Cleveland boys track and field win Metros

ALBUQUERQUE — The Cleveland High School boys track and field team won the APS Metro Track and Field Tournament at Community Stadium May 3, scoring 125 points.

“They can expect a lot more of this,” Storm sprinter Angel Gallegos said after watching his teammates get first place in the Metro tournament.

The Cleveland boys did it again, and won first in eight different events.

Distance runner Lucas Espinosa won the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:43.61. The junior looks to be the next great Storm runner and will continue to make noise for the rest of the track season and next cross-country season.

Junior Moses Sparks was a two-time individual champion, winning in the shot put with a throw of 51 feet, 8inches, and winning the discus with a spin of 147 feet, 1 inch.

Sophomore Giovanni Mollica threw the javelin 187 feet, 5 inches, which was almost 20 feet ahead of second place.

Junior Collin Joyner narrowly lost in the 110-meter hurdles to Albuquerque High School's Kaden Andrus but claimed first in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 39.99.

The Storm also won in the 4x200 meter relay and the 1,600-meter sprint medley. The winning 4x200 team consisted of senior Juan Munoz, junior Jake Maldonado, senior Mike Haynes, and freshman Dylan Messer. The winning medley team team consisted of Messer, senior Malachi Mitchell, sophomore Atticus Higgins, and senior Vince Madalena.

Helping the Cleveland win Metros as a team was sprinter Julian Ortega, who could be seen sporting a lightning chain.

“You get to wear the chain for the rest of the meet after you state-qualify in an event,” Ortega said. “We are chasing another state win. That’s the end goal.”

Next up for the Cleveland Storm is the 5-A District 1 Championships at Rio Rancho High School May 10.

“We do what we do every year. We go out there, give it our best, compete and show everybody what we’re made of,” Gallegos said.