ABOUT JORDAN

Age: 18

School: Manzano

Birthplace: Albuquerque

Parents: Lamont Byrd, Nicole Bedford

Siblings: Jade, 26; Brittany, 24

Next: Byrd, a 10-time state track champion and Manzano’s starting QB from its championship football team, is headed to San Diego State. He will play football but hopes to also dabble in track — if the Aztecs and former Lobo coach Rocky Long will grant their permission. Byrd at least should have some comfort zones as it relates to New Mexico. Former La Cueva standout Zach Arnett is SDSU’s defensive coordinator and former Rio Grande star (and two-time Olympian) Shelia Burrell is San Diego State’s head women’s track coach and could coach Byrd as a sprinter.

Why not Del Norte? The Journal has told the story before, but it bears repeating: he went to Manzano instead of Del Norte because he traveled to Las Vegas for a Thanksgiving tournament with Manzano’s YAFL Seniors and decided he wanted to continue on with them in high school.

Record breaker: There was mass confusion at the state meet when the board at UNM signaled a 10.4 time for Byrd’s 100-meter final. Officially, his time was 10.5, tying a 1997 record. The NMAA said it was a glitch, that the board was not synced with the official time. Asked about this, Byrd responded thusly: “I still ran a 10.4. That’s what I’m gonna go off of.”

What a gem: Byrd wants to study science and business at San Diego State, and he has a keen interest in gemology. He said he’d like to open his own jewelry store some day. Did you know? Byrd was a pretty solid tennis player at Cleveland Middle School.