NEW MEXICO STATE MEET 

Rendon Kuykendall, Ellary Battle Fastest At ABQ Academy

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Los Alamos asserted its status as the top program in the state, sweeping the Class 4A team titles with performances that exceed its 5A counterparts from Volcano Vista. 

Both schools enjoyed triumphant returns to the fall cross country championship at Albuquerque Academy after not having the meet last year.  

It was a surprising turn of events for Volcano Vista, which did not participate in the girls field at the March state final that required runners to wear masks. The boys team finished third eight months ago. 

Both teams won handily on Saturday. The boys put five runners in the top 17 to score 59 points. The girls team went 6-11-12-13-20 on the way to victory with 62 points. 

Junior Steven West of Sandia won the boys 5A race in 16:00.1. He did not run in the spring championship. 

Junior Ellary Battle of Alamogordo won the girls individual title in 18:43.4 She was fourth at the meet in March. 

The Los Alamos boys, second to Hope Christian last March (18-28), put five runners in the top 10 (2-3-4-6-10) on the way to a dominant team victory with 24 points. Hope Christian's Rendon Kuykendall, the state's top runner, won the individual title in 15:24.9. It was about seven seconds slower than his winning time in March. 

Sophomore Delaney Ulrich and senior Kelly Wetteland went 1-2 to lead the Los Alamos girls to the 4A crown with 28 points. Ulrich's time was 18:56.3 and Wetteland was a second back. 

Zuni, which did not participate last March, won the boys 3A title with a low 32 points, putting five scorers in the top 13. Melvin Scott Jr of runner-up Tohatchi won the race in 16:35.5. 

Cottonwood Classic Prep maintained its hold on the 3A girls championship with 54 points, led by two runners in the top five. Freshman Raylee Hunt from St. Michael's sped away to victory in 19:12.1 and had a winning margin of 62 seconds. 

The Pecos boys went 6-7-8-12-19 to claim the 2A/1A title with 50 points. Penasco senior Gilbert Valdez ran to a dominant victory in 16:00.8, hitting the finish line 47 seconds ahead of the next runner. 

Penasco edged ATC School by two points, 81-83, to win the girls small-school team title. Senior Josette Gurule from ATC won the race in 20:33.8. 

Team Champions - 

Class 5A - Volcano Vista boys 59 points, Volcano Vista girls 62 points - RESULTS

Class 4A - Los Alamos boys 24 points, Los Alamos girls 28 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Zuni boys 32 points, Cottonwood Classic Prep girls 54 points - RESULTS

Class 2A/1A - Pecos boys 50 points, Penascos girls 81 points - RESULTS