PREP TRACK AND FIELD
Eldorado's Lujan, La Cueva's Kinghorn among many double winners Monday at Sepulveda meet
Event brings together top athletes from all classes
The stars were out Monday.
The annual Marilyn Sepulveda Meet of Champions lured scores of New Mexico鈥檚 elite track and field performers for an afternoon and early evening that included, alternately, calm, wind and rain at the University of New Mexico Track and Field Complex.
Before the wind and rain, St. Pius senior Hershul Olloway Jr. won the premier event of the day, the 100-meter final.
He raced to a win in 10.68 seconds, just ahead of Albuquerque High鈥檚 Amin Cooper, who would later came back to claim first in the 400.
鈥淚 just like coming out here competing against some 5A talent that I don鈥檛 see every meet,鈥 said Olloway, who is arguably New Mexico鈥檚 top returning running back this upcoming football season.
There were two Albuquerque athletes who had, in comparison to their peers, peerless days at UNM. None more so than Raymundo Lujan of Eldorado.
Early in the meet program, Lujan ripped off a tremendous jump of 47 feet, 3 inches in the triple jump 鈥 a slightly wind-aided mark, he admitted, but still well beyond his previous PR of 44-6 鈥 and he later added a triumph in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles final.
He crossed in 38.84 seconds, almost a second ahead of Asa Laws of Organ Mountain. And Lujan also was runner-up in the long jump.
Marcos Perea-Ochoa of West Mesa (22-9 1/2) was the winner of the boys long jump. La Cueva鈥檚 long jump specialist, senior Tanner Monta帽o, the co-overall state record holder, did compete Monday in the 200-meter final, where he placed runner-up to teammate Jhett Kinghorn.
But Monta帽o skipped the long jump on Monday.
Speaking of Kinghorn, he had a terrific meet, with that win in the 200, but also a victory in the pole vault (14 feet), a rare but exciting hybrid (sprinter, pole vaulter) in the sport. He edged Monta帽o 21.57-21.74 in a competitive 200-meter final where Olloway was a close third.
There were a handful of double champions Monday, in addition to Kinghorn and Lujan.
Eldorado鈥檚 Onaleigh Leiro swept the hurdles, beating Bloomfield鈥檚 Ryli Heckman in both races. The 100 hurdles was especially close, with the margin of victory just .02 seconds.
Syrianna Raphiel of Clovis won both short sprints. She won the 100 in 12.09 seconds.
Grants senior Laila Martinez has been coming to the Sepulveda for four years, and on Monday she finally achieved a win in the 1,600-meter final (5:07.76).
鈥淚t holds a special place in my heart because I鈥檝e done it all my years,鈥 she said with a smile. 鈥淚 think that (winning the 1,600) was my biggest goal today.鈥
She took to the track a short time later and added the 800-meter title, in 2:18.52.
Anna Hastings of Albuquerque Academy was as impressive as most any track or field athlete Monday. She routed the field in the final event, the 3,200-meter final, finishing in 10:40.40, and winning by 50 seconds.
There is usually at least one athlete from a smaller school that breaks through with a win at Sepulveda, This year, there were a small handful of them.
Menaul鈥檚 J鈥橯uan Samuels proved why he is possibly New Mexico鈥檚 elite high jumper, winning with a mark of 6-6 on Monday.
Big Aaron Torres of Fort Sumner was the boys discus champion. His mark of 159-0 was about 11 feet ahead of Luke Matherly of Centennial, who was one of a handful of athletes coming off solid performances at last weekend鈥檚 state powerlifting championships in Rio Rancho.
Jhenna Valencia of Estancia is another example. She was a powerlifting champ on Saturday, and on Monday earned the Sepulveda girls鈥 javelin crown (134-2 陆).
Small-school distance specialists Elijah England from Navajo Prep and Tagoya Pedro of Laguna-Acoma both had victories Monday. England (4:18.66) captured the 1,600, Pedro (1:53.56) the 800 in a thrilling finish with Silver鈥檚 Kaleb Paquette (1:53.98).
Some other notes:
Academy鈥檚 Grace Erinle, arguably 4A鈥檚 best overall track and field athlete, PR鈥檇 in the triple jump in her victory Monday, hitting the dirt in 38 feet, 11 陆 inches, which was eight inches ahead of her previous best in this event. Erinle鈥檚 mark was aided by what she described as a massive tailwind. But the mark was still quite satisfying. 鈥淚 was just hoping to make 37 or 38,鈥 she said;
Talen Riley of 近距离内射合集 Vista closed the meet program with a solid run to win the 3,200, finishing in 9:37.50;
Other event winners from the metro area Monday were found in the girls鈥 meet: Sandia鈥檚 Izabelle Akins in the 400 (56.96); La Cueva鈥檚 Kate Crowell in the pole vault (11-6); Anni Presser of Rio Rancho in the shot put (37-10); and Kiki Brown of Academy (5-4) in the high jump;