La Cueva's Montano soars in metro long jump, puts long-standing record in jeopardy

New Mexico’s longest standing high school track and field record may at last be in serious jeopardy.

In fact, Tanner Montaño has now made the boys long jump mandatory viewing when the state meet begins on May 16 at the University of New Mexico complex.

Montaño, a La Cueva junior, on Thursday night ripped off a mammoth jump of 24 feet, 10 inches at the Albuquerque Metro Championships at Nusenda Community Stadium.

The official state record is 24-3¼, established in 1970 by David Powdrell of Highland. No individual running or field event state record has been on the books longer than Powdrell’s.

Montaño’s mark Thursday is not considered a state record, as those can be established only at the state meet.

But 24-10 nevertheless is a spectacular jump, even with the healthy wind Montaño had helping him on Thursday night. The wind was primarily blowing from north to south when he jumped.

Montaño’s 24-10 was a full foot longer than the 23-10 he recorded to win last week’s Richard Harper meet at Albuquerque Academy, and 24-10 is a metro meet record.

After his win at the Harper, Montano said he has for the last couple of years had his eyes on breaking the long jump state record.

"I think I'm gonna break it by a lot," he told the Journal.

The girls on Thursday afternoon held their long jump competition with runners moving from south to north, somewhat into the wind. But the boys, when they began their long jump at about 6:45 p.m. Thursday, were moving in the opposite direction, from north into the south pit.

This same north-to-south wind forced the interruption and ultimate postponement Thursday of the boys pole vault, a rare occurrence. That event was supposed to conclude Friday afternoon but was postponed again, this time to Saturday morning, due to weather.

The wind most certainly was helping considerably on the track. Kaden Andrus of Albuquerque High, like Montaño, put up a mark — 13.76 seconds in the prelims of the 110-meter high hurdles — that is lower than the existing overall state record. His time, like Montaño’s jump, cannot be considered a state record.

Moreover, the metro meet does not utilize a device to measure wind. There will be such a gauge at the state meet.

The Class 5A boys long jump event is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Friday, May 16.