SPRING SPORTS: The Alamo Navajo track and field team continues to grow its numbers in 2024

Winning in a track and field competition is all about the numbers achieved in 20 events, and Alamo Navajo will have moments in 2024, but it will take a lot of work to fill a card with 20 events and low numbers.

Head coach Lemuel Guerro pointed out that 2020 was the start of the hole the Cougars are still trying to climb out of due to Covid.

No pun intended, but athletics has been the slowest sport to recover from the pandemic.
It took some time as things got back to normal.

“A lot of them are taking part. I want to encourage and motivate them all,” Guerro said.

There is a tiny group of seniors, including Katelyn Stockham, Claire Apachito, D'Xavier Mexicano and Aldriano Abeyta, twice as many in the freshman class.

Alamo has a total of 24 athletes. Instead of having one coach for boys and another for girls, Guerro focuses on the running events, and soccer/track coach Wyatt Billy focuses on throwing events such as throwing, discus and javelin.

“I focus on sprints and Coach Billy focuses on things like throwing,” Guerro said. Our seniors are athletes who have moved from sport to sport, such as volleyball, cross country and basketball.”

Senior Katelyn Stockham had the best girls long jump in the county last week with a jump of 11-05.00, but she will need more distance to qualify for state. With both Alamo Navajo varsity basketball teams reaching the state tournament, the Cougars need more practice and only have two meetings under their belt this year.

The Cougars qualified in the shot put multiple times last season, and throwers will need to break the 38' 1″ mark by one to do so again.

“Nobody has qualified for the state meet yet, but we’ve only had a couple meets,” Guerro said.

Guerro is a realist. He knows it will take time to grow the program's numbers, and he's recruiting in school hallways.

“I talked to the kids and reached out to boys and girls because I want everyone to win. We want to win the district and do this; We want to increase our numbers so that we can have at least two athletes per event,” said Guerro.

9. Tilial Secatero, Sharayah Secatero, Mandy Pino, Japheth Padilla, Kasee ​​Ganadonegro, Deja Apachito, Matt Apache, Elias Apachito.
10th – Scotty Guerro, Zephaniah Guerro, Andy Pino, Moraes Herrera, Lalah Lee, Neldrex Firmanes.
11th – Mclane Guerro, Dreyvis Ganadongero, Alexandra Jake, Zandrick Padilla, Sapphira Sandoval, Colien Mexicano.
12th – Katelyn Stockham, Claire Apachito, D'Xavier Mexicano, Aldriano Abeyta