Logan girls take state

ALBUQUERQUE - The Logan girls track team captured its second consecutive state title and the Longhorns boys team finished a close runner-up during the Class 1A track and field state championships Thursday at the UNM Track-Soccer Complex.

The Lady Longhorns scored 79 points, prevailing over area rival and runner-up Melrose's 59 points. Gateway Christian finished third with 58. San Jon earned two points among the 23 girls teams that figured in the scoring.

Logan's team title was fueled by strong performances in the relays, winning the 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,600-meter races, along with a second-place finish in the 1,600-meter medley relay and fifth in the 3,200-meter relay.

The Lady Longhorns punctuated their day by winning the last event, the 1,600-meter relay, in thrilling fashion.

Logan's anchor runner, senior Kambry Burns, fell behind near the home stretch to Gateway Christian's runner but rallied in the last 50 meters to overtake her and win by just 0.15 seconds.

"She had a lot of guts," Logan coach Robert Young said. "When that girl came up on her, I wasn't sure what she was going to do. She told me (later), 'I thought I could beat her in the last 100 if I can just hang with her.'

"She gave it all she got; it was her last race in high school, so she knew she would leave it all out there on the track."

In individual events, Logan freshman Kaylee Williams won state titles in the 100-meter dash (13.34 seconds) and 200-meter dash (0:27.91). She also finished fifth in the long jump.

Freshman Hailee Robertson also won a state title for the Logan in the pole vault (7 feet).

Other Lady Longhorns who scored points for their team in individual events:

• Burns, who finished third in the high jump (4-10);

• Sierra Horne, second in the 100-meter dash (0:13.74) and fourth in the long jump (15- ?);

• Bella Coronado, third in the pole vault (6-0);

• Abby Paris, fifth in the discus (76-1).

Young said he knew his girls winning a team state title wouldn't be a cakewalk, especially with Melrose and Gateway Christian lurking in contention.

"I pointed out we were going to have to perform our best, and we did," he said. "We started off a bit slow, but as we went on we got stronger and stronger. Some of our younger girls came into their own during this meet."

Meanwhile, the Logan boys team just missed taking home a Class 1A championship trophy after being edged by Magdalena 69-67 in team points. Mountainair finished third with 54.

"I knew we were right in there, but I kept looking at Mag and knew it was going to be tight meet for us," Young said. "We tried to get every point we could get, and it came right down to the end."

The Longhorns looked strong in the relay races, winning state titles in the 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,600-meter relays, along with finishing fifth in the 1,600-meter medley relay.

Eighth-grader Haden Judd proved to be a big weapon for Logan, as he won the 300-meter hurdles in 0:43.56, finished second in the 200-meter dash and long jump, third in the 100-meter dash and anchored several relays.

Nick Brown, a senior, also took home an individual title, winning the 100-meter dash in 0:11.91.

Other Longhorns who scored points for their team in individual events:

• Brock Burns, who finished third in the high jump (5-10);

• Park Strong, fifth in the shot put (35-8 ?).

"I was pleased with both groups because I have a lot of young boys and girls - we have just three seniors with each," Young said. "I know the boys are pretty disappointed; they wanted to win because in 2019, we were second there, too."

Young said he was happy to have a track season at all, especially after new outbreaks of COVID-19 earlier in the spring prompted the closing of in-person classes at Logan Municipal Schools for a while.

"I was afraid we were going to lose another season," Young recalled. "I was afraid I was going to lose several kids if we lost two track seasons in a row. And we really had our hopes up for track after volleyball, football and basketball season.

"That Monday, I passed out uniforms to our boys and girls, and that next day, we canceled school. We had no practices for a while."

In light of the past year's events, including cancellation of the 2020 track season, he told his athletes two days before the state meet to not take anything for granted.

"I told them, 'There's no promises you guys are going to run ever again,'" he recalled. "'You know how this (coronavirus) stuff has been; this may be your last meet ever. You don't know what this thing is going to do.'"

For San Jon, freshman Kirksey Smith earned points for her team by finishing fifth in the shot put (26-11 1/4).

Thursday's meet was run in 96-degree heat, according data from the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. Track officials continually implored athletes to find shade and drink water after their events.