Jimmy Buchanan leads a Santa Fe Prep team that figures to go title hunting this fall. Photo by Alan Versaw.
Laguna-Acoma and Navajo Prep won these titles last year, and they're back in the hunt this year, but nothing is a given for either program this year.
Here's my best take on the preseason rankings for 2A. And, I readily concede that doing small school rankings is much more difficult than large school rankings because of the number of small school runners who either do not run track in the spring or run for schools for whom I largely missed results.
Boys
1. Laguna-Acoma - Much graduated, but enough returns that the Hawks are still the team to beat.
2. Santa Fe Prep - Jimmy Buchanan and Kyle Evaldson look the be a handful for the Laguna-Acoma crew.
3. Zuni - Tradition owns one of the five places on the Zuni scoring roster.
4. Navajo Prep - A solid team last year that lost some, but still should be a very good team.
5. Rehoboth Christian - One big-time loss to graduation, but a team that seems to be coming around to a little higher ground each year.
6. Pecos - Nice depth through the top five.
7. Penasco - If Isaiah Rodarte can help the others reach his level, this team will finish much higher than seventh, but that's where I have them pegged at the start of the season.
8. East Mountain - Building a little tradition of their own.
Girls
1. East Mountain - Momentum runs strong in this camp.
2. Navajo Prep - Last year's champions are still a force to be reckoned with.
3. ATC - They were young last year and won't be so young this year. But they will be hungry.
4. Laguna-Acoma - Not just a one-gender program here between Albuquerque and Grants.
5. Rehoboth Christian - The departure of an assistant coach who worked extensively with the girls team may require some adjustments.
6. Bosque - The Bobcats go three deep as good as anybody in 1A, 2A, or 3A. What they do at 4 and 5 will set the course of their season.
7. Penasco - Good depth, if they see dropping times at the front end this fall, this team will move up the ladder.
8. Zuni - The girls know a little something about tradition as well at Zuni.