Cleveland boys secure 8th consecutive track title, outlast runner-up Rams; RRHS girls co-champions

Three dynasties continued unabated Saturday on the closing day of the Class 4A-5A State Track and Field Championships, while the final team championship was a shared thing.

The Cleveland boys won an eighth consecutive championship and the Los Alamos boys and girls each snared blue trophies for the fourth straight time.

As far as team drama goes, however, the 5A girls championship not only came down to the final event, the 4x100 relay, it came down the last turn. That’s where Las Cruces speedster Kaselle Davis continued her dominating weekend — winning high-point honors with 29½ points — by coming from way back to speed past Rio Rancho’s Lily Hawkins on the final straightaway, dropping the Rams to fourth place.

That gave Rio Rancho, which trailed the Eagles 61-57 entering the event, four points instead of six. And with Eldorado finishing last in the event to get blanked, the two teams were deadlocked as co-champions with 61 points each.

“It has been my best experience,” said Eagles senior Emily Roberts. “From not even placing last year and to be such an underdog, it’s an amazing feeling. I just ran my heart out and everyone else did, too. It’s the most beautiful experience. To end like is just, oh, I love this team. I’m sad to go, but I’m so happy to end it like this.”

The Rams coaching staff gave their relay quartet a pep talk before the event.

“We knew we had a chance to pull through and win so we decided to put it all on the line and get it all out there. I think it was just enough to give us motivation,” senior Makenna Lee said of the coaches’ speech. A lot of us were really fatigued. We were in the sprint medley so were really tired, but we decided we’d push through because we could win.”

And win the Rams and Eagles did. In Eldorado’s case, it was thanks in large part to someone who doesn’t even attend the school yet.

Hoover Middle School eighth-grader Gianna Rahmer, who runs for the Eagles, continued her amazing season, sweeping the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 13.44 seconds and the 3,200 in 10:54.72, adding records in those events to the one she set in the 1,600 on Friday.

“I think the 32 is definitely the hardest. I’m kind of tired,” she said.

She certainly didn’t look too fatigued as she embraced each of her opponents as they crossed the finish line behind her.

“Just good job, you did amazing,’” Rahmer said of her words to the competitors. “They’re all out here working as hard as they can, too, so medal or not, everybody deserves congratulations and a hug.”

And the crowd ate it up, urging Rahmer down the backstretch as she strove for yet more records.

“I definitely hear it,” she said of the applause. “I love hearing the crowd cheering. It’s so much fun. All of my most favorite fans and favorite people are here watching me so it’s so much fun.”

Davis equaled Rahmer’s three records, setting marks in the 200, 400 and the high jump, while also winning the 100 and helping the Bulldawgs take third in the 4x400.

She said a disappointing state meet in 2023 moved her to push harder in the offseason.

“I’m grateful to breaking records and getting this opportunity,” Davis said. “I didn’t think I would be here breaking records. And now that it is happening, it’s real life. These were my dreams and now they’re my expectations.”

The 5A boys high-point honors went to Albuquerque High sprinter and jumper Fredrick Ford, but that was rather bittersweet as his state championship and record in the 200 were erased as it was ruled he went out of his lane. He still finished with 21 points.

“Winning four golds is the plan,” he said before the decision. “Me and my coach, we were like, let’s take the state meet by storm.”

Still, it was the Storm that once again reigned, finishing with 75 points to outlast Rio Rancho, which had 62.

Senior leader Strat Shufelt led the effort by winning both of his events, the shot and the discus.

“It doesn’t get old at all,” said Shufelt, who has won 12 individual and team championships in his high school career and is committed to play football at UTEP next season. “We were just talking about that.”

Cleveland has a legacy of success passed down from each senior class to the remaining team members, who are expected to pick up the slack. Shufelt said he still remembers the lessons imparted to him from outgoing seniors.

“When I was a freshman, I had Tre Watson, Jeff Davison, Luke Wysong and they really, definitely taught me that you’re here to win. You’re not here to do all this extra stuff,” he said. “You’re here to go to school and be accountable and be successful. And that’s definitely what they taught me. And throughout the years that has carried me through.”

In other notable 5A boys performances, Rio Rancho’s Charlie Vause, who just barely finished second to Organ Mountains’ Corbin Coombs in both the 800 and 1,600, had his way in the 3,200, setting a record to earn the top step on the ladder.

“I’m happy to be out here and competing. So it’s great,” he said. “I just knew I had to keep pushing each lap. It was not the time I wanted, but that’s okay. I had to win it for the team.”

Santa Fe High’s squad set records in both the 4x200 and 4x400 relays.

Photos: Class 4A-5A NMAA State Track & Field Championship finals