NMAA 4A: BOYS 5K RUN - STATE FINALS
Espinosa Leads Storm Surge as Cleveland Dominates 5A Boys State Title
Senior Lucas Espinosa made his final high school race one to remember, powering Sue Cleveland High School to a commanding victory in the Class 5A Boys State Cross Country Championship Saturday morning.
Espinosa blazed through the course in 15:13.70, pulling away from Volcano Vista's Talen Riley (15:43.70) to claim the individual state title and anchor Cleveland's team championship. His time ranks among the fastest on the challenging state course, setting the tone for a dominant team effort. The Storm - showing remarkable depth and composure - packed five runners in the top 12, sealing the title with 36 points and an average time of 16:09. Behind Espinosa, senior Lucas Peña placed 4th (16:03.90), Patrick Miranda 8th (16:14.70), Derek Abate 12th (16:33.50), and Antonio Pacheco 14th (16:43.90).
Rio Rancho High School delivered a strong challenge with 61 points and three runners in the top 10 - Alejandro Casaus (6th, 16:11.90), Matthias Parsons (7th, 16:13.70), and Isaiah Galbraith (10th, 16:27.00). The Rams' 1:02 spread underscored the tight pack running that earned them the runner-up trophy. La Cueva High School rounded out the podium with 118 points, led by Nikko Mihan's third-place finish (15:53.70). Their deep lineup, including Dylan Thiel-Hadjilambrinos (22nd, 17:08.40) and Spencer Jenkins (35th, 17:25.20), secured third overall by a single point over Los Lunas High School (119), whose tight 53-second spread marked the best compression among all teams.
Volcano Vista's Riley finished a strong second individually, while Eldorado's Xavier Pecastaing (16:05.20) and Organ Mountain's Daxton Coombs (16:21.80) also earned top-10 finishes.