Regularly atop the 1,600-meter runs’ results in recent weeks, Elco Garcia, Jr., didn’t have to travel far to once again toe the starting line near Pagosa Springs’ Jacob Hughes, with the 3A Pirates hosting their annual Terry Alley Invitational on Saturday, May 6.

And to nobody’s surprise, the two registered the event’s fastest times inside Golden Peaks Stadium.

Hughes, a senior, defended his home track with a winning 4:55.70, but the Bobcat freshman – helping Ignacio tie for fifth in the team standings – didn’t exactly ‘settle’ for second with his 4:55.93. It was the only other effort breaking the five-minute barrier; third-place Josh Lopez of 3A Alamosa clocked 5:00.56.

Earning the most of IHS’ 53 points – equaling 3A La Jara Centauri – in any one event was Bryan Gram.

With a 51.81-second pass in the 400-meter dash, the senior was not only victorious but 3.23 seconds faster than AHS’ Colton Smith and 3.61 faster than Bayfield’s Reed Merchant. All three ran in the fourth and final heat race of the event, while running in – and winning – the first wave, Esteban Romero finished fifth overall in 56.01.

Not participating in the shot put, thrower Natoni Cundiff still earned second in the discus, with his 129’7” trailing only the 134’10” of 2A Del Norte’s Hafen Campbell but ending up nearly five feet farther than third-place Caden Showalter of 2A Mancos. Mitchell Neil was 20th (88’6”) and Lucas Roderick 21st (88’4”), but in the shot Roderick placed 15th (32’11”) and Neil 18th (31’8.75”).

3A Monte Vista teammates Moises Juarez (11.72 seconds) and Noel Heredia (11.84) went 1-2 in the 100 meters, but Gram was a close third in 11.93 and Romero sixth in 12.32. Heredia (23.66) and Juarez (24.57) reversed their finishing order in the 200, with the nearest ’Cats being 16th-place Colten Smithson (29.91) and 17th-place Pablo Garcia Garcia (31.20).

Ignacio’s 4×400-meter relay took third in 3:45.01, while the 4×1 ran fourth (49.05) and 4×2 sixth (1:55.27).

Garcia Garcia was 14th in the long jump at 12’6.5”, but Jonas Nanaeto logged a top-ten in the 300m hurdles with a tenth-place 50.32 attempt. Johnathon Paulsrud took 17th in the 800 meters (3:19.26), and did likewise at double the distance (7:17.82).

Up next for IHS will be Saturday, May 13 at the Monte Vista Last Chance which, like the name indicates, will be the final meet in which athletes can qualify for the 2017 CHSAA Class 2A State Championships, May 18-20 inside Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood, Colo.

TERRY ALLEY INVITATIONAL BOYS’ STANDINGS

1.Monte Vista 101, 2.Pagosa Springs 96, 3.Alamosa 75, 4.Mancos 61, T-5.IGNACIO & La Jara Centauri 53, 7.Mosca Sangre de Cristo 51, 8.Bayfield 46, 9.Del Norte 36, 10.Dolores 33, 11.Creede 29, 12.Dove Creek 16, 13.Ouray 7.