THS runner finishes 16th at NMMI Invite

Tucumcari junior Alex Bueno De La O finished 16th overall at the New Mexico Military Institute Invitational in cross-country action Saturday.

Full results were not available, but Tucumcari coach Tim Clark noted Bueno De La O was running against several larger schools at the meet, including Artesia, Alamogordo, Hobbs and Roswell, along with Capitan, Gateway Christian, NMMI and first-year program San Jon.

“We were running against some pretty good powerhouses,” Clark said of the meet. “I think we held our own.”

Also for Tucumcari, Bryan Carreon Reyes finished 32nd overall. Other Rattlers competing on the flat, 5,000-meter course at the Noonday Optimists Park ballfields were Julian Flores and Paxton Smith.

Tucumcari didn’t field a full squad Saturday, so it did not have a team score.

Tucumcari eighth-grader Bryson Klinger finished sixth overall in the two-mile race for middle-schoolers.

Because he is such a strong runner, Clark said he considered promoting Klinger to the varsity high-school level but decided against it after talking to his parents.

“He’s having success at middle school, and I think that’s helpful for our program overall,” Clark said.

In the girls competition, MiKayla Klinger, Mitzi Flores and Rachel Mardo ran at the meet.

“They gave me heart,” he said.

He said all his runners have reduced their times in mile splits.

During practices, Clark said they’ve increased their workloads from six miles to seven and even eight miles.

Tucumcari’s next scheduled meet will be Sept. 30 at Ruidoso. San Jon and several of Tucumcari’s district foes are scheduled to run there, as well.