Los Alamos is just too good as they repeat 4A State Champs

Photo by Adam Maxwell

New faces lead the Hilltoppers of Los Alamos but they remain just as strong as a unit as they have ever been en route to their third straight 4A championship trophy. the fall 2021 championship was led by sophomore Delaney Ulrich and senior Kelly Wetteland who were not even among the Los Alamos state team in March. Ulrich and Kelly have been a consistent 1-2 for the Hilltoppers all season long and capped it off with a finish on the big stage as teammates Emma Montoya, two-time champ Norissa Valdez landed in the top ten to secure a 28 point victory. ABQ Academy was once again state runner-up with Emma Patton to lead them as they scored 49 points. They will see younger sister Katie Patton taking over the reins for the Charger next season after her 6th place performance. St. Pius once again claimed a 3rd place team finish led by Trista Cordova with a 7th place finish. Look out for the Sartans in 2022 as they only lose Gracie Baca(25th),  they may be much closer in contention with Hilltoppers and Chargers if they see improvement over the offseason.

Photo by Adam Maxwell

A shift in the Los Alamos program as Delaney Ulrich has made her way onto the spotlight and senior Kelly Wetteland who came overseas training remotely was a solid race partner that continued throughout the season leading to a great 1-2 punch at 4A state meet 18:56 to 18:57. Emma Patton also found herself once again performing well on her home course to a 3rd place finish in 19:13. Kirtland Central's Aisha Ramone led her team to a fourth-place performance with her 4th place finish to end her high school cross country career. Emma Montoya improved upon her last state meet in March to capture 5th this time around. Trista Cordova has been the glue to St.Pius success and time will tell how she will improve coming off this 7th place finish. Acknowledging the other Chargers that landed among the top ten and will surely be a huge contribution to the success, they may see in the future includes Katie Patton(6th) and Addison Julian (8th). Still only Freshman, Lisette Sanchez(10th) along with her teammates will be a part of steady growth by Belen as they may contend for 4A title in the near future.

Delaney Ulrich and Kelly Wetteland after 1-2 finish in 4A Girls Championship Race

4A Girls Results