Charger Lesansee is faster than ever

Mayoral wins too at Academy

Fifteen minutes and 10 seconds.

That is how long it took Albuquerque Academy’s Jordan Lesansee to win the Chargers’ cross-country invitational meet on Friday.

That is also the senior Lesansee’s new personal record in a 5-kilometer race. It was 15:10.09, to be exact.

It is also the new course record, and an Academy meet record.

“I’m so surprised,” said Lesansee, smiling wide. “So many great runners have run this course.”

That includes Lesansee — seven times in his Academy career in an official meet, by his count.

The previous record holder was Cleveland’s Luis Martinez, Chargers coach Adam Kedge said.

Lesansee was running this track for the last time in an official capacity. He went out quickly, taking the lead within the first several hundred meters.

No one was near his equal.

Lesansee finished over 17 seconds ahead of Volcano Vista’s Jericho Cleveland.

“I wanted (others) to set the pace, but I was feeling really good today, so I just went for it,” said Lesansee. It only took a minute or so after the race for one his teammates to tell him he broke the meet record on a breezy, chilly afternoon at the Academy.

“It was perfect weather conditions, and I just felt confident,” said Lesansee, who listed Stanford, Texas, Columbia and New Mexico as his top college choices at this point. “And I ran hungry. I knew this would be the last time I ran a meet on this course.”

He said he had no intention to break any record.

“No way,” he said. “I just went for it.”

The Academy boys finished first in a 19-team field with 50 points, with Eldorado (67) second and Cleveland (100) third.

GIRLS: Cleveland junior Amanda Mayoral, the state’s best and most dominant runner, was pushed by Eldorado’s Jasmine Turtle-Morales, but posted a two-second victory.

Mayoral won for the third time in three races this season, and on a course she considers the second hardest in her season rotation, second only to the hilly course at Rio Rancho High. Mayoral finished in 18:22.44 on Friday. Turtle-Morales was right behind her, in 18:24.88.

“I knew that she was gonna be on my butt the entire time,” Mayoral said. “I have major respect for her.”

The Rio Rancho girls finished first in the 18-team field with four runners in the top 10, scoring 36 points.