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Danny’s Picks: Cross-country runners to watch in 2024
After a strong finish, Ram runner Abigail Beam is all smiles.
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Well, you waited, and here are my runners to watch for the cross-country season.
This list is compiled from speaking with coaches, independent research and, of course, the races I’ve already attended this year.
All runners on this list are triple threats: outstanding runners, students and people. Enjoy.
Cleveland High School
Boys
Vince Madalena (senior): Madalena projects as the top runner for the Storm this year and has all the tools to be one of the best runners in the state. Madalena has great pace throughout races thanks to his smooth strides and ability to hang with the top of the pack. Madalena finished seventh in the State Championships last year with a time of 15:51.91, and I believe he can challenge some of the best runners for a spot in the top five. In fact, Madalena already has a nice finish this season, taking fifth place at the Cleveland Invite.
Lucas Espinosa (junior): Last year, Espinosa finished the cross-country season with a time of 17:05.64. Just last week, he ran a 16:21.9, a staggering 40-second improvement! That is a sign of hard work and dedication. Espinosa has shown a great level of mental toughness when running toward the end of a race; dare I say that mental toughness is the most important characteristic of a great cross-country runner. He is light, has great change of direction on course turns, and great technique as far as his strides and arm movement. It’ll be interesting to see Espinosa develop more, and I am very intrigued. I’d say Espinosa is on the verge of a breakout season.
Girls
Shahad Akasha (senior): Akasha has officially stormed on the scene at Cleveland. She’s opened a lot of eyes with her running ability and has already proved that she can compete with the best girls in the state. At the Cleveland Invite, she finished fifth overall with a time of 19:07.2. Did I mention that Akasha just moved here from Pullman, Washington? Yup, this was her first race as a member of the Storm family. I want to commend her for doing all of this with so much change going on. It is never easy moving to a different school for your senior year, and when I interviewed her, she was happy and positive with a bubbly personality.
Her coaches think highly of her as well.
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“It honestly feels like she has been here forever,” said the CHS head coach.
Sarah Romero (senior):I am happy to say that most of the people I have reached out speak very highly of each runner as students and as members of the community. Cleveland senior Sarah Romero is no different. A couple of teachers have praised her in the classroom, and it's easy to see that she is someone to root for as she brings the same level of focus and discipline into cross country.
On the course, Romero is tenacious and really settles into her groove as the race progresses. I love her grit, poise and savviness. She’s been with the program for a long time (cross-country and track), and I am excited to see what she does this year. Last season, Romero finished 20th in the state with a 20:19.30 time.
Rio Rancho High School
Boys
Charlie Vause (senior): Vause was last year’s individual cross-country state champion with a time of 15:17.16 and was instrumental in securing a team state championship for the Rams. Vause was also the 2024 Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year, and he competed in the prestigious 2024 Nike Outdoors Nationals. Vause has a rare work ethic and desire to continue to perfect his craft. According to his coaches, he runs multiple miles in the morning and 7-10 miles in the afternoon.
Let's not waste any time here: Vause is the best runner in the state. The real question is: What college will he run for next year?
Cody Sullivan (senior) and Mateo Herrera (senior): Herrera finished as last year’s individual state runner-up (15:31.41) while Sullivan finished eighth (15:54.15). At the Cleveland Invite, Sullivan took first overall — and broke the course record — with a time of 15:23.4 while Herrera took second overall with a time of 15:29.4. These guys will continue to go back-and-forth with each other all season, and for that reason, we will include them both in this slot. The coolest thing about the Sullivan-Herrera duo is that these guys gameplan together, battle together and then in the last stretch, they hammer down. Sullivan and Herrera helped make Rio Rancho High School cross-country a powerhouse program last year, a program that in 2023 won district, state and an 18th place finish in the prestigious regionals. The scary part is that Sullivan and Herrera are only getting better.
Girls
Mariah Galbraith (freshman): As an eighth grader, Rio Rancho’s Mariah Galbraith finished fourth in the State Championships with a time of 19:28.47. Now she returns for another season of demolishing expectations and looks to be the top runner for the Rams cross-country team.
Galbraith has been training hard this offseason. In her first race of the year, she ran a 19:14.7 at the Cleveland Invite, which was 14 seconds better than her State time last year. Get used to hearing the name, Mariah Galbraith, because she is just getting started.
Abigail Beam (senior): I guess it runs in the family. Beam isn’t the first one of her family to suit up for the Rams cross-country program. Her brother, Daniel Beam, was part of the class of 2019 and had a ton of success as a runner. Now it’s Abigail’s turn. She is a leader, a hard worker and a true competitor. Last season, Beam finished sixth in the state championship (19:36.21) and could find herself higher on the podium come season’s end. I am especially impressed by her long strides, and her “kick” to finish races. On the last stretch, she really does have that extra gear to dash to push herself to finish strong. According to her coaches, Beam is a “true race warrior,” and is one of the only runners they have ever seen use every bit of her body during a race. Beam will be a crucial part of the RRHS girls teams success this season, and I cannot wait to see her as the season goes on.
Bernalillo High School
Boys
Josiah Medina (freshman): Medina competed with the varsity squad as an eighth grader, and I believe he is, up-and-away, the top runner for the Spartans. Medina is solid across the board as far as technique is concerned. However, the most intriguing aspect of his game is that he still has four more years to grow. Medina will be a foundational piece for the Bernalillo cross-country program and should be their top placer this season.
Girls
Kinani Pacheco (junior): Believe it or not, Pacheco is the only upperclassman on the Bernalillo varsity squad. The rest of her teammates are freshmen. I have no doubt that Pacheco will serve a double role as a leader and as the top runner for the Spartans. With two more years remaining, Pacheco still has room to grow and develop. It’ll be fun to see if this young squad can capitalize on all of their untapped potential.
