Jacob Subratie and Henry Sime had Cimarron well represented at the front of the 1A pack midway through the race. Photos by Alan Versaw.
2012 was the inaugural year for 1A cross country. As inaugural years go, this one was pretty impressive.
We all know that first steps have a tendency to be tentative steps, but there was nothing tentative about the approcah that the Cimarron Rams took to their race today in the New Mexico State Cross Country Championships.
There wasn't even anything tentative about the way they came to the starting line. Cimarron's presence on the start line fairly shouted. Clad in red uniforms with blue trim and wearing bright red spandex over their legs, there was nothing about Cimarron's appearance that suggested even the slightest hint of a desire to take a low profile.
That kind of approach, however, can turn around and bite you if you aren't prepared to back it up. Cimarron, however, was more than ready to back this one up.
With Jacob Subratie, Henry Sime, and Thomas Gallegos staking out their places in the top ten, and the other two scoring runners finishing in the top 16, the other assembled teams had no place to hide. Cimarron's 45 easily outdistanced Tse Yi Gai in second with 87. And, no matter where you caught a glance of the race, the dominant color at the front was always the bright red of Cimarron.
One mountain the Rams couldn't conquer, however, was the individual mountain. That mountain Belonged to Trevor Armijo of Jemez Valley, who completed his convoluated circuit of the Rio Rancho grounds in 18:02, 14 seconds ahead of Subratie. Quemado's Danny Yazzie claimed third in 18:17
It was clear from the moment the warm-ups came off that Cimarron was one team it wouldn't be difficult to follow during the race.