Sunday, November 9, 2025
Clear, 58°Wind: mph,
Welcome to our new web site!
To give our readers a chance to experience all that our new website has to offer, we have made all content freely avaiable, through October 1, 2018.
During this time, print and digital subscribers will not need to log in to view our stories or e-editions.
The future is bright for the Organ Mountain High girls cross country team, but don’t let that fool you. The present also looks pretty good.
Led by freshman Ashley Galaz, who has the seventh best time in the state so far this season (18:55.7), the Knights are succeeding with an influx of young talent. Freshman Jaymie McBroom and sophomore Isabella Barlow are also among the strongest runners in Class 5A.
Centennial’s Eva Nolan is the highest-ranked senior runner in the Las Cruces area this season. Nolan has recorded a top 50 time in results delivered thus far. She, along with Isabella Ortiz and Saniya Goins, forms a strong trio of leaders for the Hawks. Centennial head coach Dax Rios knows the Hawks have their work ahead of them in the girls team title chase.
“Organ Mountain is loaded with a lot of young girls that are running tough, but we will give it our best,” Rios said. “We also have to watch out for Alamogordo as they tend to reload every year and bring their best come district, as well as Mayfield, which has been growing as a program under Coach Acosta, which shows with their district title on the girls side last season.”
Boys cross country
Seven-time defending district champion Organ Mountain is poised to make a run at number eight in boys cross country, but Centennial may have the depth to challenge the Knights. Corbin Coombs and Jeron Wisner have graduated, but sophomore Daxton Coombs and senior Aiden Poppy have stepped up at Organ Mountain.
Coombs has the seventh-best time in Class 5A so far this season, but Hawks’ junior Keller Ford is right behind him. Seniors Mateo Goray and Ethan Mondragon and junior Mason Dean provide the volume that gives Rios hope his team can take the top spot. Centennial also has a potential ace in the hole. Senior George Gibson is recovering from an injury suffered during tennis season but has hopes of a return in time for the district and state meets.
“We are looking to compete for the district title and place top five up at state so we can represent the south where competition is tough,” Rios said. “We have a great shot on the boys side, with this group, to win what I believe would be the first district title since we were in the lower classification, but we have to continue to work and stay healthy.”
Las Cruces High senior Jacob Sierra is also currently ranked among the state’s top 50.
The Organ Mountain Rob Winter Invitational brings some of the state’s best runners to Las Cruces Saturday, Sept. 27. The boys varsity head out at 9 a.m. followed by the girls race. The Mayfield Invitational provides another chance to see the region’s best runners the following Saturday, Oct. 4.
