Connor O'Toole will make his case this spring that he is New Mexico's top hurdler.
5A Boys
As a reminder, Sue Cleveland and Clovis staged a rather competitive battle all weekend long for the state title last spring. In the end, however, Cleveland had just a bit more that weekend and rode that bit more to a 94-83 win over Clovis.
If you liked that battle last year, chances are you'll like this year's battle as well. Cleveland lost more to graduation last year than Clovis did, giving Clovis an early leg up. But, folks around New Mexico have learned that Cleveland never graduates the franchise. They just find new people to step up. Maybe it's those electric blue uniforms...
Meanwhile, La Cueva enters the fray with a nicely loaded team as well. You are not supposed to wager on high school sports, but if you were wagering, and wagering intelligently, you'd probably select one of these three teams.
That said, Carlsbad, Rio Rancho, and Alamogordo look to be fielding nice teams this spring as well.
Jerrick Maldonado and TJ Gregg are the key returning pieces to the Clovis puzzle. Both are distance runners, which puts them at a tiny bit of a disadvantage (Clovis isn't all that low elevation-wise, actually) when they come up to Albuquerque. But, Maldonado and Gregg are the real deal, whether running in Clovis, Albuquerque, or somewhere in Texas. Maldonado tends to be strongest at 800m and Gregg strongest at 1600m.
The Wildcats also boast a top pole vaulter in Pacer Hill and a nice stable of throwers. Bryce Cabledue mans the rings, while Jaylen Mason specializes in the runway event. It's not unthinkable the Clovis produces four state titles between the three, but they definitely figure to be in the hunt with all three (four events).
Others to watch include, but are not limited to, Ethan Culliver in the 400 and Kris Byrd in the high jump.
Cleveland, as I said, graduated a bundle, but don't start feeling too sorry for the Storm. They aren't coming into the season shooting blanks.
Cleveland returns the state's top two 400 runners in Anthony Bisetti and Nasir Hunter-Muhammed. As you might have expected, these guys do the relay thing as well, and Cleveland's relays figure to be loaded (again). Hunter-Muhammed goes readily to 200 meters as well.
The Storm figures to get good mileage out of Brandon Howell in the 800 and in the Sprint Medley, the designated second event for really good 800 types.
Luke Wysong is potentially among the state's very best long jumpers and other utility relay leg.
There's not space here to detail everybody who warrants a mention of some kind, so it will have to suffice to say that Cleveland figures to be bringing a complete team to the table once again. Underestimate them at your own peril.
La Cueva has a few cards in their own deck.
The ace in the deck is hurdler/sprinter Connor O'Toole. Based on times from last season, O'Toole is top in the state in five events, the long jump, the 100, 200, 110H, and 300H. And, O'Toole is big enough that if he ever hits a hurdle, it may clear the stands and end up on the football field next to the track.
The question for the Bears will be how much they get from other events.
Brad Thomas is a solid long/triple, and a threat to win at least the triple at state. Stevie Salas gives the Bears a point-scoring kind of presence in all three distance events. Lucas Lopez in the pole vault and Tyler Jenson in the javelin round out La Cueva's top threats.
What La Cueva seems to lack that both Clovis and Cleveland have is depth. For the Bears to make a serious run at a state title, all the key players have to stay healthy and all have to have big meets. If that happens, watch out!
Although Rio Rancho is only a very outside threat to win a state title, jumper/hurdler Jordan Spencer figures as someone to watch as the state title race is playing out. Spencer is definitely capable of shifting some points one direction or another in his events. If things are tight, that could end up being very important to the final outcome.
New Mexico, of course, boosts the point totals from relays. It's not rocket science to figure that will advantage the team with the best pool of sprinters. Until somebody figures a way to match Cleveland's pool of sprinters, those relays are going to tend to favor the Storm.