Boys unexpectedly lose a few veteransThe boys cross country team was energized and motivated to capture a trophy at last year’s state meet held in Rio Rancho.
After all, their coach of 11 years, Larry Chavez, had announced he was retiring — for one year, anyway — before the season ended.
 The Rams girls, at left at last year's state meet, are back almost intact for 2008. |
It was their second third-place finish in three years and fourth top-four finish in four years.
Now, a new head coach is at the helm and three runners from last season are unexpected no-shows for this season: Chris Rubalcaba is trying to heal a knee injury, Louis Trujillo wants to prepare for what would be his third individual state wrestling championship and Ben Mathisen wants to spend more time playing baseball.
Still, Gonzales says, “We’ve got high expectations with the team — it got a trophy last year.” He’s got the team’s No. 1 guy back, namely Rob Selph, who finished 10th last fall.
Not having Trujillo, Rubalcaba and Matheson was a minor setback.
“I was more surprised to find there were kids at this level that were two-sport kids,” he said, noting Selph is joined by fellow returnees Clint Bramlette and Alex Curtis. “I don’t know that we’re going to be as strong.”
The Rams ran in a scrimmage meet last week with Los Alamos, Sandia and Volcano Vista.
He was deterred by the fact that the Matadors easily out-ran his team.
“For the first meet, we’ll have a handful of new kids running varsity,” he said. That first meet was Friday in Clovis at Ned Hauck State Park.
In addition to some eastern New Mexico teams there, he said there would be some Texas prep teams as well.
“It’s a meet the boys won pretty easily last year, and it’s like a second time trial before 9the annual UNM meet),” he said.
That big meet on UNM’s North Golf Course, set for Saturday (first high school race is at 9 a.m.) will “be our first test. Then, in the middle of our schedule is three meets in a row that are going to be tough: (at) Belen, Academy and Gallup.”
The Rams boys were fifth and the girls finished seventh at last year’s UNM meet.
Gallup, of course, is the perennial distance power in the state, and Gonzales said he was happy to know that his Rams will run against the Bengals at least three times this fall.
“As a new coach, it’s been good,” he said of his new job. “Larry and I are diff in our approach — he’s more business, I’m lighter.”
Gonzales coached at Pecos High for nine years before being named Chavez’s successor in the spring. At Pecos, he won one state title and had two individuals combine for three championships.
Roxy Hunt is back as the varsity assistant, while the former coach, Larry Chavez, has been “helping me out coming in, where certain things are. Larry Jr. as well — they help me out.”
Chavez said Gonzales isn’t a stranger; he’s known the new boys coach for 10-15 years.
Gonzales said he had 38 boys, in grades 8-12, turn out for the program this season.
“I expect 40-45 soon; some Mid-High kids need paperwork,” he said, aiming at having “50-plus every year. That’s one of my goals.”
Asked for his chances at brining home a state trophy again, he said, “To tell you the truth, I get so engrossed with my kids. We’re working every day on being excellent ourselves. We can’t control with what’s going on with everybody else.”
Cibola looks like they’re the favorite in the state — it’s hard to say Gallup’s not the favorite, but Gallup looks second. Sandia and Eldorado running for the third trophy. Sandia beat us pretty soundly (at a recent scrimmage), but it’s a long way to November.”
Usual suspects for the girlsCoach Hilario “Larry Jr.” Chavez has a lot of familiar faces back this year. Six of the seven girls who ran at last November’s state meet for Chavez are back and the team is again considered young.
Sophomore Tamara Lem-entino, the first Ram to cross the finish line for the Rams (17th in 20:08.2), returns, along with Racquel Torres, Kandis Wright, Jenna Padilla, Sarah Ortega, Ellen Becenti, Kiana Gachupin, Tatiana Lucero, Sara DiGiovani and newcomer Alana Littleford.
The Rams girls were fifth at last year’s state meet, behind winner Eldorado, runner-up La Cueva and 1-5A foes Cibola and Gallup, third and fourth, respectively.
In his district, Chavez said Gallup “will be the front-runner — they have that 20-plus year win streak (in their district). Cibola is pretty decent and has two good little runners. They were second at the 1-5A meet, a point ahead of us, so it’ll be a tight battle.”
West Mesa will host the 1-5A meet on Nov. 1. The biggest meet in the state will be the Rio Rancho Jamboree here Oct. 18.
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