Prep Track Season Previews
Cibola Raiders Division I
• Coach: Brett Pavey • Boys returning state qualifiers: senior Thomas Cain (1st in 3200M, 6th in 1600M, 18th 800M) • Girls returning state qualifiers: senior Mori Gordon (13th in 300H); junior Milan Swammi (HJ) • The lowdown: Thomas Cain is the headliner for the entire area, as he was the only local track athlete to bring home a state title a year ago and is one of the top distance runners in the state. Senior Jake Smith also has state experience in distance events. Pavey highlighted senior Levi Galvan (throws), junior Josh Dusek (HJ), senior CJ Atherton (sprints) and sophomore Zeke Rios (sprints/jumps) as other Raider boys to watch. On the girls side, Mori Gordon has been one of the top sprinters/hurdlers in the area the past few years. Outside of her and Milan Swammi, the Raiders’ strength is in their distance group — sophomore Ashley Valenzuela and Aylin Quintero, the area’s top two cross-country runners this past fall, were both part of Cibola’s statequalifying 4x8M relay last spring.
Kofa Kings Division I
• Boys coach: Ben Franz • Girls coach: Melissa Johnson • Boys returning state qualifiers: senior Jesus Montejano (14th in 800M); senior senior Michael Jaso (15th in 3200M, 23rd in 1600M)
• Girls returning state qualifiers: junior Karen Rivas (5th in 300H); junior Keiley Sharp (15th in HJ)
• The lowdown: Karen Rivas is the headliner of the Kings, as her fifth-place finish in the 300H last year was tops among local Division I girls athletes. She’s also the two-time defending city champ in the event.
Jesus Montejano and Michael Jaso have been key in the resurgence of Kofa’s boys distance program in recent years.
Other athletes Johnson highlighted were: senior Chuy Ortiz (800M), senior Ariel Beal (200M), sophomore Keith Beal 100M, sophomore Reagan Goforth (shot), junior Jesus Barba (shot), senior Yulissa Avila (3200M) and junior Miriam Heras (1600M).
Gila Ridge Hawks Division II
• Coach: Briar Ploude • Boys returning state qualifiers: senior Cody Hartman (5th in 800M, 5th in 1600M); senior Daniel Marquez (5th in 3200M, 7th in 1600M, 21st in 800M); senior Christian DeBoard (6th in 1600M, 6th in 3200M); senior Ryleigh North (8th in 300H, 8th in TJ, 12th in LJ); senior Rafael Duarte (12th in shot, 18th in discus) • Girls returning state qualifiers: junior Mia Corners (2nd in TJ, 3rd in LJ, 7th in 200M, 16th in 100M); senior Savannah Stewart (3rd in discus, 21st in shot); junior Hanah Sims (5th in HJ, 7th in PV); sophomore Brielle Hill (LJ); senior Clara Haynes (1600M) • The lowdown: Gila Ridge is the reigning YUHSD champ for both boys and girls, and with an abundance of state qualifiers back, the Hawks should be primed for another good spring. The Hawks have finished top-10 in Division four years in a row on the girls side, and three years in a row on the boys side. Though they’ve had several athletes come close in recent years, they’re still looking for their first individual state champion — something Mia Corners and several of the distance runners figure to be capable of contending for.
Yuma High Criminals Division III
• Coach: Brad Ihrcke • Returning state qualifiers: none • The lowdown: The Criminals have a lot of new faces out for the team this year under new coach Ihrcke, who said the big thing this year “is building the base for a continually strong program.”
Yuma High actually already has competed in a meet, the Arizona Relays in Scottsdale this past Saturday. Junior sprinter Tevon Pauldon was the team’s top performer with a third-place showing in the 100M open; he also was a member of a third-place finish in the 4x200M relay, along with sophomore Christian Rascon, junior Bryan Escamilla and senior Isaac Ignacio.
Those are four of the top Criminal boys this year. Ihrcke also mentioned: junior jumper/sprinter Gabriel Garcia, junior sprinter Alexis Bracamontes and sophomore sprinter Rigoberto Flores.
On the girls side, Yuma High is led by senior Kitty Hummer (distance), senior Emily Jaure (mid-distance) and junior Alexis Villegas (distance). Hummer, with state experience in cross-country, is the veteran of the group.
Yuma Catholic Shamrocks Division III
• Coach: Bruce Foote • Returning state qualifiers: none • The lowdown: Senior Yohan Stokes returns as the Shamrocks’ top sprinter, seniors Jakob Curry and Joshua Rodgers as their top throwers and senior Joshua Rodriguez as their top mid-distance runner. Junior Anny Zhen (distance) and sophomore Lily Imai (mid-distance) are two of the Shamrocks’ top girls returners.
San Pasqual Warriors Division IV
• Coach: Sal Pineda • Returning state qualifiers: none • The lowdown: The Warriors have about 15 athletes out this year, most of whom are boys. Junior Alfonso Aragon, senior Cedric Lukee and senior Victor Alvarez are the three biggest names to watch, according to Pineda. Aragon and Lukee are both distance runners, while Alvarez — a baseball player who is doubling up as a two-sport athlete this spring — will do high jump and sprints. On the girls side, junior sprinter Paris Montague is the team’s only returner.