Sandia’s Simplicio sets PR in javelin

Novice thrower hits 107 feet, 11 inches

Of the 12 event winners Friday on the first day of the Albuquerque Invitational track and field meet, none of them were as surprising as Mariah Simplicio.

The Sandia High School junior took up the javelin only this season, and she is the definition of work in progress.

But Friday at Nusenda Credit Union Community Stadium, Simplicio — who hadn’t been making much noise in the javelin this season — raised some eyebrows.

She won the event with an impressive toss of 107 feet, 11 inches, nearly 10 feet ahead of runner-up Anna Medina of Cibola.

It was a personal record for Simplicio, whose best previous mark of the season was a modest 95 feet, 3 inches.

Her showing was part of a solid first day for the Matadors, who also got victories from Malik Gordon — who won a highly competitive boys javelin against Jackson Morris of Albuquerque Academy and Oscar Palacios of Eldorado — and Karson Smith, the boys pole vault winner.

Cibola also shined on the first day, which was cold and breezy.

Juan Pimentel prevailed over a pair of Sandia throwers to take the shot put; Ryan Harlow captured the 3,200 in a season-best time of 9 minutes, 57.47 seconds; and Renee Brinson was the girls’ long jump champion.

Other event winners Friday included Valley’s Antoinette Ybarra in the girls’ shot put, Valley’s Jahlil Ford in the boys’ high jump, Atrisco Heritage’s Destiny Williams in the girls’ high jump and Academy’s Erin Archibeck in the girls’ 3,200.

For the second time this week, Eldorado’s record-setting pole vaulter, Lauren Martinez, is not in competition.

The senior did not compete Monday at the Marilyn Sepulveda Meet of Champions, and she is sidelined this weekend, as well, with a lower-body injury.

Her sister, Meaghan, won Friday’s pole vault, albeit with a modest mark of 9 feet, 9 inches.

NOTES: New Albuquerque High boys track and field coach Oscar Montes said his trio of boys in the long jump set a meet record last weekend at the F.M. Wilson Relays.

Montes said the Bulldogs combined to jump 64 feet, 5 inches. The old mark was 62-1 , set in 1987.

Two of the three athletes who were in on that record, Nathan Gutierrez and Sepulveda champion Joaquin Montaño, finished second and third in the long jump Friday, behind winner Nicolas Horton of Highland.

… The second day of the meet gets underway at 8:45 a.m. today for the final field events, and at 9 a.m. for the rest of the running finals.