Although the Rio Rancho High School track and field teams combined for 11 state-qualifying marks last Friday at the Alamogordo Qualifier, none were new to the state meet field for the Rams boys but the girls added four state qualifiers there.

The Rams also set two school records at the meet.

“There’s never been that many qualifiers at the Alamogordo meet,” said Rams boys coach Larry Chavez, who credited an excellent weather day with a large field of talented athletes for the surge in state-bound athletes. Chavez and the Rams girls coach, his son Hilario Chavez, are hoping to see a few more of their athletes punch their tickets to the state meet, taking place May 16 and 17, at the annual Rio Rancho Invitational tomorrow on their own track.

The Rams get a final chance to qualify for state at next week’s District 1-5A meet at Wilson Stadium, where first- and second-place finishers get automatic berths.

The Rams boys won their side of the meet for their fifth victory of the season while the girls finished third in Alamogordo.

The boys garnered 105 points, eight more than Clovis. Rounding out the 12-team field were Mayfield (73), Alamogordo (52), Oñate (51), Santa Teresa (23), Albuquerque High (22), Valley (20), Gadsden (9) and Las Cruces (1).

Senior Thomas Trujillo again led the way for the Rams, winning the 100-meter dash (10.76 seconds) and the 200 (22.02) and running legs on the winning 4x100 relay team (with Nate Wilkins, Joe Miano and Gizeh Ibañez/42.7) and the runner-up 4x200 relay team (with Malcolm Butters, Miano and Esqui Padilla/1:30.67).

Also finishing first were the 4x400 relay team (Ibañez, Wilkins, Isaac Aragon and Miano/3:25.52) and Andrew Lujan in the javelin (175-1).

Racking up second-place finishes were Aragon in the 800 (1:58.58), Rob Selph in the 1,600 (4:42.29), Chris Newsome in the long jump (20-10¾), Daniel Fant in the pole vault (13-3), Andrew Medina in the discus (144-1½) and Samir Bradley in the shot put (49-6).

Newsome set a school record when he completed the 110-hurdles in 15.2 seconds, finishing third. Larry Chavez said Phil Herrera owned the previous record of 15.29 seconds.

Selph finished third in the 3,200 (10:12.2).

Mayfield won the girls division in Alamogordo with 94 points, followed by Clovis (86), the Rams (73.5), Albuquerque High (41), Oñate (25.5), Valley (22), Santa Teresa (10), Las Cruces (5) and Gadsden (1).

“Everybody in the metro area wanted to see what Mayfield had,” Hilario Chavez said, noting that Cibola still remains the favorite, although Mayfield, Clovis and Eldorado be in the trophy hunt at the state meet.

The Rams’ new qualifiers are the 4x400 relay team (Breannah Schall, Nicole Smith, Heather Totschek and Tatiana Lucero/4:11.4), which finished second; the 4x100 relay team (Chelsie Fournier, Aisha Curry, Chelsea Lopez and Gabby Spence/50.54), which was third; plus Carol Waterman in the javelin (100-3, second place) and Laura Narrero in the high jump (5-1, tied for third).

The Rams had two first-place finishes, as the medley relay team (Diane Anderson, Fournier, Meaghan Valdez and Amy Salinas) competed their event in 4:26.1, and Katrina Trout wound up tied for first in the pole vault (8-9).

The Rams had two other runner-up finishes: Kim Frenz set an RRHS record with a leap of 5-5 in the high jump, where she owned the previous benchmark of 5-4, and CiCi Cordova had a time of 16.44 in the 100-hurdles.

Rio Rancho had three other third-place finishes: Smith in the 300-hurdles (49.26), Jenna Padilla in the 1,600 (5:41) and Kelli Seeser in the pole vault (8-3).

Hilario Chavez said his team should be favored to win tomorrow’s invite, where he hopes to see his 4x200 and medley relay teams qualify for state, along with Valdez in the 800, Cordova in the 100 hurdles, Curry in the 100, Smith in the 300-hurldes and Kelsea Hawkins in the javelin.

Larry Chavez said he is hoping to see some fans in the stands for the Rio Rancho Invite, when they’ll get their last chance to see seniors Trujillo, Miano and Aragon.

“Come out and watch Thomas run the 100 and 200, and Joe run the 400, and it’s their first time to see Isaac in the 800,” he said.

His Rams are qualified in all of the running events, but have yet to qualify in the high jump, long jump, triple jump, and both hurdles events.

“We’re good on flat land,” he quipped.

It’s also the last RRHS meet Chavez will coach: He’s retiring from his job with the Rams, is taking next year off, then pops up to coach and teach at Cleveland High in 2009.

Friday’s meet, which starts at 3 p.m., is expected to have Moriarty, Belen, Los Lunas, Goddard, Grants, Gallup, Raton and Robertson competing with the Rams. Larry Chavez said he expects the meet to wrap up around 8:30 p.m., with evening illumination provided by some construction lights sent to the track by the city.