APS schools aren’t running at UNM meet
Fee rate has changed for those schools in the last two years
The University of New Mexico Invitational, will, as always, begin the high school cross country season in the metro area. And it remains a prestige meet.
But it is no longer part of the schedule for boys and girls teams from Albuquerque Public Schools.
Although some familiar faces — Rio Rancho, Cleveland, Albuquerque Academy, St. Pius — will be running at UNM on Saturday morning, APS will not be represented at UNM North Golf Course.
“It didn’t work out in our master schedule this year. That’s all I have for you,” APS athletic director Kenny Barreras said. He would not entertain any other questions.
The UNM meet is traditionally run on Labor Day weekend. The New Mexico high school state meet is usually held on the first Saturday in November. This year, because of a quirk on the New Mexico Activities Association calendar, it will be the second Saturday (Nov. 10) of that month. So the season, and its schedule, has been stretched out a bit.
Recently, UNM altered its entry fee structure as it pertains to APS.
UNM cross country coach Joe Franklin said APS was charged a flat rate of $600 to enter all its boys and girls teams for the Lobo meet as recently as 2016. That changed last year, Franklin said, to $60 per team and $120 per school — which, he said, was in line with what UNM was charging everyone else.
“So everything would be fair,” Franklin said.
The $60 per team rate is also in place this year.
APS schools, 13 of which run cross country, will instead open at St. Pius’ uniquely structured meet on Friday, Sept. 7. That meet is different from most others in the following way: the No. 1 runners from each of nearly 30 squads will race against each other in a separate race. The No. 2s race against other No. 2s, and so on.
“We would love to have APS involved, we think it’s the most unique and special setting for a cross country race in the state,” Franklin said.
The Lobos coach added that none of the top runners from his top-ranked women’s team, the defending national champions, will compete on Saturday in the collegiate portion of the meet.
The high school times are 8:45 a.m. for the boys and 9:15 for the girls.
2018 preview
GIRLS: With Cleveland’s Amanda Mayoral — now at Oklahoma State after three consecutive undefeated prep seasons — out of the picture, there should be numerous contenders in large-division Class 5A.
That list includes the girls who ran 2-3-4 behind Mayoral at state last November: Eldorado junior Jasmine Turtle-Morales, Albuquerque High senior Alisa Meraz-Fishbein (who has given up soccer to focus solely on running) and Rio Rancho senior Reina Paredes. That list also includes Sandia sophomore Olivia Salter, who was seventh at state.
In Class 4A, defending state champ Albuquerque Academy is loaded, with four of its top five scorers at state returning, including Zoe Hunter who ran third. Celeste Martinez and the Archibeck sisters, Jane and Grace, all were top-12.
“I have no doubt that we’ll be one of the premier teams in the state,” Academy coach Adam Kedge said.
From smaller classifications, runners to watch include Kylie Poole and Faith Helgesen at Hope Christian, and Ariel Peña and Jordyn Tatum from Cottonwood Classical Prep, last year’s state champ in 3A.
BOYS: Defending bigschool individual state champion Yonas Haile, a senior at Cleveland, is back to defend. He will go headto-head with Kirtland Central stud Kashon Harrison at the UNM meet on Saturday, where Harrison — easily New Mexico’s best cross country runner and one of the best in the nation — is the two-time defending champion.
Rio Rancho — the team to beat, Cleveland coach Kenny Henry said — has a strong team, featuring seniors Daniel Beam and Cody Smith.
Academy’s group remains formidable, led by senior Skyler Forman, junior Julian Garcia and sophomore Justin Hickey. The Chargers are a defending state champion.
In the smaller schools, Epherem Zerai of Sandia Prep is coming off an excellent season and Justin Howey is a top returner for Cottonwood Classical Prep.