Henderson, Reed race to APS Cross Country Invite victories

Kate Henderson’s results this cross country season are second to only one other girl in the metro area. And that one wasn’t around Friday afternoon to be a nemesis.

At the Albuquerque Public Schools Invitational at Bullhead Park, Henderson won her first race of the 2023 season as the Sandia Prep junior ran to victory on a hot, late September day on Albuquerque’s south side.

She completed the flat course in 18 minutes, 35.71 seconds. Anna Hastings of Albuquerque Academy (18:49.40) was the runner-up. The Chargers won the team competition with 23 points.

Although Eldorado was in the meet, its eighth-grade sensation, Gianna Rahmer, did not compete Friday.

Henderson had run second to Rahmer at the season-opening Cleveland meet, then again at the University of New Mexico meet, then again at the St. Pius Super Cinco event, and then last week at the Rio Rancho Jamboree.

“To be honest, going into (today), I didn’t know how I would do, because I had hard workouts at the start of the week,” Henderson said. Those proved beneficial. “The last mile, I tried to kick and make a gap on Anna.”

Dallan Reed, a Volcano Vista High senior, won the boys race. He posted a 32-second victory over Del Norte’s Jorge Garcia. Reed completed the course in 16:06.77. Garcia’s time was 16:38.43.

“Going into the race, we were missing a lot of competition that we’ve had at previous races,” said Reed, a nod to Rio Rancho’s team and Eldorado’s Nick Moore. “So I was just trying to tell myself through the entire race, stay focused and capitalize on every part of the race you can.”

La Cueva was atop the boys team standings and dominated the field, with 27 points.

The Bears had five of the top 11 runners.

SATURDAY: Cody Sullivan of Rio Rancho won the Organ Mountain Rob Winter Classic on Saturday morning, and in the process took down his teammate, Charlie Vause, who had run to victory in the Rams’ first four meets of the season. Sullivan ran second in all four of those events.

Saturday, Sullivan won in a time of 15:22.39. Vause finished in 15:26.70. The Rams won with a dominating 22 points.