State track: Organ Mountain's Corbin Coombs kicks to record-breaking 3,200-meter win

This year, Organ Mountain’s Corbin Coombs racing Rio Rancho’s Charlie Vause became one of the best — and most travelled — shows in New Mexico prep sports.

Consider: There were three races in which the two brilliant long-distance runners took part this March in Arizona, a decisive Coombs sweep. In April, two races went to Vause in California. This was all after the Knights’ senior star beat out his Rams counterpart across six indoor races in New York, two at the Millrose Games and four at the Nike Indoor Nationals in early spring.

Eleven races total — but none in New Mexico.

Friday’s 3,200-meter race at the 4A/5A state meet was the first time this season one of the state’s most outstanding individual rivalries played out on its home turf.

When it was all said and done, one had staked his claim in impressive fashion.

With a ferocious kick, Coombs roared ahead of Vause over the final 450 meters to win the 5A title in 8 minutes, 50.22 seconds, demolishing the previous state record and besting one of his closest rivals by nine seconds.

Eldorado’s Matt Tebo held the former state best of 9:07:38 set in 2006; both Coombs and Vause (8:59.85) finished well under the former University of Colorado-Boulder runner’s mark. Coombs, a Wake Forest commit, now holds the 3,200 and 1,600 state records after he ran a 4:06.17 in the latter event last season.

There was far more to Friday’s race than breaking a 19-year-old record, though. After the past two years, both Coombs and Vause understood all too well what it would take to beat the other. And for Coombs, that meant not just hanging with Vause — a runner who likes to come out fast — but surviving his pace for a full eight laps.

“And he’s pretty good at keeping an even pace,” Coombs told the Journal.

Vause confirmed that was the plan: “Go out and run a solid, but not too quick, first mile and then just wind it up the rest of the time,” he told the Journal. “Make it hurt for me, but more importantly, make it hurt for my opponents … and then, you know, if it comes down to it, try to kick at the end.”

So, as Coombs expected, Vause came out solid and led the first six laps with the senior from Organ Mountain right behind him. The gap between the two frontrunners and the field turned into a gulf and by the fourth lap, it was just Vause and Coombs battling each other at a grinding pace.

In recalling his race strategy, Coombs said he expected to make a move to the outside with 100 meters left and sprint to the finish. But with a lap-and-a-half left, he saw an opportunity to move ahead, a maneuver less about Vause lagging and more about Coombs feeling like he had a little more to give.

“I thought, ‘I think I have a fast last lap in me,’” he remembered, “‘so I’m gonna try to get some momentum into the last lap.’ And then just make sure the move is hard enough to where I’m not just getting into lane two to run the same pace.”

Rest assured he did not. Coombs moved his lanky frame of Vause, churning past one of the fastest runners in the state with long, confident strides. Once Coombs turned on the gas, it was over — he crushed the field and state record with an NMAA-reported 58.9-second final lap.

By the time the rest of the field was coming in, Coombs was catching his breath. Vause stood just past the finish line trying to do much of the same.

They caught each other’s eyes and casually slapped palms before briefly parting ways until they’d take the podium minutes later. If it was an ordinary gesture, it was one of the final acts in a rivalry that’s been anything but

“Corbin is an amazing competitor and an incredible friend,” said Vause, a BYU commit and the national Gatorade Cross Country Athlete of the Year, “because he will make you work for it every single time. He doesn’t slow down, and he forces you to be better and to dig deeper. And on days like today, if you decide — or like I decided — that I wasn’t willing to dig that deep, he’s gonna take it.”

“Charlie, he’s one of the big reasons why I’ve had so much success,” Coombs said. “Because I started to train harder when he moved in and he was a legend. I started to adjust my race plans to where I (got) more mentally tough — he helps me a lot … I believe we really respect each other as competitors.

“It’s just super beautiful to see us pushing New Mexico to higher heights.”

RAHMER ROLLS: Before Friday’s 5A girls 3,200 final, Gianna Rahmer’s dad told her not to go all out. Take it easy, he said, and save some energy for Saturday’s mile.

“Obviously,” the Eldorado freshman laughed, “that didn’t quite go (according) to plan.”

Rahmer etched another chapter in her already-impressive legacy Friday, rolling to a win in that race with an utterly dominant 10:33.80. She smashed her previous 3,200 record of 10:54.72 set at last year’s state meet just hours after helping the Eagles win a title and set a new state record (9:38.17) in the 4x800 relay.

After another comfortable win begs the question: How hard is it for Rahmer to not run as hard as she can?

“It’s very hard,” she told the Journal with a smile. “I’m a very competitive person — I mean, I try to listen to my coaches and know that they’re telling me what I need to do. But it’s hard to, like, stay to a certain pace per lap and take it easy.”

NEW RECORDS: Kaden Andrus of Albuquerque High School set a new 5A boys record in the 110-meter hurdles (14.18) … Grace Erinle of Albuquerque Academy set a new 4A girls record in the 100 (11.96) … Valin Wittenburg of Santa Fe High set a new 5A boys record in the 400 (47.93).