Cleveland races to more wins

It’s probably going to be a recurring theme throughout the 2013 high school track and field season:

The Cleveland boys and girls swept first place in another meet.

The Storm routed a field of schools from Albuquerque (and also Bernalillo) at the Buddy Robertson Invitational at Wilson Stadium.

Rio Rancho’s boys were at the Robertson Invite meet at Milne, where they, too, took first place. The girls placed third.

Both meets took place in miserably cold and windy conditions.

CLEVELAND: The boys scored 185 points, almost double that of runner-up Cibola’s 95.

Individual winners for Cleveland were: Parker Jones in the 100, 110-meter high hurdles and high jump; Brandon Lawrence in the 200 and 400; Dustin Enyeart in the 800; Luis Martinez in the 1,600 and 3,200; Nainoa Biggs in the long jump; Tyler Caldwell in the triple jump (where the Storm went 1-2-3); and Brandon Leitch in the javelin.

Cleveland also had victories in the 4×100 relay (Tyler Chavez, Jones, Lawrence and Nathan Muñoz), 4×200 (Muñoz, Matt Santacroce, Chavez and Camden Davis), 4×400 (Muñoz, Jones, Santacroce and Davis) and medley relay (Santacroce, Chavez, Steven Steele and Aaron Flores).

Cleveland scored in every event.

Jones in the 100, the 4×100 relay team and Martinez (at both distances) were new state qualifiers.

Cleveland is hosting the fourth annual Storm Relays (boys and girls) on Saturday.

“We realize it will be the best competition we have seen up to this point,” Cleveland coach Kenny Henry said.

♦ The girls were even more dominant last weekend, scoring 198 points. Cibola was a very distant second, with 73 points.

Cleveland was first in 14 of the 19 events.

Cassy McClintock was a winner in the 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Elicia Gallegos captured the 200 and 400, plus the long jump.

In the field events, Alex Winebark was the champion in the discus and the shot put. Alex Williams took the javelin. Cassie House, a former high jump state champ, won that event last weekend. Trystin Otero won the pole vault and Alina Armstead the triple jump.

Cleveland also won three relays. The 4×200 featured Cassandra Brownell, Mikaela Smith, Erin DeBee and Nia Powdrell. On the 4×400 it was Alexis Aguirre, McClintock, Kennedy Vote and DeBee. The medley relay team consisted of Powdrell, DeBee, Brownell and Nicolette Pacheco.

RIO RANCHO: The boys scored 123 1/2 points, 12 more than second-place Highland. Colby Stinson, in the shot put, was the Rams’ only individual winner, and he had a state-qualifying mark.

Rio Rancho also won three relays — the 4×100 with C.J. Williams, Ben Garcia, Tristen Foley and K.J. Jiggets; the 4×200 with Williams, Garcia, Foley and Mike Littman; and the medley with Jiggetts, Dallin Brady, Foley and Fernando Lucero.

Rio Rancho will be at Cleveland’s Storm Relays on Saturday.

♦ Eldorado’s girls (93) finished first at Milne, followed by Los Alamos (83 1/2) and Rio Rancho (82 1/2).

Event winners for the Rams were Nalala Watson in the 100 and Ally Salata in the javelin.

Rio Rancho also won the 4×200 relay with Chelsea Nicole, Santana Orozco, Nicole Pendley and Watson.

The girls are also at Cleveland on Saturday.
— This article appeared on page 28 of the Albuquerque Journal