Nobody has lost track of Los Alamos or Albuquerque Academy, but Dontae Vigil helps to make Belen another team you want to be thinking about this fall. Photo by Alan Versaw.
I have a confession to make. I'm not especially fond of "Red or green?" I've heard the question too many times. It's become a buzzphrase of those wanting to write or talk about New Mexico cross country, but if I were an opposing coach, the endless repetition of that question would rot my socks.
Don't get me wrong. I count Adam Kedge as a friend and, as a coach, there are plenty of things I try to emulate about his Red Army. I know Rob and Kathy Hipwood, and I marvel at what they've accomplished over the years at Los Alamos. I quietly root for both of their teams at Nike Cross Regionals. I was happy all over for the Hipwoods when Los Alamos swept the team state titles last fall. I could only imagine how proud they must have been of the kids who wore Los Alamos green that day.
But I can only imagine how also they must have wished for other teams to rise and take a serious swipe at their success. Real competitors are like that. They don't want it to always be the same foe, and they don't ever want it to be easy. Easy takes half the fun out of it. Granted, there's still a lot of fun left to be had, but easy isn't nearly as much fun as going to the very last scorers at the state meet to find out who won it all.
It's been a long while since anyone but Albuquerque Academy or Los Alamos made a serious run at a 4A boys title in New Mexico. And each year we ask, "Will this year be different?"
From the perspective of Los Alamos and Albuquerque Academy, it doesn't appear that it will be much different. Both have the look of quality teams in the making. You know that both teams are putting in the work over the summer. It's all about as surprising as the sunrise.
Los Alamos has a lot of rebuilding to do, but they have the blueprints. They know how it's done. Colin Hemez and Mike Walker figure to be the guys this team will be built around. The rest of the cast is something of a mystery at this point, but lots of young men in Los Alamos have been waiting their turn, and this year figures to be the big opportunity for about five of them. Gus Saeger and Connor Bailey seem like a couple of possibilities, but there are more.
Albuquerque Academy has spent the last couple of years learning what it's like to live on the leaner side of things. The last couple years have been conspicuously missing any Ben Johnson types to show this team what the path to greatness is like. But, if you've been paying close attention, you know that, like a volcano before the eruption, things are starting to churn on the inside. Lean has grown old and tiresome, and this is once again a team in search of bounty.
Kevin Wyss is a sub-4:30/sub-10 guy with one more year left to take a run at things. Kyle Carrozza isn't as fast at 1600, but does have a 9:44 to his credit in the 3200. And, cross country doesn't necessarily require great 1600 speed.
I'm guessing the other three scoring positions get filled by some combination of Jorge Otero, Aric Kedge, A. J. Kedge, Jordan Lesansee, and Carlos C de Baca. All were young last year, and all who ran at the high school level busted through 17-flat at least once. And, if any of these guys aren't able to step up, there's another half-dozen under 17:30 waiting in the wings for their opportunity. At this point, it's not so much a matter of making the magic happen as making it happen once again on cue. Merely making varsity on this team is going to be a tall order.
I'm guessing we'll have a real good clue what this team will be like about two miles into the UNM Lobo Invite.
So, not much changes in the camps of AA and LA. What about the rest of 4A?
If you missed the clues being left behind at this year's state track meet, it may come as a surprise that Piedra Vista is also a rising power in cross country. There is the troubling issue of replacing Brandon Levi to deal with, but the Panthers haven't been declawed.
Harrison Fleming should be able to run with anyone in 4A, with the possible exception of Colin Hemez. Timberlin Henderson put some huge potential on display at Nike Southwest last fall. Ryan Kruger excelled as a freshman last fall. With enthusiasm running as high as it should be running at the moment, filling two more places shouldn't be too big of a deal. Piedra Vista could be the most legitimate threat Los Alamos and Albuquerque Academy have faced in years.
And that adds immensely to the fun factor for all concerned.
Belen is another team with legitimate potential to climb into the hunt. Like Piedra Vista, Belen has a clearly-established front three of Aaron Romero-Valenzuela, Dontae Vigil, and Jared Garcia. And, like Piedra Vista, there's a nice pool to draw from for the other two scoring positions.
St. Pius X and Gallup are more remote possibilities. If St. Pius gets Steven Duran, he of the 1:56.66 800 speed, out for cross country, the Sartans move up into the company of Piedra Vista and Belen as teams with enough of an established core to be considered a credible threat from week one.
The other 4A schools are at least a year away from serious contention.
It should be an interesting season.