La Cueva boys/girls track sweep titles; Volcano Vista signs athletes

La Cueva’s boys and girls won a delayed Albuquerque Invitational track and field meet this week.

The field events were contested last weekend, but because of the unusually cold weather at Nusenda Community Stadium, only the 3,200-meter running finals were completed at that time.

The rest of the week was completed Wednesday on the West Side.

La Cueva’s boys scored 122 points, nearly double that of Sandia (64). The La Cueva girls were pushed a little more. The Bears scored 98 points, with Volcano Vista next with 69 points.

Adelyn Harper was one of two double champions in the girls meet. The Albuquerque High athlete won the 400-meter dash, where she was the only girl to finish under 1 minute (59.11 seconds) and also later the 800.

The distances were won by Carysa Marquez of Volcano Vista (1,600) and Gianna Rahmer of Eldorado, who won the 3,200 last weekend by 52 seconds.

Sandia had a big meet, sweeping the top three spots in the open 200, led by Izabelle Akins, and also taking the 4x100- and 4x200-meter relays. The Matadors also went 2-3 in the open 100 behind AHS’ Anayjah Garza.

In the field events, Albuquerque Academy’s Grace Erinle swept the long jump and triple jump. Colette Bibeault had a dominant showing in the pole vault, clearing 11 feet, 6 inches and winning by 3 feet. Melanie Macias of Atrisco Heritage, one of the school’s top softball players, was a big winner in the javelin.

Nikko Mihan for the La Cueva boys cut a strong figure in the distances, as he won the 3,200 last weekend and then the 1,600 on Wednesday. Charlie Vause of Rio Rancho, one of the state’s elite distance runners, won the 800 on Wednesday but did not run either the 1,600 or 3,200.

The sprints were won by Eldorado’s Jahari Morehead (200) and Sandia’s Chigekwu Nwagbo (100).

Isaiah Apodaca of Sandia captured first in the 110-meter high hurdles (by .01 seconds) and ran second in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.

In the field events, probably the top performance came from La Cueva’s Grant Vlaun, who soared 15 feet in the pole vault. Tony Trujillo of the Bears and Gage Conway of Academy both went 42-6 in the triple jump, best in the field.

The annual Marilyn Sepulveda Meet of Champions, an all-star meet where New Mexico’s top athletes are invited, is coming up Monday afternoon at the University of New Mexico.

VOLCANO VISTA SIGNEES: Volcano Vista held a massive signing ceremony on Wednesday.

Highlights included (the Journal has already reported on several athletes who are not part of this item):

Several football-playing Hawks – Daniel Rios and Devin Durkin – are headed to the next level. Rios has signed with Adams State, Colorado, while Durkin signed with Fort Lewis College in Durango, and Dominic Dominguez has signed with the University of Puget Sound in Washington.

From Volcano Vista’s baseball team, Noah Massey has signed with New Mexico State, and Alijah Romero with Luna Community College in Las Vegas.

Standout guard Mila Espinoza from the girls basketball team has signed with Jamestown Community College in New York.

Ryleigh Jones was an interesting story for the Hawks. She had originally signed to play softball for a junior college power, but de-committed and will instead be a sprinter for Division I Weber State’s women’s track and field program.

One of Volcano’s most versatile runners, Carysa Marquez, will run cross country and track distances for Fort Lewis College.

From the Hawks’ excellent girls soccer program, Peyton Wagner has signed with Spartanburg Methodist College in South Carolina, Jaden Bussey with Adams State and Addison Garver signed with Eastern New Mexico.

Trinity Rubidoux (softball) signed with Trinidad State in Colorado and Skylar Schwartz (volleyball) signed with Yavapai College in Arizona.

CIBOLA GIRLS SOCCER: The Cougars have hired Roger Baxter to take over their girls soccer program. He replaces former coach Heath Weihe, who stepped down after last season.

Baxter, 60, was coaching with Weihe the last half dozen seasons, the first five as a varsity assistant and head JV coach, and last season just as a varsity assistant coach.

Cibola’s been one of Class 5A’s most consistent programs, and won a state title in 2021.

“I’m familiar with the program, I’m familiar with the players, I’m familiar with their development,” Baxter said. “(I want this) to be a continuation of what we’ve already built over the last six years. A lot of these girls I’ve coached or helped develop since they were sixth or seventh graders.”

Although this is Baxter’s first high school varsity coaching job, he has coached locally at the club level for the last 16 years, he said.

THIS AND THAT: USA Today High School Sports has named Cleveland lineman Moses Sparks (6-4, 280) the state’s top prep football player for the 2025 season. Sparks will be a senior next fall for the Storm. ... Alamogordo’s boys, by seven shots over Volcano Vista and Hobbs, and Piedra Vista’s girls, by 12 shots over La Cueva, won the Class 5A golf preview tournament at San Juan Country Club in Farmington.