Sartan Rizek clears hurdles
Cleveland’s Crupper also a multi winner at Sepulveda event
The Marilyn Sepulveda Meet of Champions is the most democratic of all the high school track and field meets.
It’s truly the one day where classifications go out the window. No separation of athletes based on school size. Just New Mexico’s elite having at each other.
And if you don’t think smallschool athletes circle this event, think again.
“I just felt like it was my time to show what was up in (Class) 4A,” said a proud Isiah Padilla of East Mountain, who won the day’s last race, the 3,200 meters, with a terrific final two laps.
GIRLS: Juniors Haley Rizek of St. Pius and Aphiniti Crupper of Cleveland were both multiple winners on a perfect day at the University of New Mexico complex. Rizek impressed in a sweep of the hurdles, and Crupper blazed to wins in the 100 and 200.
The 300-meter intermediate hurdles final was particularly thrilling, with Rizek edging Cleveland’s Sarah Mackin.
“It’s such a great experience out here,” said Rizek. “Because you get the best out here, one heat, one final, so you have to focus on getting the job done.”
Crupper’s win in the 200 was not a surprise, but she said her victory in the 100 was. She said she expected to finish third or fourth, at best.
“It is amazing,” a smiling Crupper said. An improved start, she said, helped her close the gap on girls that had already beaten her in that sprint.
Del Norte senior Malakah Martinez set a meet record in the 400-meter final, running a time of 55.22 seconds.
“A lot of people start their kick at 150 (meters), but I like to stay within a close distance (to the
leaders),” said Martinez, who was third until her burst with just over 100 meters to go. She caught Ruidoso’s Shalom Keller — who finished runner-up in three races Monday — with five meters to go.
“My speed just kept me going,” Martinez said.
Sandia Prep senior Morgan Crotta went 10 feet, 6 inches in the pole vault, the best mark by a New Mexico girl this season and a Sundevils school record. Next stop: 11 feet.
“Just keep looking up, baby!” Crotta said with a smile. “It’s all technique from here.”
The daughter of UNM men’s soccer coach Jeremy Fishbein, sophomore Alicia MerazFishbein of Albuquerque High, was impressive in her victory in the 800 as she dominated the field in the second lap.
Padilla’s win in the 3,200, his second straight Sepulveda triumph in this event, was symbolic of what the Sepulveda meet was designed to do. In fact, it was another 4A athlete, Jonah Vigil of Taos, who enjoyed the most prosperous day. Vigil, just a sophomore, was a triple champion, capturing first in the 200, 400 and long jump.
Albuquerque Academy senior thrower Jackson Morris won the javelin and discus. His discus toss, 180 feet, was the second-best throw all time in this meet and the best seen at the Sepulveda in 12 years. He also was runner-up in the shot put to Oñate’s Forest McKee, who is a UTEP football signee.
Volcano Vista’s David Cormier had a pair of top-three finishes, including a surprising victory the 100 — surprising only because Cormier didn’t know later that he had won the race. But he narrowly beat Carlsbad’s Xander Elizando, by two-hundredths of a second. Cormier also placed third in the triple jump.
Hobbs’ Zach Marshall set the only boys meet record Monday. He soared 7 feet in the high jump, the first athlete ever at the Sepulveda to clear that distance and just the ninth boy to get over 7 feet.
“It was exhilarating,” said the 6-foot-4 Marshall. “I didn’t know that at the time.”
Los Lunas’ O’maury Samuels said he attended Michigan’s spring football game over the weekend. Samuels ran the 100 and 200 Monday, but DQ’d out of the 100 because of a false start. … Other metro athletes with event victories Monday included Rio Rancho’s Josh Foley (110 hurdles), St. Pius’ Jacque Piñon (girls 1,600), and Cleveland’s Caitlin Barnard (girls long jump).