Cox, BHS relay team race to victory at state

ALBUQUERQUE — Carried by a talented group of sprinters and distance runners, the Belen Eagles took fifth place last week in the 4A State Girls Track & Field Championship at the University of New Mexico Track-Soccer Complex.

Not only is Sophia Cox the state champion in the 400 meters (57.01), but the Eagles sophomore was also second in the 100 and 200 meters and was a member of the BHS 4x400 relay team that was also runner-up. Individually, Cox was third in total points.

“I’m very excited. I definitely worked for this,” Cox said shortly after the medal ceremony for 400 meters, her favorite event.

Cox methodically made up the stagger on the rest of the field. By the time she hit the backstretch, Cox had a comfortable lead, although she didn’t know it.

“I was scared. I thought I could hear footsteps behind me,” she said. “I just pushed as hard as I could,” hitting the finish line nearly two seconds ahead of the runner-up.

BHS produced four other state champions, although it was in one event. In the first race of the meet on Friday, Belen successfully defended its title in the girls 4x800 meter relay, with Lisette Sanchez, Genevieve Sanchez, no relation, Avery Carter and Sara Martinez teaming up for the victory (9.57.50) ahead of Los Alamos (10:03.70).

“We had injuries. We had doubts,” said Lisette Sanchez about the pressure to repeat.

Lisette carried the baton during the first leg, battling the large group of runners.

“I’m the most aggressive,” she said. “I don’t let people push me around.”

BHS was in second place behind Los Alamos when Carter started the third leg, but patience was important.

“I knew that she was going a little bit too fast for an 800,” Carter said of a Los Alamos runner. “I just needed to keep a good pace throughout the race.”

When Martinez took the final exchange, Belen was back in front, a lead that soon expanded. With the finish line in sight, Martinez couldn’t help but grin.

“Recently, I’ve been trying to just enjoy being out here,” Martinez said about concluding her high school career. “So, that was me enjoying my last 100 meters.”

Genevieve Sanchez, a sophomore, the only non-senior and the lone newcomer to the relay team, took the spot left by the graduation of Angelica Romero.

“Just try my best because I know my team’s counting on me,” was her goal, said Genevieve. “It’s amazing. It’s such a good feeling.”

Later in the 800 meter final, Martinez was fourth and Lisette Sanchez, fifth. The second place BHS 4x400 meter relay team featured Martinez, Cox, Lisette Sanchez and Emma Chavez.

In the overall team competition, Los Alamos was first with 111 points, followed by Albuquerque Academy, 102 points. BHS was fifth with 40 points. Valencia did not score.

In girls’ 5A, Rio Rancho (56) edged Eldorado (52) for the title. Los Lunas scored 11 points, with Makaylee Burt placing in three events: triple jump, second; 400 meters, fifth; and 800 meters, sixth.

“I was just trying to PR,” Burt said after setting a personal record in the 800. “I ended up with a PR and a medal. It worked out.”

Burt was hoping for a championship in the triple jump, but “the girl that won, she killed it,” she said of Farmington’s Avery Sandefer, who leaped 35-08, winning by more than a foot.

Also scoring points for LLHS was Dominique Armijo, who was fourth (17-04.25) in the long jump.

The LLHS boys placed in two events, including the 4x800 relay, which finished fourth (8:11.57) in school record time. The team included James Kilcullen, Nathan Williams, James Martinez and Brady Garcia.

Kilcullen was also sixth (1:57.95) in the 800 meters.

“Overall, a really stacked field,” according to Kilcullen.

That may have been an understatement, with two of the nation’s best, Corbin Coombs of Organ Mountain (1:50.33) and Rio Rancho’s Charlie Vause (1:52.53) leading the way.

“It was a privilege to compete with those guys,” he added. “We train hard just like them to be able to perform in those big moments.”

In boys’ 4A, Belen and Valencia each qualified several competitors but did not score.