Previewing the Field: 4A Boys Cross Country

William Longenbaugh and Ryan Lesansee will be back for Albuquerque Academy in the fall, and it looks as if the Chargers will be tough to handle once again. Contributed photo.

 

If you want to know what this fall's cross country campaign will look like, the two best places to look are last year's cross country results and this spring's 3200 rankings. So, we'll do exactly that.

The ordered list of last year's returning finishers (top 50 only) from last year's state meet looks like this (athletes for whom I do not have a grade are marked with a question mark):

 

  3 Nick Hill                    Los Alamos                 16:46.00     2

  4 Sean Reardon                 Los Alamos                 16:47.50     3

  6 Kristian Gonzalez            Santa Teresa               17:01.60     5
? 8 Christopher Graham           St. Pius X                 17:08.90     6
  9 Daniel Romero                Los Alamos                 17:09.50     7
 10 Zak Kennison                 Los Alamos                 17:10.90     8
 11 Austin Anaya                 Moriarty                   17:11.60     9
 12 Brandon Levi                 Piedra Vista               17:12.40    10
 14 Alexander Taylor             Gallup                     17:13.00    12
 15 Ryan Lesansee                Albuquerque Academy        17:18.00    13
 16 Dontae Vigil                 Belen                      17:20.10    14
 17 William Longenbaugh          Albuquerque Academy        17:21.10    15
 18 Jared Garcia                 Belen                      17:22.80    16
 20 Colin Hemez                  Los Alamos                 17:26.90    18
 23 Harrison Fleming             Piedra Vista               17:38.10    21
 26 Orion Staples                Los Alamos                 17:42.40    24
 27 Kris Todacheeny              Piedra Vista               17:43.20    25
 30 Darren Martinez              Espanola Valley            17:54.90    28
?31 Zachary Grand                Santa Fe Indian School     17:55.00    29
 32 Patrick McAninch             Moriarty                   17:55.10    30
 33 Daniel Velasquez             Espanola Valley            17:56.50    31
 34 Tyler Valdez                 Belen                      17:59.30    32
 35 Paul Sanchez                 Atrisco Heritage Academy   18:00.00    --
 37 Austin Smith                 Miyamura                   18:06.10    --
 40 Timberlin Henderson          Kirtland Central           18:09.80    --
 41 Miguel Ramirez               Gallup                     18:10.10    35
?42 James Espinoza               Espanola Valley            18:10.90    36
 44 Gavin Yazzie                 Gallup                     18:12.40    38
 46 Josh Miller-Castillo         Farmington                 18:15.90    40
 47 Wayne Huerta                 Deming                     18:17.60    41
 49 Trevor Russell               Kirtland Central           18:18.30    --
 50 Philip Lane                  Aztec                      18:18.30    43
 
The rankings from this spring for the 3200 (top 50 returners only) shed some more light on the topic:
 
 
Rank Time Athlete Name Team C/O Date Meet
1. 9:47.33 Sean Reardon NM Los Alamos High School 2013 05/11/2012 New Mexico 3A-5A State Track and Field Championships
2. 9:55.09 Austin Anaya NM Moriarty High School 2013 05/04/2012 New Mexico District 5 - 4A Meet
3. 10:00.66 Colin Hemez NM Los Alamos High School 2014 04/20/2012 Richard Harper Invitational
4. 10:01.79 Kristian Gonzales NM Santa Teresa High School 2013 04/27/2012 Mirmanian Invitational
5. 10:03.78 Nick Hill NM Los Alamos High School 2013 03/31/2012 Albuquerque Invitational (Wilson)
6. 10:08.44 Brandon Levi NM Piedra Vista High School 2013 05/11/2012 New Mexico 3A-5A State Track and Field Championships
7. 10:09.67 Jared Garcia NM Belen High School 2015 04/27/2012 Mirmanian Invitational
8. 10:10.00 Kyle Carrozza NM Albuquerque Academy 2014 03/03/2012 Chile Quad
9. 10:10.49 Ryan Lesansee NM Albuquerque Academy 2013 04/09/2012 Marilyn Sepulveda Classic
10. 10:18.50 Zak Kennison NM Los Alamos High School 2013 05/11/2012 New Mexico 3A-5A State Track and Field Championships
11. 10:20.50 Zachary Grand NM Santa Fe High School 2014 04/20/2012 Richard Harper Invitational
12. 10:26.22 Jesus Sandoval NM Santa Teresa High School 2013 03/03/2012 Gadsden Invitational
13. 10:27.09 Timberlin Henderson NM Kirtland Central High School 2014 04/25/2012 Last Chance Meet
14. 10:28.09 Kevin Wyss NM Albuquerque Academy 2014 05/04/2012 New Mexico District 5 - 4A Meet
15. 10:31.48 Allan Quezada NM Valencia High School 2013 03/24/2012 Valencia Relays
16. 10:31.55 Mike Walker NM Los Alamos High School 2014 04/20/2012 Richard Harper Invitational
17. 10:31.81 Niles Thomas NM Hershey Miyamura High School 2016 05/11/2012 New Mexico 3A-5A State Track and Field Championships
18. 10:32.28 Harrison Fleming NM Piedra Vista High School 2014 05/11/2012 New Mexico 3A-5A State Track and Field Championships
19. 10:36.22 Alexander Taylor NM Gallup High School 2014 03/10/2012 Jim Burke Invitational
20. 10:42.58 Miguel Ramirez NM Gallup High School 2016 04/07/2012 Miyamura Patriot Invitational
21. 10:48.28 Keaton Duncan NM Grants High School 2015 04/07/2012 Miyamura Patriot Invitational
22. 10:48.35 Marcos Serna NM St. Pius X High School 2014 03/24/2012 Valencia Relays
23. 10:53.50 Jorge Otero NM Albuquerque Academy 2015 05/04/2012 New Mexico District 5 - 4A Meet
24. 11:00.20 Wayne Huerta NM Deming High School 2015 04/13/2012 Therman Jordan Relays
25. 11:02.27 Benjamin Chee NM Hershey Miyamura High School 2013 04/07/2012 Miyamura Patriot Invitational
26. 11:06.40 Tristan Vigil NM St. Pius X High School 2014 03/31/2012 Albuquerque Invitational (Milne)
27. 11:06.62 Cody Howse NM Moriarty High School 2013 05/04/2012 New Mexico District 5 - 4A Meet
28. 11:12.83 Kenny Roberts NM Gallup High School 2013 04/14/2012 Bill Slade Invitational
29. 11:16.57 Shane Herrera NM St. Pius X High School 2014 04/14/2012 Capital City Invitational
30. 11:19.40 Treston Chee NM Hershey Miyamura High School 2015 04/07/2012 Miyamura Patriot Invitational
31. 11:20.18 Skylier Nez NM Del Norte High School 2013 05/04/2012 New Mexico District 5 - 4A Meet
32. 11:24.75 Michael Brown NM Los Lunas High School 2013 04/05/2012 Moriarty Invitational
33. 11:25.05 Darren Martinez NM Espanola Valley High School 2013 03/10/2012 Jim Burke Invitational
34. 11:27.12 Joey Sinclair NM St. Pius X High School 2015 05/04/2012 New Mexico District 5 - 4A Meet
35. 11:28.39 Patric McAnnich NM Moriarty High School 2013 03/03/2012 Los Lunas Invitational
36. 11:29.40 Ryan Corcoran NM St. Pius X High School 2015 05/04/2012 New Mexico District 5 - 4A Meet
37. 11:29.75 Cruzz Howse NM Moriarty High School 2014 05/04/2012 New Mexico District 5 - 4A Meet
38. 11:34.16 Arthuro Quezada NM Deming High School 2014 04/20/2012 Cobre Invitational
39. 11:35.84 Cedric Perez NM Artesia High School 2015 04/27/2012 Lovington Wildcat Relays
40. 11:36.28 Javyn Sillas NM Artesia High School 2014 04/05/2012 Moriarty Invitational
41. 11:36.32 Luis Soto NM Valencia High School 2013 04/20/2012 Richard Harper Invitational
42. 11:39.56 Manuel Guerro NM Belen High School 2014 04/14/2012 Ruidoso Invitational
43. 11:41.83 Peter Brown NM Moriarty High School 2014 03/24/2012 Valencia Relays
44. 11:43.36 Dylan Romero NM Los Lunas High School 2015 03/03/2012 Los Lunas Invitational
45. 11:43.62 Brad Orndorff NM Del Norte High School 2013 05/04/2012 New Mexico District 5 - 4A Meet
46. 11:43.91 Zach Woody NM Kirtland Central High School 2014 04/25/2012 Last Chance Meet
47. 11:47.63 Patrick Dolce NM Moriarty High School 2013 03/03/2012 Los Lunas Invitational
48. 11:48.25 Keenan Lee NM Piedra Vista High School 2015 04/14/2012 Bill Slade Invitational
49. 11:48.76 Vernon Francisco NM Hershey Miyamura High School 2013 03/10/2012 Jim Burke Invitational
50. 11:56.00 Alejandro Garcia NM Del Norte High School 2015 05/04/2012 New Mexico District 5 - 4A Meet
 

No matter how you look at the rankings above, you have to come to the conclusion that the advantage belongs to Los Alamos. But, bear in mind that Los Alamos exceeded expectations at the state meet while Albuquerque Academy picked that particular day to struggle in a big way. Although AA and LA figure to be the main players, this one should end up closer on the course than it currently appears on paper. 

It's also worth remembering that, two weeks after last fall's state meet, Albuquerque Academy finished well ahead of Los Alamos at Nike Southwest.

While these two teams, both by reputation and by the records of returning runners' performances, figure to lead the 4A pack, there is a cluster of good teams moving up behind them. These teams would include Piedra Vista, Moriarty (a much improved team in track this spring), St. Pius X, and Miyamura. Belen and Gallup register a nod of recognition as well.

As of this moment, the gap between two and three in 4A is huge. Both Los Alamos and Albuquerque Academy figure to return at least five boys who can finish the course in 17:30 or better. For the rest of these teams, simply filling out the roster with boys who can run low 18s or better has to be the matter of first concern.

In any case, today is the day to be training because summer's window of opportunity closes on an unforgiving calendar.