Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Tucumcari's Seth Martinez competes in the 300-meter hurdles during the 2019 Class 3A finals at Albuquerque. Martinez will be competing in sprint and long-jump events this season at Eastern New Mexico University.
The Eastern New Mexico University cross-country and track and field programs officially signed 23 student-athletes to compete during the 2019-2020 season, including former state-champion hurdler Seth Martinez of Tucumcari.
According to a news release last week from the university, the Greyhounds will have 17 incoming freshmen, including Martinez.
"I am excited to be having this group join the Greyhound family," ENMU cross country and track coach Jeff Kavalunas stated in the news release. "We have a great mix of experience and success with the junior college transfers and some great raw talent with the freshmen. I believe that they can come in and be competitive in the Lone Star Conference right away."
Martinez this year won Class 3A state championships in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles by wide margins. He ended his career at Tucumcari with five state titles in hurdle events.
Kavalunas thinks Martinez has a bright future in the Eastern program. But the key word there is '"future."
"It will be a little bit tougher for him to come in as a freshman right away and be competitive," Kavalunas said. "The hurdles in college get a little bit higher, so sometimes for freshmen coming in it's a little bit of a transition for them. We certainly think he has potential, but for him it'll be more of a transition as a freshman."
Martinez, who announced he was signing with ENMU during a ceremony in May, is slated to be a long jumper and sprinter with the Greyhound program.
Eastern's other recruits are: Aminata Kenyawani (distance) and Dejanae Wilmore (sprints) from Tuscon; Viridiana Ruiz (distance) and Rinna Gatewood (sprints) from Phoenix; Fabian Llamas (jumps) from Amarillo; Jon Fuentes (distance) and Burgin Foster (pole vault) from Clovis; Audrey Meeks (distance) from Lubbock; Destiny Lawrence (sprints/jumps) and Kayla Sisneros (distance) from Roswell; Kaylee Caldwell (multi-events/jumps) from Rio Rancho; Jessie Madrid (distance) from Hobbs; Lauren Griego (distance) from Albuquerque; Austin Nagy (throws) from Los Lunas; Amalia Delgado (distance) from Dalhart, Texas; Tara Mayes (distance) from Richmond, Texas; Maddi Mossay (distance) from Flower Mound, Texas; Tamia Smith (throws) from Mansfield, Texas; Alejandro Chavez (distance) from Hartley, Texas; Paige Graham (jumps) from Julesberg, Colorado; and Kennedy Jones (sprints) from Freemont, Nebraska.
The Greyhounds officially open the 2019 cross-country season Sept. 6 at the Buffalo Stampede in Canyon, Texas. A schedule for ENMU's track teams hadn't been announced, but indoor season typically begins in January, with outdoor meets by March or April.
