Hawks, Bears show off depth
Volcano Vista boys romp at Invitational
In keeping with the primary sports theme of the weekend, the Volcano Vista boys track and field team performed like a dominant No. 1 seed at the Albuquerque Invitational.
The Hawks were factors in nearly event Saturday as the two-day meet closed at Nusenda Community Stadium, scoring 110 points for a commanding 46-point margin over secondplace La Cueva.
La Cueva’s girls beat Volcano Vista 72-59.
BOYS: Individually, Blaine Grant was a double champion for Volcano Vista, as he added the 200-meter title Saturday to his victory in the long jump on Friday.
Samuel Kress won the 110-meter high hurdles, was the runner-up in the 300 hurdles and also had a third place in the high jump, all on Saturday. Joah Flores was first in the 300 hurdles and second to Kress in the 110 hurdles, in which Volcano Vista went 1-2-3.
The Hawks also broke two meet records in the relays.
They shattered a 38-yearold meet record in the medley, destroying the field with a time of 3 minutes, 32.84 seconds. La Cueva trailed by a whopping 16 seconds.
Jericho Cleveland ran the anchor, 800-meter medley leg for Volcano Vista. Grant and Rafael Osoria had the 200-meter legs, and Thomas Williams the 400-meter leg.
In the last event of the day, the 4x400, Flores, Cleveland, Grant and Williams ran 3:23.98, breaking a 23-year-old meet mark.
Manzano’s Jordan Byrd cruised to the 100-meter title, finishing in 11.09 seconds.
“My times aren’t too good, but it’s just the beginning of the season,” said Byrd, who for the first time in his outstanding track career with the Monarchs was disqualified from an event on Friday in the 200-meter prelims. “So I’m not too worried about it.”
Byrd also was part of two winning relays for Manzano, the 4x100 and 4x200.
Senior Tyler Pittman of West Mesa was one of the surprise champions Saturday. He scored a victory in the 1,600-meters in 4:34.58, 10 seconds faster than his previous effort in this race. If he shaves another 2 seconds, he’ll be a state qualifier.
“I knew I could PR if I finished that last lap (strong),” Pittman said. “This is probably the best win of my career so far.”
Harrison Smith III of Eldorado had a rough go of it in the 800, but narrowly defeated fast-closing Garrett Yancy of Volcano Vista in what proved to be the most exciting boys race of Day 2.
“I just felt terrible,” Smith said, adding, “If I knew (what it was), it wouldn’t have been a problem. I just don’t understand it.”
Other individual winners Saturday included Eli Rodriguez of Sandia in the high jump, Lucas Jepsen of Albuquerque Academy in the triple jump, Grayson Hertrich of Eldorado in the discus and Eldorado’s Terrance Parham in the 400.
GIRLS: The Bears had victories Saturday from McKenna Gold in the discus and Brooke Nelson in the 100-meter high hurdles, and La Cueva also swept the two sprint relays.
Although Albuquerque High’s Alisa Meraz-Fishbein skipped the 800, her best event, she triumphed in the 1,600 to go with her victory in the 3,200 on Friday.
The 800 produced a fantastic race.
Cibola’s Nicole Lawrence led after the first lap, but ceded the lead to Volcano Vista’s Lila Nezar, who opened up a wide gap along the back stretch of the final lap.
But Lawrence summoned a tremendous kick and finished in 2:21.56. Nezar’s time was 2:21.68.
“Coming into the last 150 meters, that’s when I’m strongest,” Lawrence said. “I know I have a good finish.”
Still, Lawrence wasn’t sure she had run Nezar down “until the last 2 meters. I gave it everything I had to catch her.”
Sandia Prep also had wins Saturday from Jayne Clifton-Fife in the triple jump and Sklyer Gee in the 400.
Other event winners Saturday included Rio Rancho’s Jezarae Van-Zile in the pole vault, Sandia’s Mikhaela Barnes in the 300 hurdles and Kjia Stith of Volcano Vista in the 100.
In another of the day’s terrific races, Del Norte’s Sarah Smyth narrowly hit the finish the line .01 ahead of La Cueva’s Ryleigh Oas in the 200-meter final.