Alamogordo NM
9-13-2026 10:44am

Diaz Takes Individual Title as Area Runners Shine at Ruidoso Invitational

RUIDOSO, N.M. — Mescalero Apache’s Azellia Diaz claimed the individual girls championship and area teams turned in strong performances across the board Saturday at the Ruidoso XC Invitational, hosted by Ruidoso High School.

Diaz covered the 5,000-meter course in 23:15.80 to win the varsity girls race outright, leading a Mescalero Apache squad that finished seventh as a team. Teammate Malair Maldonado backed her up with a 10th-place finish in 24:29.34.

Alamogordo’s girls made noise of their own at the front of the pack. Aurora Van Beusichem placed fourth overall in 23:44.19 and Alex Simmons took 11th in 24:32.26, with Jocelyn Pittman adding a 30th-place finish. With four finishers, the Lady Tigers did not record a team score, but their top trio signaled the program’s front-end strength heading into the heart of the season.

On the boys side, Alamogordo placed fifth of 18 scoring teams with 170 points, paced by Zachary Swayzee’s 13th-place run of 19:50.25 and Hayden Miller’s 19th-place finish in 20:17.33. The Tigers averaged 21:28 across their five scorers, edging out sixth-place Belen by a comfortable 52-point margin.

Cloudcroft’s boys took seventh with 224 points behind a standout ninth-place finish from Fin Abel, who crossed in 19:40.14 — the top individual finish among area boys. The Bears’ girls placed 14th, led by Gena Davis in 35th. Mescalero Apache’s boys finished 15th, with Travien Comanche leading the way in 41st.

Los Lunas dominated the boys team race with 22 points, while Artesia ran away with the girls title at 55 points.

Boys Varsity Team Standings

1. Los Lunas High School — 22 points

2. Artesia High School — 81 points

3. New Mexico Military Institute — 118 points

4. Lubbock Roosevelt — 155 points

5. Alamogordo High School — 170 points

6. Belen High School — 222 points

7. Cloudcroft High School — 224 points

8. Las Cruces High School — 226 points

9. Ruidoso High School — 247 points

10. Roswell High School — 282 points

11. To'Hajiilee High School — 292 points

12. Gateway Christian High School — 314 points

13. Capitan High School — 325 points

14. Mayfield High School — 326 points

15. Mescalero Apache School — 349 points

16. Lovington High School — 356 points

17. Goddard High School — 402 points

18. Dexter High School — 454 points

Girls Varsity Team Standings

1. Artesia High School — 55 points

2. New Mexico Military Institute — 72 points

3. Socorro High School — 92 points

4. Roswell High School — 140 points

5. Belen High School — 163 points

6. Los Lunas High School — 164 points

7. Mescalero Apache School — 174 points

8. Ruidoso High School — 177 points

9. Las Cruces High School — 205 points

10. Lubbock Roosevelt — 223 points

11. Gateway Christian High School — 262 points

12. Portales High School — 297 points

13. Mayfield High School — 306 points

14. Cloudcroft High School — 348 points

Individual Results — Area Runners

Alamogordo Boys (5th place, 170 points)

Zachary Swayzee — 13th, 19:50.25

Hayden Miller — 19th, 20:17.33

Genesis Sayas — 47th, 22:03.03

Austin Amberson — 58th, 22:33.05

Keagan Reese — 61st, 22:37.22

Nickolas Starkovich — 76th, 23:40.67

Calvin Khan — 90th, 24:52.50

Alamogordo Girls

Aurora Van Beusichem — 4th, 23:44.19

Alex Simmons — 11th, 24:32.26

Jocelyn Pittman — 30th, 26:53.81

Siena Cass — 99th, 33:53.14

Cloudcroft Boys (7th place, 224 points)

Fin Abel — 9th, 19:40.14

Triston Tompkins — 39th, 21:36.50

Jadon Myers — 63rd, 22:46.08

Gael Marte — 70th, 23:24.71

Tyler Meszler — 88th, 24:40.46

Raine Langford — 93rd, 25:08.21

Cailan Marte — 108th, 26:42.47

Cloudcroft Girls (14th place, 348 points)

Gena Davis — 35th, 27:07.03

Bella Johnson — 89th, 32:18.96

Adelyn Tompkins — 100th, 34:22.13

Brisa Johnson — 102nd, 35:43.22

Rhiannon Eldridge — 108th, 37:57.33

Mescalero Apache Boys (15th place, 349 points)

Travien Comanche — 41st, 21:40.18

Shywin Chaffins — 51st, 22:13.58

Damien Valdez — 89th, 24:43.54

Kanin Fernando — 116th, 27:31.16

Eustine Chino — 123rd, 29:45.05

Ricardo Yuzos — 129th, 33:09.96

Mescalero Apache Girls (7th place, 174 points)

Azellia Diaz — 1st, 23:15.80 (meet champion)

Malair Maldonado — 10th, 24:29.34

Rhiannon Blazer — 44th, 27:59.25

Lariah Comanche — 69th, 29:58.57

Ellie Gallerito — 81st, 31:33.46

Verbena Comanche — 98th, 33:26.59

Abigail Botella — 112th, 47:13.41

Up Next

Alamogordo travels to New Mexico Military Institute on Friday, Sept. 19

Cloudcroft competes at Roswell on Saturday, Sept. 26

Mescalero Apache heads to Santa Fe Indian School on Saturday, Oct. 3

Full results are available at nm.milesplit.com: https://nm.milesplit.com/meets/768673-ruidoso-xc-invitational-2026/resu…

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