

As Beyale exited the finishing chute, he was met by his teary-eyed brother Graham Beyale who swept him up in a huge embrace.

Which is only fitting since Herbert Beyale III credits his brother as being the one that really got him into cross country.

"(Graham's team) are the ones that really inspired me," Herbert said in an interview earlier in the season. "The way the team was. How they would run as a pack and no one was left behind. I really admired them."

Chieftain teammate Eric Williams finished sixth in 17:06, with Shawvan Levi in 14th at 17:31, Justin Begay in 18:02 (30th) and Kelsey Maxwell finishing in 18:11 (35th).

The battle for the team title was no less intense. Led by Sam Roybal, who finished third overall in 16:52, Pojaque won the boys 3A state team title, scoring 81 points to take the blue trophy and edging runner-up Shiprock at 86.

Zuni, led by Kevin Gia, who finished fifth in 16:48, was a close third with 88 points.

Lady Bears defend title (sub)

The Wingate Lady Bears defended their state title on Saturday at the Rio Rancho High cross-country course.

"I think the big key was that our split came in with pretty good pack time," said Lady Bears senior Raeshelle Largo. Largo finished 11th overall in 20:33.90. "Our pack time is what we work on all year. It's one family, one dream."

Five Lady Bears finished in the top 20, as Wingate defended their state title with 51 points with just 45.4 seconds separating their No. 1 and No. 5 runners.

Leading Wingate to their second crown was Karianne Jones taking sixth in 20:23, Tanaya Belone in ninth in 20:32, senior Telaina Henry in 11th in 20:33, and Leandra Willie in 18th with a time of 21:08.

"This was a great way to end our senior year," said Henry. "I'm proud of all the girls. I'm so excited. It was all about the teamwork, always helping and pushing each other."

"Back-to-back state titles is great," Largo added. "It is amazing. I still can't believe it."

St. Michael's was the state runner-up with 71 points, with Shiprock a close third at 72 points.

The individual race was just as exciting. With the top five runners in a pack for the first two miles of the race, it wasn't until the final mile that the top runners began to separate.

Going into the football fields, Lady Chieftain Autumnrain Chee made her move, opening a 50-yard lead.

However as the lead runners made their way out of the soccer stadium and onto the horseshoe toward the stadium, Sandia Prep's Rachel Fleddermann closed like a freight train, rocketing past Chee on the way into the stadium to win the state title with a time of 19:11.70.

"I like long distances," said Fleddermann. "This is amazing. It's just crazy. I just started running and running faster and it worked."

Chee, a senior, finished second with a time of 19:26. Taos' Haley Rach was third at 20:04 and Thoreau's Taira Whitman finished fourth overall in 20:09.

"This is the best race I've ever run," said Chee, who ran a personal best to finish out her high school cross-country career.

"I kicked off a little too early," the senior admitted. "I was too drained (to kick more). I wanted it more than anything. It felt good to lead."

Los Alamos dominates 4A (sub)

The Los Alamos Hilltoppers hardly left any room at the top for anyone else finishing with five runners in the top 10 to take the state title with a score of 21 points Saturday during the Class 4A state cross-country meet.

Los Alamos' Alexander Romero was second at 16:43, followed by Nick Hill in third at 16:46, Sean Reardon in fourth at 16:47, Daniel Romero in ninth at 17:09, and Zak Kennison in 10th at 17:10 for an incredible pack time of just 27.80 seconds.

Los Alamos took the girls' team title as well, finishing with four runners in the top 10 (and all seven runners in the top 20) to score 34 points.

The Lady Hilltoppers were led by Jordan Parker who finished third overall in 19:18, followed by Jennifer Moody in fourth with a time of 19:25, Teresa Sandoval in sixth at 19:34 and Elizabeth Turner was ninth at 19:47.

Del Norte High, though, was the team that saw its top runners earn individual titles, as Jenna Thurman took the girls' title with a time of 19:09.80 and Jackson Thomas won the boys' title in a time of 16:22.85.

"This is the best way to end my senior year," said Thomas. Thomas kicked past the competition to take the boys' state title.

"I worked hard for this," Thomas said. "I just kicked it. I started picking it up and trying to pull away. I just kept pushing and when I got to the last stretch I knew I had it."

"It was a really hard race," said Thurman. "On the last stretch you really had to push it hard because of the wind.

"Winning the state title feels awesome," she said. "I've always been the runner-up. I've been pushing it extra hard this year. I wanted this really bad."

Farmington's Lindsay Friesenhahn was fifth overall with a time of 19:29.

"It was amazing," said Friesenhahn, the District 1-4A champion. "It was an honor to run with these girls. They are so fast, and the course was so tough especially because of the weather, the wind. I left everything out there on the course. I'm proud of what I did."

Aztec's Rachel Kresl finished 12th overall with a time of 20:11, with the Lady Tigers finishing sixth overall as a team. Kirtland Central's Sheri Adair led the Lady Broncos with a time of 20:48 (24th).

Belen eighth grader Arena Lewis was third overall with a time of 19:21.

Defending A-2A champs win (sub)

The Class A-2A races saw the defending state champions successful defend their titles.

On the girls' side, East Mountain High's Caroline Kaufman won her fourth straight state title in a time of 19:24.

"I led pretty much the whole way," said Kaufman, who plans to compete at regionals and perhaps nationals. "I just tried to keep my pace the whole time and run my own race."

Bosque School's Jacqueline Katzman was the runner-up with a time of 19:40, followed by teammates Kendall Kelly taking third at 20:03 and Reiley Kelly placing fourth in 20:30 as Bosque took the team title with 64 points.

The Navajo Prep Lady Eagles were the state runners-up with 73 points. Navajo Prep's Hannah Atone placed fifth overall with a time of 20:50, with teammates Amber Reano at 21:08 (13th), Delta Higdon at 21:14 (14th), Brandi Reano in 21:15 (15th), and Ashley Joe in 21:51 (29th).

Navajo Pine's Shelby Lee was sixth overall in 20:55 and Newcomb's Amber Manuelito was seventh in 20:55.

On the boys' side, Pecos' Antonio Varela also successfully defended his state title for a second year with a time of 15:59.65, and helped his team take second overall.

"There's been a target on my back for a couple of years," Varela admitted. "I just use it to push myself."

Winning state as a senior "is the best one out of all three," Varela added. "My Grandfather (who passed away earlier in the year) told me he wanted me to win this race for him."

East Mountain's Eric Eridon was second at 16:36 and Mora's Alonzo Chavez was third in 16:53.

Led by a fifth-place finish from Christopher Salvador with a time of 17:06, Laguna-Acoma finished with five runners in the top 15 to take the state title with 50 points. Teammate Ben Bautista was ninth overall at 17:22.

Navajo Pine's Kevin Hardy was eighth overall in 17:19, and Navajo Prep's Leandrew Daily and David Wauneka finished in 19th and 20th, respectively, with times of 17:49 and 17:50.

Cleveland makes clean sweep (sub)

When Rio Rancho's Cleveland High decided to win its first state title ever as a school, the Storm lived up to their name.

Perhaps the stormy weather Saturday was a sign as well that something special was in the air for the Cleveland cross-country team.

As the Class 5A girls' race was run, snow and blustering winds buffeted the course. The sun eventually came out, but the strong winds continued.

The end result was the Storm sweeping both individual titles as well as the team titles.

Lady Storm junior Malia Gonzales led the way. Despite falling at the beginning of the race, Gonzales recovered and forged ahead for the state title with a time of 19:44.10.

"I'm speechless," said Gonzales. "I took over on the last loop (or mile). I knew that was when I had to go. It kind of hit me that I was in first when I came around the corner into the stadium. That's when I stepped on it."

Gonzales' victory was all the more sweet since she was injured for most of the season, competing in only four other races.

"The injury set me back, but not running just made me want to run even more," Gonzales said.

It was a wave of blue as four Lady Storm runners finished in the top 10 and the No. 5 runner finished 11th for the team title with 39 points. Sara Digiovanna was seventh in 20:19. Nicholette Pacheco finished eighth overall in 20:21. Rikki Castillo finished tenth in 20:23 and Danielle Vigil was 11th at 20:23.

Eldorado High took second as a team with 56 points led by Crissy Amberg who was the runner-up in 19:53. La Cueva was third with 117 points.

Sandia's Allyson Sandoval and Daressa Manuelito were third and fourth overall with times of 19:56 and 20:01, respectively. Volcano Vista's Elisa Woody was fifth overall with a time of 20:07.

When the boys' Class 5A race was over, the Storm again finished strong.

Storm junior Luis Martinez raced to the lead and finished in 15:41.40 for top honors.

"I took the lead from the beginning," he said. "I like to play it safe. It's the way I like to run with no one right behind me and no one ahead of me.

"I wanted to push it hard and run fast at the beginning, because that's when you can go the fastest," he added. "It's when you have the most energy. This is my favorite course. It's the course I've run the most."

In almost a repeat of the Lady Storm finish, the Storm finished with four runners in the top 10.

"We are the Storm," said Martinez. "So I knew running in the wind and snow wouldn't be too bad."

The Storm finished with 33 points to take the team crown. Matt Smith was third in 16:25, Aaron Fletcher was seventh in 16:39, Jared Mayoral was 10th in 16:48 and Isaiah Lopez finished in 12th at 17:00.

La Cueva's Hunter Firebaugh was the runner-up with a time of 16:22, to help his team take the red trophy scoring 78 points. Rio Rancho High was third overall with 80 points.

Hobb's Seriah Pineda was fourth in 16:30, while Cibola's Keenan Palmer was fifth in 16:31.

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