Los Alamos dominates Class 4A race; Pecos returns to perch atop 1A/2A

Nov. 7—ALBUQUERQUE — Five is better than four.

The Los Alamos boys made that abundantly clear Saturday. In March, the Hilltoppers were victims of the shortened spring season and new cross-country scoring rules due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Eight months later, with the rules returning to what the rest of the cross-country world was accustomed to, the Hilltoppers returned to dominating Class 4A.

Los Alamos won its third state title in the past four seasons, outscoring runner-up Albuquerque Academy by a 24-87 count at the State Cross-Country Championships at Academy in the lowest-score-wins format.

Los Alamos had its first five runners finish in the top nine, and all seven runners posted times in the top 14. It was a far cry from the spring, when Albuquerque Hope Christian bested the Hilltoppers, 18-28, by taking the top three spots and using the four-runner scoring format for that race to its advantage.

The five-runner scoring system is a better fit for Los Alamos, which often relies on its consistency to beat most foes.

"We don't normally win races," senior Ryan Aldaz said. "We like to use our depth and our pack [times] to win."

However, even if the traditional format was used in the spring, the Huskies would have still won the title. That mattered little this time, as the only remnants of Hope Christian's championship squad were two runners.

One of them was junior Rendon Kuykendall, who won the race for the second straight time. Behind him, though, was a trio of Hilltoppers — Keith Bridge, Aldaz and Morgan Schaller — with the intent to do what he and the Huskies did to them.

They took the next three places and Rowan Flores, a transfer from St. Michael's, was sixth to essentially seal the deal.

Beck Ellis did just that, as he improved six spots over the last 1 1/2 miles to place 10th. When nonteam-scoring runners were eliminated, Ellis was scored in ninth for the championship total.

Second-year Los Alamos head coach Steven Montoya said what the Hilltoppers did was remarkable, considering the team lost three athletes from the runner-up squad. It was a testament to the depth the program has developed over the decades — one in which dozens of students try out for the team every year.

Even though Los Alamos was the clear favorite, Montoya implored his team to run with a chip on its shoulder.

"I had to remind them why we're here, and that the opportunity was at hand to take our place in the history books of Los Alamos cross-country," Montoya said.

Pecos doesn't have the legacy of the Hilltoppers, but it has established itself as one of the top small-school programs in the state over the past eight seasons.

However, Pecos struggled to a sixth-place finish in the spring — the first time the program didn't bring home a trophy since 2013 — and head coach Patrick Ortiz said he was missing a few runners due to the pandemic.

He helped restore those numbers with a host of freshmen who had to learn how to compete at the varsity level.

The Panthers leaned on senior Antonio Garcia plus juniors Aiden Holton and Elijah Lujan to lead the way while the younger runners grew and developed.

The plan materialized in October, as Pecos won the C race of the Albuquerque Academy Extravaganza, then rolled to the District 2-1A/2A title.

"Throughout September, we didn't care about [the results]," Lujan said. "October, that was when we had to work, and in November, it's a showdown. That's how we got together as a team and worked for what we wanted."

With a state title within their grasp, the Panthers pounced on the 1A/2A field.

They had three runners safely tucked in the top 10 at the halfway mark and a fourth runner in the top 20.

When Nicholas Gonzales charged his way from 32nd to 19th to finish the race, Pecos had a 50-point total to beat Albuquerque Oak Grove Academy by 55 points.

Ortiz said bringing home a blue trophy was the result of the hard work the Panthers put in throughout season.

"It is just nice to have a nice crop of young boys and girls," Ortiz said. "And they love the sport. They're happy and excited to go on a trip and experience this. I told them just to enjoy the ride because you never know what happens."

While one group of Panthers sat atop the podium, another sneaked its way to third in Peñasco.

Senior Gilbert Valdez was dominant, as he ran the 5-kilometer course in 16 minutes,

0.9 seconds for the third best time of the day that have won the 5A race. Valdez also defended his individual title from the spring.

Valdez said he was thrilled to repeat as state champion, but it was only surpassed by his team getting on the podium in his senior year.

He was the lone representative for his school when he placed eighth in 2017 as an eighth grader.

"We had a team here, and I was really happy about that," Valdez said. "I just tried to keep my boys strong and happy mentally and just keep on working hard. It worked out, and I am very proud of them all."