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Big-school state track records fall on busy Day 1
One of the things that is sometimes easily overlooked about the state track and field meet is that state records don’t necessarily have to be set in a final.
Nobody had to tell Sandia High School sprinter Chigekwu Nwagbo.
There wasn’t much fanfare, but the Matadors’ senior broke the New Mexico state record in the sport’s highest profile event, the 100-meter dash, finishing in 10.47 seconds during his heat Friday morning at the Class 5A meet at the University of New Mexico Track and Field Complex.
“Pretty amazing,” he said.
Two of the metro area’s all-time famous prep athletes, Highland’s Bobby Newcombe (1997) and Manzano’s Jordan Byrd (2018) had co-shared the overall record, at 10.50 seconds.
Nwagbo ran 10.49 at the elite Richard Harper meet at Albuquerque Academy last month, and Friday’s running conditions — hot and still — were ideal for him to go even lower.
And Nwagbo will have another chance to break the record in the final on Saturday.
“It feels good, just need to do it again (Saturday) so I get that gold medal,” Nwagbo said.
His was not the only 100-meter record-breaking run on Friday.
Albuquerque Academy junior Grace Erinle broke the 4A girls’ 100-meter state record. Her time of 11.93 seconds in prelims bettered the mark of 11.96 that Erinle herself posted just 12 months ago.
Erinle’s meet got off to a rousing start, with that 100-meter time, and also a victory — and another state record — in the 4A long jump, with a winning mark of 18 feet, 10 inches.
She said she’s been trying for two years to break the 18-9¼ record set by Jaiya Daniels of Los Alamos in 2024.
“Last year it was also my goal and on a technicality of too much wind, I wasn't able to actually get it,” Erinle said. “So I definitely came with the intention of getting it this time.”
The records were part of a busy Day 1 of the big-school state meet for 5A and 4A athletes.
La Cueva’s Tanner Montaño, in his final field event with the Bears, won the 5A long jump with a winning mark of 22 feet, 11 inches. He already was the state’s co-record holder (24-3¼), but never really approached that mark this spring.
“I’m very happy to be state champion again,” he said. “What I did last year was really special and it was going to be hard to replicate. The body hasn’t felt as great this year.”
Montaño is off to the University of Texas next year, but he hopes to help the Bears end Cleveland’s stranglehold on the 5A boys division before this weekend is over.
“The one main goal this weekend is we want a team state championship,” he said.
In a season in which she has barely competed, Gianna Rahmer, the Eldorado sophomore, captured the 3,200-meter title for the third consecutive state meet.
She ran a pace behind race leader, Rio Rancho’s Mariah Galbraith, for the first six laps. She shifted gears just as the seventh and penultimate lap began and ran to victory in 11 minutes, 7.15 seconds. Galbraith (11:08.75) finished about a second and a half behind.
“My goal was to kick at 600, but I was like, you know what? There’s no time like the present,” a smiling Rahmer said. She’s been battling a hip injury all season and returned to serious competition only a couple of weeks ago. “My fitness is a little bit different than it was at this time last year, so I wanted to make sure I had a kick.”
And, Rahmer said, she only wants Eldorado win a blue trophy this weekend.
“As fun as individual races are,” she said, “winning the whole thing as a team is so much more exciting. I can do a million things on my own, but being able to work with my team for the same common goal is a lot of fun, too.”
She’ll be back on the track for the 1,600-meter final on Saturday.
“Six weeks ago,” she said candidly, “I didn’t even know if I would be running the rest of track season or even early cross country season.”
Academy’s Anna Hastings, who has been the state’s premier distance runner this spring, was the 4A champ in the 3,200, with a time of 10:56.15. She is going to compete at Brown University of the Ivy League.
For the boys, Academy’s Nicholas Ponte won his third straight 3,200, finishing in 9:34.64.
He said his main goal was not to set a record but to win “as (easy) as possible,” to help ensure the Chargers repeat as state champs … “because the team kind of comes first.”
The Begay family was smiling on Friday. The children of one of Albuquerque’s most recognizable sports names, golfer Notah Begay III, both did dad proud.
Antonella Begay won the Class 4A high jump for Academy, clearing 5 feet, 4 inches. “Another state champion in the Begay house!” Notah Begay said in a text. He is a former state golf champion for Academy and also won state as a basketball player.
His son, Santiago, finished second in the 4A long jump for the Chargers.
Cleveland’s gifted senior hurdler/jumper, Boise State-bound Morgan James, had a brilliant opening day, breaking state records at both of the hurdles distances during prelims.
She posted a time of 14.27 seconds in her 100-meter high hurdles heat; St. Pius’ Haley Rizek (14.39 in 2018) held the record previously. Later, James set a record in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles (42.30), with the old mark of 42.89 set in 2014.
“My goal this year was to break the state record, and I did that,” she said.
James also won the 5A long jump with a mark of 18 feet, 5¼ inches to come within one inch of the state record.
“I kind of just picked (long jump) up as like a side quest, I guess you could say,” she said. “It’s my senior year, let’s just go out with a bang, and I mean, I did that.”
Rio Rancho swept the 5A discus titles, with Damian Zamora (154-6) and Sarah Martinez (114-0).
“I was at state my sophomore year and I scratched all three of my throws, so I didn’t place at all, but talk about redemption, right,” said Zamora, now a senior. He was hurt and didn’t compete last season.
Zamora has plans for his medal.
“I’m gonna engrave it and I’m gonna put it next to the other one,” he said, referencing the championship medal he won with the Rams spirit team earlier in the spring.
Amin Cooper of Albuquerque High set a record in the boys 200 prelims with a time of 21.23. He was one of two runners who bested the 21.47 mark set by Santa Fe’s Bryce Melton in 2023. Israel Nickols of Atrisco Heritage went 21.37 on Friday.
“I was just making sure I had a strong start because I can’t exert myself too much since it’s only prelims,” Cooper said. “So I made sure I had a strong start and that it carried my finish.”
NOTES: Eldorado’s Kaili Roosild won the 5A girls pole vault (11-6), with rival Kate Crowell of La Cueva (11-0) second. … Adrian Mora of Hobbs, who cleared 7 feet earlier this season in the high jump, went 6-9 to win the 5A event Friday. He attempted to get over 7-¼ to set the 5A state record but missed on his three tries. … Highland’s Rebecca Neal had a third in the 4A girls high jump and was runner-up to Erinle in the long jump, plus she had the second-fastest qualifying time in 100 hurdles. … Big Moses Sparks of Cleveland completed his fantastic season in the shot put, and the 5A state champ won Friday with a heave of 54-10½. … Los Alamos’ girls and Rio Rancho’s girls (including Galbraith) broke state records in the day’s first running event, the 4x800-meter relay final. So did the boys from Silver.
