Hernandez finishes 37th overall in state championship

Several Tucumcari High School runners took part Saturday in the Class 3A cross-country state championships at Albuquerque Academy.

Emmanuel Hernandez finished 37th overall in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 21 minutes, 27.39 seconds.

Justin Howey of Cottonwood Classic Prep easily won the state title, defeating the runner-up by more than one minute, with a time of 15:59.28.

Cottonwood Classic also won the boys team title in Class 3A with 14 points. Tohatchi was second with 47 points and New Mexico Military Institute third with 52.

Dace Lafferty also competed for the Tucumcari boys this season.

In the girls race, Tucumcari’s Kylie Ann Rincones finished 42nd overall ion the Class 3A footrace with a time of 29:58.29.

Alyx Mastor of Cottonwood Classic won the individual girls crown in a time of 18:37.20. Cottonwood Classic also won the girls team title with 14 points, easily outpacing runner-up NMMI’s 46 points.

Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson said all three of his runners logged their fastest times of the year during the state championships.

“With such a short season, it was hard to put in the mileage that we usually put in,” he said. “I’m very proud of the runners; they worked hard and competed at a high level. Looking forward to working with these runners next year; hopefully things will be back to normal.”

In Class 1A/2A, Cloudcroft won the boys title and ATC School won it for the girls.

In Class 4A, Hope Christian seized the boys crown, and Los Alamos captured the girls title.