Congratulations Alamogordo Tigers Cross Country State 3rd Place Champions Bringing Home Some Metal!

Dateline: Albuquerque 3/27/2021 BREAKING NEWS ALAMOGORDO CROSS COUNTRY BOYS & GIRLS TEAMS BRING HOME STATE 3rd Place Trophies.

The Alamogordo Boys and Girls Cross Country Team showed the state they are still relevant and competitive in this post Covid-19 world of competition by each winning a 3rd Place State Trophy at the State of New Mexico Activities Association Western Sky Community Cross Country State Championships in Albuquerque, today. 

The Tigers compete in Class 5A competition against the biggest and best schools in the state. The first place team n the state in the boys 5A category was was Cleveland carrying the title for the 4th straight year in a row with a team score of 31. In cross country the lowest scoring teams win. The Rio Rancho Boys team placed 2nd Place with a score of 35 points and the Alamogordo Boys placed 3rd to bring home the green metal trophy with a score of 81.

Individual Boys rankings of the top 4 Alamogordo Boys at the state meet were:

Aidan Jarvas 4th Place Overall with a time of 15:59.40

Celso Garcia 8th Place Overall with a time of 16:13.83

Omar Enriquez 38th Place Overall with a time of 18:05.53

Michael Gagnon 53rd Place Overall with a time of 19:02.80

The girls 5A Cross Country State Competition also showed a very close score among the girls. Rio Rancho ranked 1st Place with a score of 35 points. Eldorado placed 2nd in the state with a score of 44 points and Alamogordo placed 3rd in the state with a very competitive race and a score of 45 points. 

Individual Girls rankings of the top 4 Alamogordo Girls at the state meet were:

Ellary Battle, 4th Place Overall with a time of 19:41

Vanesa Najar, 7th Place Overall with a time of 19:57.15

Janae Shaklee, 13th Place Overall with a time of 20:19.63

Gabi Sandoval, 23rd Place Overall with a time of 21:12.08

Congratulations to both Alamogordo Tigers Boys and Girls teams in their rankings at the Western Sky Community Care State Meet. 

A little history of the Alamogordo Tigers Cross Country Team as excerpted in a book from the biographical history of Alamogordo Sport titled, Coach Robert Sepulveda The Early Days which can be purchased in Alamogordo at Roadrunner Emporium, 928 New York Avenue Alamogordo or purchased via Amazon.com 

1968 Alamogordo Boys Cross Country team led by Coach Joe Packnett. The first team in Alamogordo history consisted of Bob Craine, Bruce Carl, John S Jenkins, Kneeling: Robert Hill, Steve Chrisman and Gerald Brantley. (Photo from Coach Bob Sepulveda The Early Days Book)

The Alamogordo Tigers Cross Country Program began in 1968 as a boys only program.  A new sport was introduced to Alamogordo High School; that being Boys Cross Country. Led by Coach Joe Packnett. The first team in Alamogordo history consisted of Bob Craine, Bruce Carl, John S Jenkins, Kneeling: Robert Hill, Steve Chrisman and Gerald Brantley.

Alamogordo has had 3 New Mexico State Interscholastic Cross County Champions since state records began: 1 male and two females…

• 1972, Class 4A, Robert Golightly, 1st Place, 15:23
• 1983, Class 4A, Lisa Valle, 1st Place, 18:22
• 1990, Class 4A, Julia Kayitah, 1st Place, 19:46

Other coaches helped carry the team forward, in 1969 Coach Dan Columbus was named Alamogordo Cross Country Coach and led the team to credibility. 

Robert Golightly graduated with the Class of 73 but is forever entered into the Tiger Record Books as the only male in Alamogordo Cross Country History to have won the state as an individual runner. Robert holds the title as the top Cross- Country Runner in the State of New Mexico for 1972 Division AAAA with a winning time of 15.23. The competition consisted of 177 runners...

The passage of Title IX, the 1972 Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act, expanded high school athletic opportunities to include girls, revolutionizing mass sports participation in the United States and soon after girls entered the fray of Cross Country competition at Alamogordo High School. 

Coach Phil Brown made history for the Tigers as he opened up his team to the first girl to compete in 1975. She competed with 13 male athletes and Donna Crockett
also trained with the Cross- Country Boys becoming the first girl in Alamogordo history to compete in Cross Country.

Alamogordo High made the history books in the state of New Mexico again in the 1980's, as Coach Marilyn Sepulveda became the first woman in  the state of New Mexico to lead both a boys and a girls Cross Country Program and for a 4A ultimately a 5A top school.

Again, New Mexico history was made as under the direction of Coach Marilyn Sepulveda Lisa Valle made the State of New Mexico Interscholastic Sports History Books by winning the 1983 state #1 Cross Country Title running with a time of 18:22.

In 1990, Julia Kayitah, made the state records with her state ranking of 1st Place, with a time of 19:46. 

Congratulations, today, to Alamogordo Head Cross Country Coach, Justin Gigler, in carrying on the winning traditions of Alamogordo High School. Coach Gigler has demonstrated a passion of leadership in carrying the legacy of those mentioned above forward. Each of those former coaches would be proud of the program results today and the accomplishments of each athlete at todays 2021 State Cross Country Meet. 

Congratulations, job well done Tiger Boys and Girls 2021 Cross Country Team! History will look fondly on each of you and your accomplishments, in this shortened and difficult year, post Covid-19. The whole community is proud of each of you as accomplished athletes bringing pride to Alamogordo and to the state of New Mexico. Your names are now a part of state history; be proud and celebrate that Tiger pride!

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