Cross country championships: Rahmer, Dorsey-Spitz cruise to titles

Runners in the Class 1A-2A boys cross country championship head out to the main course on Saturday at Albuquerque Academy.

Moriarty’s Carmen Dorsey-Spitz claimed the individual Class 4A girls state cross country title with a time of 16 minutes, 57.9 seconds Saturday at Albuquerque Academy.

Oak Grove sophomore Oliva Marquez comes to the finish line, winning first place in the 1A-2A girls cross country championships Saturday at Albuquerque Academy.

Albuquerque Academy’s Nicholas Ponte raises his arms in victory as he wins the individual Class 4A boys cross country championship Saturday.

Glen Rosales Glen Rosales Glen Rosales for the Journal

Published November 8, 2025 - 8:53 p.m. Modified November 8, 2025 - 9:16 p.m.

Gianna Rahmer causally finished off her victory lap Saturday in the Class 5A girls cross country championships, cruising along the track at Albuquerque Academy by herself, then collected a cup of water and wandered over to the area where the course entered the stadium.

The precocious Eldorado sophomore who had just won her third straight individual title got there just as runner-up Mariah Galbraith of Rio Rancho burst onto the track. But Rahmer was far more concerned about her Eagles teammates, getting highly animated as each one came past, exhorting them to give their best effort in the final 300 yards.

“I know how much one person yelling can help you,” she said. “My best friend Olivia (Rule), passed a Cleveland girl right at the end and it’s all for her. I can literally cry happy tears for her because I can see her working her butt off.”

Rule was ninth and actually passed two other runners in the backstretch, as did teammate Sylvie Hadley, who was sixth.

Rahmer finished in 17 minutes, 2.02 seconds, which was the day’s second-best among the girls and her second-best time overall.

“I would love to PR,” she said in reference to a personal record. “I’ve been working real hard this season, but I’m super happy for my girls. I know some of them PR'd.”

Indeed, Rahmer has become running royalty in New Mexico.

“She’s the queen,” Eagles coach Chokri Dhaouadi said.

Rahmer, however, is starting to see some competition for that title, as her time was five seconds slower than Moriarty junior Carmen Dorsey-Spitz, the 4A winner. Dorsey-Spitz's time was 10 seconds off the course record of 16:47.09 that she set at the Academy Extravaganza on Oct. 18. It also happened to erase Rahmer’s course record set two years ago.

“It was a good a start. It was kind of hotter than the last time we ran it so I was trying not to get ahead too much,” Dorsey-Spitz said. “I paced the first mile pretty well, but I wish I had hit the second mile harder. I was pretty happy with my finish so I just wish I had my pace strategy better overall. I could have PR'd.”

Because the two are in different classifications, they rarely face one another. They went head-to-head at the UNM Invite in September, where Rahmer beat Dorsey-Spitz by a scant 18 seconds, which was an extremely close margin by Rahmer's lofty standards. Both said they are looking forward to competing head-to-head at the Nike Cross Regionals on Nov. 22 in Mesa, Arizona.

“I’ve always looked up to Gianna and it’s kind of crazy that we’re on the same plane now and I’m struggling to wrap my head around it,” Dorsey-Spitz said. “I really hope we can race some time. That would be fun.”

Rahmer is quite aware of her competition

“Carmen, she’s super amazing and I love getting to push myself to her times now,” she said. “So, the time will be the time and the race will be the race. I live for racing and I would love to race her, too. NXR is going to be super good.”

With Rahmer acting as lead runner and chief cheerleader, the Eagles retained their title as state champs, scoring 50 points to Cleveland’s 56.

The Storm did take the boys championship, powering past Rio Rancho 36-61, with Cleveland senior Lucas Espinosa turning in an inspired effort to win his first major race, finishing in 15:13.7.

“I felt like God picked up my legs, I never felt that before," he said. "I never was able to grab the race by the neck before and just go with it but I’m just so happy to be able to do that for me and the team. I’ve been working up to this for four years. Ever since freshman track, cross country and I’ve never been able to get over the peak.”

It was one of those rewarding moments coaches appreciate, said the Storm’s head coach, Kenny Henry.

“It was a joyful day for me to watch him do that,” he said. “This guy has been incredibly tough for us in his time here. He’s been tough all year. He’s been off a couple of races the last few weeks and he got himself right for the day and proved that he was the dude. That was pretty special.”

While Dorsey-Spitz dominated the individual competition in girls 4A, Los Alamos blew the team competition out of the water, scoring 29 points, well ahead of Academy with 75.

“I think we had a special team this year,” said Hilltoppers co-head coach Steven Montoya, noting the varsity had nine members who trained together since June. “It’s the idea that we have depth and we have motivated girls who were willing to come out and work toward a common goal and something bigger than themselves.”

It’s the Hilltoppers’ 24th state championship, but first since 2022.

Academy returned to the top of the podium in boys 4A, riding the wave of senior Nicholas Ponte’s perfect season after he finished in 15:18.8.

“It’s really exciting in my senior year, for my last year, to be undefeated the whole season and win state is really cool,” he said. “It’s the strongest team we’ve had in a long time. It’s been really nice to be come back here with all these guys and win state pretty confidently and have a really fun last meet with all the seniors.”

Academy has back-to-back titles and 17 overall.

In 1A-2A girls, Oak Grove Classical won the program's first state championship, putting up 59 points to 90 for Pecos and the Owls’ Olivia Marquez joins the ranks of three-time winners. Only 16 girls — including now Rahmer, who can be the state’s first five-time winner — have won three or more individual championships.

“They’re so grateful for what they’ve done and what they’ve been able to accomplish," Owls coach D. Ryan Gilmore said. "They were runners up last year so they knew it was going to a tough one this year. They set a goal of winning state and they put in the work and it worked out.”

The Pecos boys won for the third time in four years with 46 points, with Oak Grove taking second with 69, but the individual championship went to Laguna Acoma’s Tagoya Pedro, who defended his win from a year ago.

In 3A, the Cottonwood Classical Prep girls emerged from a trio of schools to finish second with 96 points, two ahead of East Mountain and Navajo Prep, while Santa Fe Prep scorched the field with 29 points. Four Blue Griffins finished among the top eight, with Sophie Bair winning it followed by teammate Pippa Barrett.

Elijah England of Navajo Prep won boys 3A, followed by teammate Kenai Begay, but that wasn’t enough for the Eagles to soar past winner Santa Fe Indian School. The Braves finished with 46 points, just ahead of Prep’s 53.