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 |
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 |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
1600 R |
3:20.03 |
|
LA CUEVA |
MATT HENRY |
1998 |
CITY |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |