The 2024 State Champion Hilltopper Girls Track & Field Team!

Colette Bibeault jumped 11′ to win the pole vault. She also won the 300 m hurdles in an LAHS School Record time, was part of the 4×400 m relay team which set a new State Record, and placed 3rd in both the high jump and 100 m hurdles. By these results, she was awarded the Class 4A High Point Athlete trophy. Photo by Blake Wood

By BLAKE WOOD
Assistant Coach
LAHS Track & Field

Nobody doubted it was coming. Everyone expected a blowout. They were not  disappointed. The Hilltopper Girls Track & Field team won their fourth straight Class 4A State Championship at UNM on Saturday, scoring more points than the next two teams combined.  Along the way, they set two new State Records, four new LAHS School Records, put girls on the podium in 17 of the 20 events, won nine of them outright, and had the top-2 and four of the top-10 high point athletes. It was a truly dominating performance.

The first new State Record came on Friday in the long jump. Jaiya Daniels leaped 18′ 9-1/4″, beating the existing Class 4A record from 1991 – 33 years ago! Despite a sore ITB which prevented her from competing in the sprint events (she was the defending champion in both the 100 and 200 m), Jaiya returned on Saturday to win the triple jump as well, with a leap of 38′ 1-3/4″.

The second new State Record came in the final event on Saturday, the 4×400 relay. The Hilltopper team of Meredith Brown, Dayja Fellers, Colette Bibeault and Anna Wetteland finished in 3:55.70, shattering the existing 30-year-old record by nearly 5 seconds. This was also a new LAHS School Record. ‘Toppers Chloe Coffey, Maya Graves and Margaret Steinkamp contributed to this by running as part of this relay in Friday’s prelim, and getting Saturday’s team a prime lane assignment.

Speaking of new LAHS School Records, Colette Bibeault set one in the 300 m hurdles, her time of 44.63 seconds beating a 12-year-old record and winning the event by nearly a second.

Two new LAHS Freshman Records were set by Grace Montoya, whose 5:11.12 1600 m improved her own freshman record by over 4 seconds and moved her to the #3 position on the LAHS all-time list, and Maya Graves in the 300 m hurdles, whose time of 47.09 seconds beat the record set by graduating senior Angelina Passalaqua, who was there to congratulate Maya at the finish.

The Girls won three of the five relay events: the 4×400 m relay mentioned above, the 4×100 m relay by Evangelina Gutierrez, Anna Wetteland, Syana Sanchez, and Meredith Brown, and the 4×200 m relay by Gutierrez, Brown, Jenna Montoya, and Sanchez. Margaret Steinkamp ran as part of the 4×200 m relay in the prelim on Friday.

Three Girls each were State Champions in two individual events:

Jaiya Daniels in the long jump and triple jump, as described above.

Colette Bibeault, who in addition to her win in the 300 m hurdles, and participation in the winning 4×400 relay, won the pole vault at 11′, and made several good attempts at what would have been a state record 11′ 7″ height. 

Anna Wetteland, who in addition to her participation in the winning 4×100 and 4×400 relays, won both the 400 m and 800 m events in times that were only about 0.75 seconds off the State Records in both events. Anna was already defending State Champion in the 400 m.

At the conclusion of the meet, Colette Bibeault was awarded the Class 4A high point athlete trophy, accumulating a total of 23.5 points, having also placed 3rd in both the high jump and 100 m hurdles in addition to the wins described above. Anna Wetteland scored the 2nd most points in Class 4A. BTW, Track & Field scoring for places 1-6 is 7,5,4,3,2,1 for individual events and 10,8,6,4,2,1 for relays, split between the four athletes.

Additional athletes who scored points for the Hilltoppers and got onto the award podium included:

• Syana Sanchez – 100 (3rd), 200 (3rd)
• Dani Trellue – triple jump (2nd), pole vault (2nd), 100 m hurdles (5th)
• Maya Graves – 100 m hurdles (4th)
• Evangelina Gutierrez – 100 (6th)
• Jenna Montoya – long jump (3rd)
• Siena Rolfe – pole vault (6th)
• Grace Montoya – 3200 (2nd), 1600 (3rd)
• Rebecca Beaux – 3200 (4th), 1600 (6th)
• Ensley Jorgenson – 1600 (5th)
• 4X800 Relay – 2nd (Rebecca Beaux, Ensley Jorgenson, Lucy Kelley, and Grace Montoya)
• Medley Relay – 3rd (Evangelina Gutierrez, Jenna Montoya, Margaret Steinkamp, Dayja Fellers, and Lucy Kelley)

A special shout-out is due the middle- and long-distance runners who ran multiple races over two very hot days on the track. Grace Montoya and Rebecca Beaux each ran an 800, 1600 and 3200. Ensley Jorgenson ran two 800s and a 1600. Lucy Kelley ran three 800s (each one faster than the last, and each a PR!) And Anna Wetteland ran four 400s and an 800. Truly all Iron Ladies!

At the end of the meet, the ’Topper Girls had earned 136.5 points to runner-up Albuquerque Academy’s 80.5 points and 3rd place Artesia’s 52 points.

Contributing to the Hilltopper Girls success is their dedicated coaching staff, lead by Head Coach Ernest Martinez, who also coaches the pole vault. Sprinters, hurdlers, and relays are coached by Daniel Dunning, Amber Coffey, Hayley Willman and Mary Ann Novak. Throwers are coached by Bob Scott, Pat Brousseau and Robbie Harris. Distance runners are coached by Lindsey Montoya, Steven Montoya, Josh Stein, Kyle Pittman, Tom Stockton, Blake Wood and Rebecca Clark. High jumpers are coached by Christie Kelly and Gabe Holesinger. And  horizontal jumpers are coached by Chuck Cotter.

Jaiya Daniels set a new State Record in the long jump, and was State Champion in the triple jump. Photo by Blake Wood

Anna Wetteland celebrates with teammates Meredith Brown, Dayja Fellers, and Colette Bibeault after anchoring the 4×400 relay to shatter the State Record by nearly 5 seconds. Anna was also individual State Champion in the 400 and 800 m, and was part of the State Champion 4×100 relay. Photo by Blake Wood

Meredith Brown completes the handoff to Jenna Montoya on the way to becoming State Champions in the 4×200 m relay.  Meredith was also part of the State Champion 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams.  Jenna also placed 3rd in the long jump and was part of the 3rd place 1600 medley relay team. Photo by Blake Wood

Maya Graves set a new LAHS Freshman Record in the 300 m hurdles. She also placed 4th in the 100 m hurdles and ran the prelims for the 4×400 m relay team. Photo by Blake Wood