Cleveland Boys Defend Cross Country Title: Galbraith and Casaus Win Individuals

Cleveland boys cross country team secured its second consecutive state championship on Saturday. The Storm defeated Rio Rancho by 25 points in the team standings. Cleveland scored 56 points, while Rio Rancho accumulated 81. The meet was hosted by Albuquerque Academy.

Rio Rancho and Cleveland dominated the District 1-5A Championship last week. Both teams carried that momentum into the state event. Head coach Kenny Henry noted that the boys' season has been remarkable despite a young roster. Five of the seven players on last year's winning team were seniors. Henry stated that the current group committed to a specific work ethic early in the season. He said the team improved every week and became a close unit.

Five Cleveland runners finished in the top 17 of the 118 participants. Nathan Calabaza, Antonio Pacheco, Kenny Lopez, Henry Lopez, and Tomas Diaz all placed in that range. Peter Acker finished 29th and Darius Cajero finished 33rd. Henry explained that no single runner dominates the team. He said any player can lead on a given day, and the rest of the group follows.

In the girls' race, Eldorado won the team title with 22 points. Rio Rancho finished second with 80 points, and Cleveland placed third with 105. Henry described the girls' third-place finish as the best possible outcome. He noted that while some athletes were disappointed with their personal results, every member gave their full effort. All six Rams girls placed in the top 39 of the 117 runners. Cleveland's Meg Mauermann finished 10th, while Alina Trujillo-Sando and Diana Abbate placed 18th and 19th, respectively.

Mariah Galbraith and Alejandro Casaus from Rio Rancho won the individual titles in the 5000-meter run. Both athletes had won the Academy Extravaganza, pre-state, and district meets prior to Saturday. Galbraith, a junior, established an early lead in the girls' race. She controlled the pace from the start and finished in 17:05.3. A group of Eldorado runners trailed her, but she remained ahead. Galbraith told the NMAA that she felt cold and struggled to breathe at the beginning. She said wearing sleeves helped slightly. She added that her legs felt good as she warmed up and finished the race.

Casaus, a senior, mirrored that performance in the boys' race. He built a lead after the first and second mile. He crossed the finish line in 15:12.7. Casaus said he had been close to winning in previous years but often had teammates ahead of him. He told the NMAA that it was finally his turn. Matthew Casey from Rio Rancho finished 10th. Five Rams boys placed in the top 38.

Isla Rahmer from Eldorado finished second in the girls' race with a time of 17:39.5. Helene Gessner from Eldorado placed third in 17:59.6. Christopher Severy from Santa Fe finished second in the boys' race with a time of 15:39.2. Ryu Medina from Organ Mountain placed third in 15:42.3.

La Cueva and Volcano Vista rounded out the top five in the girls' team standings with 121 and 137 points, respectively. Centennial, Farmington, and Albuquerque High followed Cleveland and Rio Rancho in the boys' team rankings. Centennial scored 127, Farmington 148, and Albuquerque High 175.