Closure!

The 2012 New Mexico cross country season is done!

With a good portion of the state's harriers participating in the USATF Junior Olympic National meet in Albuquerque, however, this season came to a more active conclusion than usual.

New Mexico was well represented among the top places in several of the age group races.

Those familiar with New Mexico high school cross country will recognize the names of Rachel Fleddermann and Jacqueline Katzman, who finished 4 and 5 (20:02 and 20:07) in the young women's 5K. The young men did not enjoy the same kind of representation, getting shut out of the top 20 entirely.

It was a different story for the guys in the intermediate boys 5K race, however. There, Austin Anaya and Roy Madrid went 6-7 at 16:58 and 17:00. The intermediate girls, however, had an even better result than that, placing three in the top 10 and five in the top twelve. Those places would include Julie Giannini (2nd, 19:22), Britani Gonzales (7th, 19:44), Joanna Miranda (8th, 19:51), Regina Marquez (11th, 19:56) and Noel Prandoni (12th, 20:00). At least three more New Mexicans made it into the top 20, making it a substantial celebration of local talent on the Balloon Fiesta Park course.

For now, though, this race meets hanging up the racing flats for another season and turning an eye toward track season. For those so inclined, the indoor season picks up in full force with three meets at the Albuquerque Convention Center in January and early February, followed by the big one, the Great Southwest Indoor Classic on President's Day Weekend. 

But there might be a few young distance runners in need of a week or two off from training between now and then.

Meet Results