Where Are We Now? 4A Girls

Laura Wendelberger is one of the top talents in 4A girls. Her presence in field events and hurdles helps to have Los Alamos ranked second among 4A girls teams. Photo by Blake Wood.

There's clearly a lot yet to be decided in New Mexico high school track and field over the next month, but if we take a virtual meet of results turned in at what is approximately the midway point of the season, here is what we find among the 4A girls teams:

2013 NM HS F Outdoor Track Team Scores

Calculated as of April 04, 2013

These rankings were calculated by scoring the rankings as a meet. We took the individual rankings and relay rankings and scored them as a normal meet: 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1.

1. Aztec High School 112.4
  Allison Schurman (HJ 0.2 = 0.2)
  Jessica Kresl (400m 4 = 4)
  Kayli Farmer (HJ 5.75 + J 10 = 15.75)
  Kelcie Gerry (HJ 5.75 = 5.75)
  Kinsey Gomez (HJ 0.2 = 0.2)
  Morgan Smith (PV 9 = 9)
  Relay Team (14)
  Rikki Newland (D 3 + J 1 = 4)
  Sarah Root (100H 8 + 300H 5 + LJ 10 + TJ 10 = 33)
  Sierra Lanier (PV 5 = 5)
  Sierra Martinez (LJ 6 = 6)
  Thalia Quinn (D 6 + J 4 + S 5.5 = 15.5)
2. Los Alamos High School 75.5
  Allison Rooney (TJ 4 = 4)
  Amanda Mercer (1600m 4 + 3200m 5 = 9)
  Amy Neal (PV 3.5 = 3.5)
  Laura Wendelberger (100H 4 + 300H 8 + HJ 10 + LJ 4 = 26)
  Mikayla Pulliam (1600m 6 + 800m 3 = 9)
  Relay Team (22)
  Teresa Sandoval (3200m 2 = 2)
3. Valencia High School 74.45
  Brenda Baeza (J 3 + S 1 = 4)
  Carisma Lovato (1600m 5 + 400m 6 + 800m 8 = 19)
  Jensen Hatch (PV 6 = 6)
  Kaitlynn Craig (100H 10 + 300H 6 + LJ 8 + PV 1.5 = 25.5)
  Khyra Sonnabend (HJ 0.2 = 0.2)
  Kristen Traynham (HJ 5.75 + TJ 6 = 11.75)
  Relay Team (8)
4. Los Lunas High School 56.5
  Alexis Lafave (100m 8 + 200m 5 + LJ 5 = 18)
  Cera Chavez (100m 10 + 200m 10 = 20)
  Kendra Lente (800m 1 = 1)
  Mariah Doyle (S 5.5 = 5.5)
  Relay Team (12)
5. Piedra Vista High School 56
  Cassandra Crowell (400m 1 = 1)
  Kaleigh Graham (S 8 = 8)
  Kerstin Ortiz (1600m 8 + 800m 6 = 14)
  Madilyn Tanner (100H 3 = 3)
  Relay Team (20)
  Zhianna Flores (100m 4 + 200m 6 = 10)
6. Del Norte High School 54
  Jenna Thurman (3200m 10 + 800m 10 = 20)
  Jessica Scherrer (100H 6 + 200m 8 + 300H 10 + 400m 10 = 34)
7. Moriarty High School 47.5
  Alicia Page (800m 2 = 2)
  Angela Rodriguez (400m 3 + TJ 3 = 6)
  Ashley Thompson (300H 1 = 1)
  Cheyene Trujillo (D 5 + S 4 = 9)
  Daysha Booth (PV 1.5 = 1.5)
  Olivia Riblett (800m 4 = 4)
  Relay Team (24)
8. Artesia High School 43
  Alexis Aguirre (D 2 + J 8 = 10)
  Amy Horner (TJ 8 = 8)
  Relay Team (8)
  Samantha Mathews (D 1 + S 3 = 4)
  Taylor Morton (J 5 = 5)
  Tiffany Cano (400m 8 = 8)
9. Santa Fe High School 42.4
  Akeisha Ayanniyi (100m 5 + 200m 1 + LJ 1 = 7)
  Kayla Herrera (HJ 0.2 = 0.2)
  Madeline Wiebe (100H 1 + 300H 4 + 400m 2 = 7)
  Noel Prandoni (3200m 4 = 4)
  Relay Team (18)
  Samantha Woodman (200m 2 = 2)
  Tiffany Garcia (200m 4 + HJ 0.2 = 4.2)
10. St. Pius X High School 24
  Julie Giannini (1600m 10 + 3200m 8 = 18)
  Patience Kennedy (100m 2 + 200m 3 = 5)
  Troylyn Knipfing (TJ 1 = 1)
10. Santa Teresa High School 24
  Britani Gonzalez (800m 5 = 5)
  Jenoside Barnes (TJ 5 = 5)
  Joanna Miranda (1600m 2 + 3200m 3 = 5)
  Regina Marquez (1600m 3 + 3200m 6 = 9)
12. Goddard High School 23
  Abby Blach (S 10 = 10)
  Olivia Price (LJ 3 = 3)
  Relay Team (10)
13. Belen High School 22
  Alexis Begay (100m 1 = 1)
  Allison Lehman (100m 6 = 6)
  Destinee Vigil (100m 3 = 3)
  Gabrielle Mendoza (J 6 = 6)
  Keianna Sanchez-Chavez (HJ 2 = 2)
  Relay Team (4)
14. Hershey Miyamura High School 14
  Cara Depauli (S 2 = 2)
  Relay Team (12)
14. Roswell High School 14
  Allysha Wiggins (D 4 = 4)
  Myla Brown (D 10 = 10)
14. Farmington High School 14
  Bailey Carter (100H 2 + 300H 2 + TJ 2 = 6)
  Relay Team (3)
  River Hess (300H 3 + LJ 2 = 5)
14. Kirtland Central High School 14
  Hannah Washburn (PV 9 = 9)
  Shantel Foutz (100H 5 = 5)
18. Chaparral High School 13.75
  Alejandra Munoz (D 8 = 8)
  Melissa Anaya (HJ 5.75 = 5.75)
19. Albuquerque Academy 6.5
  Allie Ogawa (PV 3.5 = 3.5)
  Cameren Kristensen (1600m 1 + 3200m 1 = 2)
  Relay Team (1)
20. Deming High School 5
  Violet Griffin (400m 5 = 5)
21. Grants High School 3
  Brianna Fank (HJ 3 = 3)
22. Centennial High School 2
  Innocence Gamboa (J 2 = 2)

If Aztec's presence at the top, one step ahead of traditonal power Los Alamos, has you surprised, you haven't quite yet taken full account of the Tigers' strength in field events. Laura Wendelberger of Los Alamos is likely the most recognizable name in 4A girls (and maybe particularly so in field events), but Aztec counters with a lot of field event quality of their own--starting, but not ending, with Sarah Root, Kayli Farmer, and Thalia Quinn.

The analysis above, however, is a bit deceptive in that it scores the virtual meet by the most common meet scoring system in the nation (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1). New Mexico scoring, of course, is different. Scoring in New Mexico is different chiefly in the fact that it assigns extra weight to relays. In this case, that suggests that both Los Alamos and Piedra Vista may be a bit underestimated by the point totals assigned above. The Hilltoppers and Panthers have been very solid in their relays to date, and that will pay big dividends at the state meet if they're able to maintain that relay prowess through the remainder of the season.

Valencia County powers Los Lunas and Valencia are also looking very much like strong state contenders at this point. Kaitlynn Craig (Valencia) and the sprint duo of Cera Chavez and Alexis Lafave (Los Lunas) are the kind of athletes who can make a big difference when the chips are down at the state meet.

Del Norte's dynamic duo of Jessica Scherrer and Jenna Thurman figures to pile up a lot of points at state, but probably not enough to let the Knights keep pace with Aztec, Los Alamos and the rest unless some help arrives in other events as well.