Rio Rancho girls claim third cross country state title
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (BVM) — For the third time in program history, the Rio Rancho High School girls cross country team is the state champion in New Mexico’s biggest class.
With a total time of one hour, 19 minutes and 56.65 seconds, the Rams outpaced second-place Eldorado to capture the Class 5A title Saturday in the Western Sky Community Care State Cross Country Championships held at Albuquerque Academy.
Three Rio Rancho runners finished among the top nine individually and all five came in among the top 20 to help the Rams claim the team title. Leading Rio Rancho was Tessa Holderman, who finished in 19:30.76 to take third place individually. Lorynn Trujillo (19:58.77) and Violet Francisco (20:01.70) finished eighth and ninth respectively while Marleigh Smith (20:25.42) came in 16th and Esther Cameron (20:57.06) finished 20th for the Rams, whose only other team state championships came in 2016 and 2008.
Eldorado’s Laurynn Sisneros was the individual girls’ champion with a winning time of 18:35.78 which beat defending state champ Leah Futey of Cleveland by nearly 22 seconds.
