New Mexico - Colorado Runner

New Mexico
Tebo Named NM
Athlete of the Year
Eldorado High School cross-country standout Matt Tebo was
recently named the Albuquerque/New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame’s
Male Athlete of the Year. He was honored at the Hall’s annual banquet on
February 27 at Hotel Albuquerque.
Tebo was the most dominant distance runner in the state of New
Mexico during 2006. He won both the 1600- and 3200-meter races at the
Class 5A State meet and did not lose at these distances to a New Mexico
athlete the entire 2006 track and eld high school season. He won the
2006 state cross-country Class 5A championship for the third consecutive
year.
He has not lost to a New Mexico runner for the past two years.
On a national level, he recently won a spot on the U.S. team to compete
at the Junior World Cross Country Championships. He also won the Foot
Locker Western Regionals and nished fth in the Foot Locker Nationals
in 15:28, just eight seconds behind the winner.
Former Cibola High School football star Alan Branch was also
named Male Athlete of the Year. Branch, a junior at the University of
Michigan, started in 23 consecutive football games. This years Hall of
Fame inductees included Kathy Whitworth, Lionel Taylor, Jim Ottmann,
and Jorge Tristani.
Waukazoo is pictured on the left in bib #1453.
Waukazoo Places
2nd at Jr. Olympics
Sage Waukazoo, daughter of Joe and Marlene Waukazoo of
Cuba, NM, and granddaughter of the late Muriel Waukazoo, placed second
out of 173 nishers in the bantam girls category of the 2006 USATF
National Junior Olympics Cross Country Championships held in Spokane
Washington on December 9.
More than 2,300 athletes age 8 to 18 from all 57 USATF Associations
competed for boys’ and girls’ titles in 10 age divisions on a day
that saw sporadic sleet, rain and sun. Team champions also were crowned
in those divisions. The USATF Junior Olympic program age divisions are
bantam (10 and under) racing over 3 kilometers; midget (11-12) racing
3 km; youth (13-14) racing 4 km; intermediate (15-16) racing 5 km and
young men/women (17-18) racing 5 km.
Waukazoo nished the 3K course in 11:22.34, just 14 seconds
behind the winner, Paige Rice of Oregon.
Waukazoo also recently placed rst in the regional meet held in
Tempe, AZ, and she placed rst in the state championships held in Albuquerque
last year. She has been running since kindergarten and has quali-
ed every year to compete at the national competition. For the past two
years she has received All American honors.
Sage is a member of the Cuba Area Runners. Her family and
friends are very proud of her.
54 coloradorunnermag.com March/April 2007
www.usatfnm.org
Tebo won the Foot Locker Western Regionals.
This page: Left: Patrick Collier, Right: Victor Sailer / www.PhotoRun.net
Opposite Page: Victor Sailer / www.PhotoRun.net
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New Mexico
New Mexico Juniors run well at XC Champs
HASAY AND HEATH LEAD JUNIORS
Jordan Hasay, 15, the tiny sophomore from San Luis Obispo High School in California,
dusted the women’s eld in the junior 6K at the USATF National Cross Country Championships in
Boulder, Colorado on February 10. Hasay led from gun to tape to win by 14 seconds. Never before
racing at altitude, she was woozy as she spoke to reporters sitting on her coach’s knee for support.
“I was really happy when I saw the nish,” said Hasay. “I’ve never been at altitude before.”
Elliot Heath, 18, of Winona, Minnesota got away from a huge pack in the last lap to win
the junior men’s 8K in 26:07. Three New Mexico juniors placed in the top ten. Matt Tebo nished
third, Ryan McNiff placed fourth, and Dustin Martin earned eighth.
The Wings of America club from Santa Fe won the men’s junior race. In the women’s
junior 6K, the club earned fourth place.
WORLD TEAMS TO BE SELECTED
The top six nishers in each of the junior and open races are eligible to represent the
United States at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya, on March
24.
Nikki Poncho (#394) and Jordan Brown
(#48) from the Wings of America
Club in Santa Fe lead the pack in the
Junior Women’s 6K. The team also
included Katrina Lee, Marilyn
Curley, and Vinita Joe.
Dustin Martin (#311) of Albuquerque leads
the Junior 8K as they pass the 2K point.
Matt Tebo (L) of Albuquerque
and Ryan McNiff of Los
Alamos nished third and
fourth in the Junior 8K,
earning spots on the U.S.
team.
Ryan Nex (#361) and Ray
Suina (#491) help lead the
Wings of America club
to the Junior National
Championship.
Jeremy Newland
of Albuquerque
nished the 8K in
32nd place.
USATF New Mexico thanks the following local sponsors for their support:
505-299-8922
www.eetfeetalbuquerque.com
505-820-2523
www.RunSantaFe.com
New Mexico’s #1
Running Company
505-884-5300
www.heartnsolesports.com
www.usatfnm.org
505-856-9377
www.the-athletes-edge.com
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