Logan track teams finish third at state

ALBUQUERQUE - Logan athletes took home a total of four titles during the NMAA Class 1A State Track and Field Championships, and the Longhorn girls and boys squads each finished third in the team standings.

Haden Judd captured two individual titles for the Longhorns and earned medals in three other events.

Sierra Horne won the girls 400-meter dash, as did the Lady Longhorns' 3,200-meter relay. Horne also earned medals in three other events.

Judd won the 200-meter dash (23.37 seconds) and the 300-meter hurdles race (0:41.13). He finished runner-up in the 100-meter dash to Fort Sumner's Saul Marquez and was second in the long jump (20 feet, 1/4 inch). Judd also was the anchor runner in Logan's second-place 1,600-meter relay team.

Logan coach Robert Young gave a lot of praise to his freshman sprinter.

"I thought he kept his mental focus and toughness," he said. "He was second in the 100, but I liked the sportsmanship that he showed and his character. He picked himself off the track and won some other events. I was proud of his maturity, even though he's only a ninth-grader. He's got a bright future ahead of him."

Other Logan boys entries that earned points at the state meet:

• Aydin Kotara, sixth, 100-meter dash (0:11.98), and sixth, 200-meter dash (0:24.29);

• Christian Kotara, third, 400-meter dash (0:52.57);

• 400-meter relay (Diego Sanchez, Iziah Kneitz, Christian Kotara, Aydin Kotara), third (0:46.24);

• 800-meter relay (Sanchez, Kneitz, Christian Kotara, Aydin Kotara), fourth (1:38.62);

• 1,600-meter relay (Sanchez, Christian Kotara, Payson Nials, Judd), second (3:40.92);

• 1,600-meter sprint medley relay (Kneitz, Zack Byrd, Nials, Sanchez), fifth (4:13.80);

• Brock Burns, fourth, high jump (5-8).

Magdalena won the team title with 90 points, and Fort Sumner finished runner-up with 64. Logan totaled 53 points.

For the Logan girls, Horne won the 400-meter dash in 1 minute, 3.52 seconds on Saturday after barely qualifying for the event the day before. Young said she was nearly exhausted during preliminary heats on Friday after competing in the long jump and a few relay events.

"When she got it, that gave her some incentive," he said. "She's done a great, great job for us in her career, ever since she was an eighth-grader."

Horne's effort of 15 feet, 8 1/2 inches in the long jump was second only to Mosquero's Tanna Crisp. Horne also was on a fourth-place 400-meter relay team and a second-place 800-meter relay.

Logan's girls 3,200-meter relay team of Desta Rose, Sadie Bruhn, Reece Goldston and Haylie Bidegain also took home a championship in a time of 11:11.62.

Other Lady Longhorn entries that scored points at the state meet:

• Kaylee Williams, second, 100-meter dash (0:13.3), and second, 200-meter dash (0:27.83);

• 400-meter relay (Horne, Goldston, Rose, Williams), fourth, 0:54.29;

• 800-meter relay (Goldston, Rose, Horne, Williams), second, 1:56.18;

• 1,600-meter sprint medley relay (Rilee Nials, Bidegain, Natalie Bongers, Rose), third, 5:04.23;

• Abby Paris, fifth, discus throw, 86-6;

• Goldston, fifth, javelin throw, 95-2.

Melrose dominated the girls team standings with 104 points. Gateway Christian finished second with 65, and Logan totaled 54.

"Melrose was in a lot of events; they had so many girls," Young said. "And they were good in just about everything. They were right there with us."

That otherwise respectable finish for the Lady Longhorns broke their streak of three consecutive state championships at the team level.

"I thought we looked good, but we looked pretty tired toward the end," Young said. "I think we were just worn out. I was trying to stretch those girls out. We gave it all we had; we just didn't have anything in the tank."