If you happen to live a little north of Albuquerque in the Cleveland High School attendance area, you have to be feeling good about your team's chances about now.
Just as the Cleveland boys appear to have things well under control at the midway point of the season, so also the Cleveland girls are sitting in the favored position. Here is what a virtual meet of the rankings to date reveals:
2013 NM HS F Outdoor Track Team Scores
Calculated as of April 11, 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. | Sue Cleveland High School | 153.83 |
| Alex Williams (D 2 + J 6 = 8) | ||
| Alex Winebark (D 10 + J 4 + S 6 = 20) | ||
| Alexis Aguirre (300H 1 = 1) | ||
| Alina Armstead (TJ 5 = 5) | ||
| Cassie House (HJ 6.33 = 6.33) | ||
| Cassie McClintock (100H 1 + 300H 3 = 4) | ||
| Elicia Gallegos (200m 10 + 400m 8 + LJ 3 = 21) | ||
| Erin Carrica (S 5 = 5) | ||
| Larimar Rodriguez (200m 1.5 + 400m 6 = 7.5) | ||
| Malia Gonzales (1600m 4 + 3200m 6 = 10) | ||
| Natalie Medina (1600m 5 = 5) | ||
| Nia Powdrell (100m 10 = 10) | ||
| Nicolette Pacheco (1600m 3 + 3200m 3 = 6) | ||
| Pearl Isaia (D 4 + J 3 = 7) | ||
| Relay Team (38) | ||
| 2. | Eldorado High School | 108.5 |
| Alexa Genas (LJ 0.5 = 0.5) | ||
| Cassey Amberg (1600m 1 = 1) | ||
| Crissey Amberg (1600m 8 + 800m 5 = 13) | ||
| Jessie Hicks (1600m 2 + 3200m 10 + 400m 10 + 800m 10 = 32) | ||
| Kyra Mohns (300H 4 + LJ 4.5 = 8.5) | ||
| Lauren Martinez (LJ 2 + PV 10 = 12) | ||
| Meaghan Martinez (PV 3.5 = 3.5) | ||
| Melia Macias (3200m 4 = 4) | ||
| Relay Team (29) | ||
| Tamara Begay (PV 5 = 5) | ||
| 3. | La Cueva High School | 102.5 |
| Akuadasua Ezenyilimba (D 6 + S 4 = 10) | ||
| Alex Mantos (TJ 3 = 3) | ||
| Anna Fox (300H 2 + HJ 2.5 = 4.5) | ||
| Arianna Eddings (200m 4 + 400m 5 = 9) | ||
| Carly Browning (400m 2 = 2) | ||
| Cassie Boren (300H 10 = 10) | ||
| Hattie Schunk (1600m 10 + 800m 8 = 18) | ||
| Mason Swanson (800m 3 = 3) | ||
| Relay Team (28) | ||
| Sarah Ihlefield (100m 1 = 1) | ||
| Stephanie Brener (100H 8 + 300H 6 = 14) | ||
| 4. | Alamogordo High School | 64.83 |
| Alexandria Adams (100H 2 = 2) | ||
| Brianna Norwood (TJ 2 = 2) | ||
| Brittany Jaszai (HJ 6.33 = 6.33) | ||
| Cayline Montoya (800m 1.5 = 1.5) | ||
| Chanel Jackson (D 8 = 8) | ||
| Heather Silva (PV 3.5 = 3.5) | ||
| Katrina Quigley (LJ 4.5 = 4.5) | ||
| Relay Team (10) | ||
| Virginia Norwood (100m 4 + 200m 3 + LJ 10 + TJ 10 = 27) | ||
| 5. | Onate High School | 58.83 |
| Brandi Tirado (TJ 4 = 4) | ||
| Leiyona Young (HJ 6.33 + LJ 0.5 + TJ 8 = 14.83) | ||
| Maisha Grant (LJ 8 + TJ 6 = 14) | ||
| Meghan Aguilera (1600m 6 + 3200m 8 + 800m 6 = 20) | ||
| Relay Team (5) | ||
| Yemisi Oroyinyin (D 1 = 1) | ||
| 6. | Clovis High School | 57 |
| Ajaycia Brown (TJ 1 = 1) | ||
| Heather Pastirchak (PV 6 = 6) | ||
| Jenna Sievers (100H 10 + 300H 8 + HJ 2.5 = 20.5) | ||
| Rebekah Gallop (800m 4 = 4) | ||
| Relay Team (9) | ||
| Sasha Smith (200m 1.5 = 1.5) | ||
| Shelby Jones (J 5 + S 10 = 15) | ||
| 7. | Rio Rancho High School | 45 |
| Aly Salata (J 8 = 8) | ||
| Brianna Pribble (800m 1.5 = 1.5) | ||
| Imani Morlock (400m 3 = 3) | ||
| Leilani Baker (200m 6 = 6) | ||
| Merica Valdez (HJ 2.5 + PV 8 = 10.5) | ||
| Nicole Pendley (J 10 = 10) | ||
| Relay Team (6) | ||
| 8. | Volcano Vista High School | 39 |
| Alana Young (S 2 = 2) | ||
| Elisa Woody (3200m 5 = 5) | ||
| Erynn Caldwell (100m 3 = 3) | ||
| Kaylee Amershek (400m 4 = 4) | ||
| Lindsey Larsen (HJ 10 = 10) | ||
| Rebecca Castillo (3200m 2 = 2) | ||
| Relay Team (13) | ||
| 9. | Cibola High School | 22 |
| Dichelle Burrell (200m 8 = 8) | ||
| Maya Allen (100m 6 = 6) | ||
| Relay Team (8) | ||
| 10. | Hobbs High School | 18 |
| Ariel Lopez (100H 5 = 5) | ||
| Marissa Triplett (S 1 = 1) | ||
| Relay Team (7) | ||
| Tahleya Heckard (100m 5 = 5) | ||
| 11. | Carlsbad High School | 16.5 |
| Brittany Box (J 2 = 2) | ||
| Matney Huber (100H 6 + 300H 5 = 11) | ||
| Tori Judah (100H 3.5 = 3.5) | ||
| 12. | West Mesa High School | 13.5 |
| Chelsea Harris (100H 3.5 + HJ 2.5 + LJ 6 = 12) | ||
| Valerie Wesselink (PV 1.5 = 1.5) | ||
| 13. | Sandia High School | 12.5 |
| Abigayle Christiansen (PV 1.5 = 1.5) | ||
| Amelia Kloer (200m 5 = 5) | ||
| Jaden Ortiz (D 5 = 5) | ||
| Relay Team (1) | ||
| 14. | Las Cruces High School | 11 |
| Keshya Keys (D 3 = 3) | ||
| Melody Reeves (S 8 = 8) | ||
| 15. | Mayfield High School | 8 |
| Kaycee Ramos (100m 8 = 8) | ||
| 16. | Albuquerque High School | 4 |
| Natalia Rivera (S 3 = 3) | ||
| Relay Team (1) | ||
| 16. | Valley High School | 4 |
| Chelsea Alarcon (400m 1 = 1) | ||
| Eden Santisteven (J 1 = 1) | ||
| Relay Team (1) | ||
| Toni Marie Gonzales (3200m 1 = 1) | ||
| 18. | Manzano High School | 2 |
| Lindsey Gallinger (100m 2 = 2) |
Cleveland figures to score in distance, in sprints, in throws, in relays, and maybe in jumps and hurdles. They score big (Malia Gonzales, Elicia Gallegos, Alex Winebark), and they score little. It's going to take a lot to overtake this team, and the first order of business would be wresting away their control of the relays. Orders don't get much taller than that.
Closest behind Cleveland are La Cueva and Eldorado. And, frankly, these teams look pretty good. It's just that there's a point gap between Cleveland and the two traditional Albuquerque powers.
Eldorado seems to have lost none of their distance strength despite the departure of Teo Cutter. Jessie Hicks and Crissey Amberg both appear to be in position to score well come the third weekend in May. Pole vaulter Lauren Martinez adds a bit of scoring punch as well.
La Cueva figures to score their usual array of points. Throws (Akuadasua Ezenyilimba), distance (Hattie Schunk), sprints (Arianna Eddings), and hurdles (Cassie Boren, Stephanie Brener), the Bears have it all. Even relays are contributing nicely for La Cueva. It's difficult to look at the pieces and think of this as anything other than a state-leading team.
Ultimately, for both Eldorado and La Cueva, it's a numbers game. The Storm has more troopers.
Both Eldorado and La Cueva are within range, but it will take something of an extraordinary event for either to catch up with the team in electric blue.