Showdowns Loom at Richard Harper Invitational

If you're at Albuquerque Academy on Friday, you can join the crowd at the railing watching Parker Hibbett high jump. Photo by Bill Wampler.

It's common knowledge around New Mexico that Albuquerque Academy runs one of the top track and field programs in the state. 

They also run one of the best invitationals in the state. And this would be the weekend for the Richard Harper Invitational.

Albuquerque Academy coach Adam Kedge has been around a long time, but not nearly as long as the Richard Harper. In fact, Kedge, probably the single best source of information about this meet, confesses, "the exact start date of the Richard Harper Invitational is one thing I don't know." If it's out of Coach Kedge's memory, it's safe to say it's out of the memory of most. Folks don't know how long they've been marking this date on their calendars, they just know they've been marking it a good, long time.

Great competition makes for great meets, and that's a huge part of what makes the Richard Harper such a special event. On the list of teams coming are 5A powers Cleveland (boys only), La Cueva, Eldorado, Rio Rancho, Volcano Vista, and several more. It's a good sign when a meet hosted by a 4A school draws a serious 5A crowd. 4A teams attending include Piedra Vista, Los Alamos, and a few more. And 3A Sandia Prep is coming to test their mettle against the large school crowds as well. 

It goes without saying that the distance matchups should be top-tier as usual, but the pole vault showdown between Rio Rancho's Merica Valdez and Eldorado's Lauren Martinez should be well worth the price of admission as well. Potentially, 16 of the 19 girls events could feature current New Mexico #1 ranked performers. You can't find that anywhere else short of the state meet.

Action gets underway at 10:30 AM on Friday with field events. If you don't come on Friday, you will miss all field events except the javelin throw. Track events begin at 1 PM on Friday with the finals-only heats of the 3200s. A complete schedule is posted on the Richard Harper meet page.

A listing of boys stadium and meet records (the same listings do not exist for the girls, unfortunately) is provided below:

 

RICHARD HARPER STADIUM RECORDS  (BOYS)

EVENT

MARK

NAME

SCHOOL

COACH

YEAR

MEET

100 M

10.33

ADRIAN BACA

RIO GRANDE

MARK GARCIA

2007

HARPER

200 M

21.35

PEDRO TUNON

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

2000

CITY    

400 M

47.62

PEDRO TUNON

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

2000

CITY

800 M

1:52.37

CODY HARPER

ACADEMY

ADAM KEDGE

2003

CITY

1600 M

4:15.01

MATT TWIEST

ACADEMY

SCOTT NEAL

1996

CITY

3200 M

9:13.16(FAT)

LUIS MARTINEZ

CLEVELAND

KENNY HENRY

2012

HARPER

110 HH

13.92

JUSTIN SOFALEY

LOS ALAMOS

LARRY BACA

1991

HARPER

300 IH

37.72 P

ROLANDO TRAMMEL

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

2009

HARPER

400 R

42.05(FAT)

 

CLEVELAND

KENNY HENRY

2012

HARPER

 

 

ROMELL JORDAN, BRANDON LAWERENCE, PARKER JONES, REECE WHITE

 

 

800 R  

1:27.87 (FAT)

 

CLEVELAND

KENNY HENRY

2012

HARPER

 

 

ROMELL JORDAN, PARKER JONES, REECE WHITE, TYLER CHAVEZ

 

 

MEDLEY

3:27.88

 

ACADEMY

ADAM KEDGE

2009

HARPER

 

 

GIANNI ESPARZA, GARRETT NYGREN, TAYLOR MURRAY, CURTIS BEACH

 

1600 R

3:20.03

 

LA CUEVA

MATT HENRY

1998

CITY

 

 

DAVID HICK, NICK  LOTT, TRAVIS CLARK, NATE PUCKETT

 

 

JAVELIN

200’1

LUKE MARRS

MORIARTY

JOE BAILEY

1999

DIST 5AAA

02  RULE

201’3  

ANTHONY FAIRBANKS

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

2005

HARPER

DISCUS

184’3  

FRED MADY

SANDIA

BLAINE CLARKE

1993

ACADEMY RELAYS

SHOT

61’9

DARIUS HOLLAND

MAYFIELD

JOHN CASTLE

1991

ALB. INVITE

LONG J

23’7.75

MATT SANDERSON

DEL NORTE

FRED POLICH

2002

CITY

HIGH J

7’0

TOM MESCALL

ST. PIUS X 

NEIL SILVER

1991

DIST. 5AAA

 

7’0

RICH WOOTEN

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

1988

HARPER

POLE V

16’4

DANIEL GOORIS

CIBOLA

KENNY HENRY

2008

HARPER

TRIPLE J

47’7

MATT SANDERSON

DEL NORTE

FRED POLICH

2010

CITY


RICHARD HARPER MEET RECORDS  (BOYS) 

EVENT

MARK

NAME

SCHOOL

COACH

YEAR

100 M

10.33

ADRIAN BACA

RIO GRANDE

MARK GARCIA

2007

200 M

21.61

JERRELL MILLER

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

2005

400 M

48.25P

MIKE GARCIA

SANTA FE

PERER GRAHAM

2003

800 M

1:52.85

CODY HARPER

ACADEMY

ADAM KEDGE

2005

1600 M           

4:17.50(FAT)

LUIS MARTINEZ

CLEVELAND

KENNY HENRY

2012

3200 M

9:13.16

(FAT)

LUIS MARTINEZ

CLEVELAND

KENNY HENRY

2012

110 HH

13.92  

JUSTIN SOFALEY

LOS ALAMOS

LARRY BACA

1991

300  IH

37.72 P

ROLANDO TRAMMEL

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

2009

400  RELAY

42.05 (FAT)

 

CLEVELAND

KENNY HENRY

2012

 

 

ROMELL JORDAN, BRANDON LAWERENCE, PARKER JONES, REECE WHITE

800 RELAY

1:27.87(FAT)

 

CLEVELAND

KENNY HENRY

2012

 

 

ROMELL JORDAN, PARKER JONES, REECE WHITE, TYLER CHAVEZ

MEDLEY R

3:27.88

 

ACADEMY

ADAM KEDGE

2009

 

 

GIANNI ESPARZA, GARRETT NYGREN, TAYLOR MURRAY, CURTIS BEACH

1600 RELAY

3:22.55 (FAT)

 

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

2012

 

 

Mustafa Mudada, Sergio Figurora, Daizhon Prichett, Rashad Ortiz

JAVELIN

196’0  

PAT DALTON  

CIBOLA

BOB BONE

1981

02  RULE

201’3

ANTHONY FAIRBANKS

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

2005

DISCUS

184’3

FRED MADY

SANDIA

BLAINE CLARKE

1983

SHOT PUT

59’11

AARON LEWIS

LA CUEVA

MIKE TIXIER

2005

LONG JUMP

23’7

BOBBY NEWCOMB

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

1997

HIGH JUMP

7’0

RICH WOOTEN

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

1988

POLE VAULT

16’4

DANIEL GOORIS

CIBOLA

KENNY HENRY

2008

TRIPLE JUMP               

45’10 ¼

WARRICK CAMPBELL 

HIGHLAND

GARY SANCHEZ

2010