Cleveland’s Futey, America’s star, shines in the preparatory cross-country skiing prelude

Cleveland High School junior Leah Futey leads the way to victory on her home course near the 2-mile mark. (Mike Sandoval for the )

RIO RANCHO – A winner on a warm Saturday morning at the Cleveland High Cross Country Invitational won on her home course. The other came from another state.

El Paso Americas Junior Leah Futey of the Storm and Senior Jared Laverty were the individual champions as the fall season kicked off with a large field of 30 schools.

GIRL: Futey won this meeting too when she was a freshman; it wasn’t held last season because the pandemic-limited regular season is limited to just a handful of teams and all of the large, high-profile meetings that are normally on the schedule have only been withdrawn for spring.

“Last year sucked,” said Futey. “It was also great (today) to run without a mask. So I had a lot of fun. “

Futey finished the race in 18 minutes 11.8 seconds on a 3.06 mile course, which she knows very well.

“Last season was tough for a lot of people, including me,” she said. “It was hard to keep up the motivation not to know what was ahead of us.”

Futey on Saturday was the pacemaker; Highly touted Volcano Vista rookie Carysa Marquez came close in the first half of the race before Futey began to part a little.

“I tried to get off to a strong start,” said Futey, “and in the end she stayed with me for about a mile or so. I’m starting to gape them (on the last mile). “

Valdez finished a formidable debut high school race 18: 16.9. Los Alamos’ Delaney Ulrich and Norissa Valdez were next, with Albuquerque High freshman Daniela Figueroa fifth.

Los Alamos, by far the best and deepest team in New Mexico, regardless of classification, crossed for the team championship with 39 points. That was 41 points ahead of runner-up Albuquerque Academy. Rio Rancho (95) finished third.

Jared Laverty (left, # 1582), a senior from El Paso Americas, takes the lead at the host Cleveland High’s cross-country meeting on Saturday morning on his way to the individual championship. America overtook New Mexico against Los Alamos and won the boys’ team title. (Mike Sandoval / For the diary)

BOYS: Laverty had a strong kick in the final several hundred meters as he overtook Keith Bridge, Senior of Los Alamos, to the finish line.

“I heard him come up; he started challenging me, ”Laverty said. “I said, ‘OK, let’s do this.’ He began to push. I’ve started pushing harder. “

Laverty’s winning time was 15: 30.07, with bridge crossing in 15: 35.2. Dawson Gunn from Rio Rancho, Steven West from Sandia and Carmelo Corral from Americas rounded out the top 5.

The achievements of Laverty and Corral helped to lead Americas – which often competes in a pre-season race in the metropolitan area – to the team title with 48 points. Los Alamos (67) and Volcano Vista (98) finished second and third respectively.

GUYS

Team: El Paso Americas 48, Los Alamos 67, Volcano Vista 98, Eldorado 107, Cleveland 119, Albuquerque Academy 145, Sandia 147, La Cueva 234, Piedra Vista 293, Farmington 307, Albuquerque High 344, Moriarty 358, Hope Christian 361, Oak Grove Classical 363, Highland 384, Pojoaque Valley 393, Cibola 456.

Singles: 1, Jared Laverty, El Paso America, 15:30.7; 2, Keith Bridge, Los Alamos, 15:35.2; 3, Dawson Gunn, Rio Rancho, 15:45.5; 4, Steven West, Sandia, 15: 51.2; 5, Carmelo Corral, El Paso Americas, 15:56.9; 6, Isaac Tucker Scott, Sandia, 15: 57.4; 7, Aaron Saenz, El Paso America, 16: 04.0; 8, Naseem Dhaouadi, Eldorado, 16: 09.5; 9, Joaquin Deprez, Albuquerque Academy, 16:28.1; 10, Caden Nunn, Cleveland, 16: 29.7.

GIRL

Team: Los Alamos 39, Albuquerque Academy 80, Rio Rancho 95, Volcano Vista 113, Albuquerque High 123, Cleveland 147, Eldorado 158, La Cueva 183, Piedra Vista 258, El Paso Americas 265, Farmington 293, Pojoaque Valley 321.

Singles: 1, Leah Futey, Cleveland, 18:11.8; 2, Carysa Marquez, Vista Volcano, 18:16, 9; 3, Delaney Ulrich, Los Alamos, 18: 46.5; 4, Norissa Valdez, Los Alamos, 19: 17.5; 5, Daniel Figueroa, Albuquerque High, 19:17.5; 6, Ariana Thiel-Hadjilambrinos, La Cueva, 19:18.3; 7, Kelly Wetteland, Los Alamos, 19:22.3; 8, Emma Patton, Albuquerque Academy, 19:24.7; 9, Gracey Lovato, Rio Rancho, 19:33.9; 10, Emma Montoya, Los Alamos, 19:39, 7.