Cross-country runners prep for district meet

Tucumcari’s cross-country runners competed in their final tuneup of the regular season at Santa Rosa before they run at the district meet this week at Socorro.

Results of Saturday’s 18-team City of Natural Lakes Invitational at Santa Rosa weren’t available due to technical problems.

Tucumcari coach Tim Clark said junior Alex Bueno De La O finished in the top 10 at the meet.

A better measurement of how his runners might stack up in the postseason was at the recent Albuquerque Academy Extravaganza, which took place on a course identical to the state meet.

Clark said Bueno De La O finished the 5,000-meter course in the 19-minute range, which was fourth against other district competitors at the event — a good sign he might qualify for state this week.

Clark said he’s going to discuss strategy with the junior about getting off to a fast start.

“He’s going to have to stay with the lead pack at the beginning and not get too far behind,” Clark said. “He’s been running 10 miles a day, and he has the lung capacity to do it.”

Clark also will take Brayan Carreon Reyes, Julian Flores and Paxton Smith to the district meet, though the Rattlers won’t have enough runners for a full team.

He said Carreon Reyes and Flores might also qualify for state. But, like Bueno De La O, they’ll have to not be timid at the start.

Clark said in particular that Carreon Reyes, a freshman, sometimes gets cowed by the pushing and shoving at the start of a race.

“He needs to be more aggressive,” he said.

Clark said he’s not entering any girls at the district meet because they won’t be competitive.

The Class 3A District 3/4 meet will take place Friday afternoon at the City of Socorro’s Rodeo Grounds and Sports Complex.

Other teams at the meet will be Hot Springs, Cobre, New Mexico Military Institute, Ruidoso and Socorro.

The top five teams and top 10 individuals at district will qualify for the state meet.

The state championships will take place on Nov. 11 at Albuquerque Academy, with the Class 3A boys race at 9 a.m.