Organizers: Triathlon Was Most Successful Yet

By Polo C’ de Baca
For the Mountain Mail

SOCORRO – Participants, organizers and volunteers touted this year’s 14th Annual Chile Harvest Triathlon as the most successful race to date. The event took place without a noticeable hitch. Entries from all corners of the state and many from out of state numbered about 373, just short of the limit of 400.
“From complements that we’ve received, I have to say that the event went very well,” co-director Robert Gonzales said. “They (the contestants) really like being here. They say it’s one of the better-run events in the state. We had great support from the sponsors. The city of Socorro was a really big help to us, as were all the volunteers. This event cannot be successful without the volunteers.”
Gonzales also singled out Deborah Dean of the Socorro Heritage and Visitors Center as being very helpful in the organization of the race.
“Without her, the mayor and the city’s support, this event wouldn’t be as successful as it has been,” Gonzales said.
The run part of the course was changed to include a leg along a ditch bank so runners could run in the dirt. Gonzales said he and other officials received 100 percent favorable feedback about the dirt part of the run.
Blind 14-year-old Leticia Martinez of Las Cruces was the only physically challenged entry. She got through the race with the help of Mike Montoya and finished 75th in a field of 152 women. Her time was 1:27:58.6. Montoya has won the triathlon multiple times, the last time being in 2006. He did not compete this year.
“Mike is my older brother,” Steven Montoya said, “Mike is a special education teacher with the Las Cruces Public Schools. He does a lot of work with physically challenged and mentally challenged students. It doesn’t surprise me that he did that.”
Mike Montoya races for the Socorro Riders and Striders.
The Mountain Mail had erroneously reported there would be no youth race this year – the article should have stated there would be no separate youth race. In the past, the 18-and-under category raced a shorter course, but this year they competed on the same course, going the same distances as those in every other category.
Overall winners
Paul Ward of Silver City won the men’s division with a winning time of 56:03.
In the women’s division, Kristen Moriarity of Rio Rancho finished first with a time of 1:04:42. Terry Moore, a Socorro native now teaching in Las Cruces, finished second with a time of 1:06:10.
Females, ages 1 to 14
Abigail Napier of Albuq-uerque finished first with a time of 1:42:23.6.
Julie Aster of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:52:33.8.
Males, ages 15 to 17
Peter Song of Los Alamos finished first with a time of 1:07:16.6.
Damian Lopez-Plancarte of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:14:16.9.
Females, ages 15 to 17
Jennell Higgs of Socorro finished first with a time of 1:22:19.9.
Michelle Mora of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:55:39.6.
Males, ages 18 to 19
Rance Irvin of Hobbs finished first with a time of 59:58.0.
Kenneth Malone of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:18:57.2.
Females, ages 18 to 19
Alyssa Higgs of Socorro finished first with a time of 1:11:55.6.
Ellen Aster of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:18:13.6.
Males, ages 25 to 29
Justin Bronder of Albuquerque finished first with a time of 1:04:59.7.
Adam Deller of Socorro finished second with a time of 1:06:33.5.
Males, ages 30 to 34
Steven Montoya of Socorro finished first with a time of 1:01:36.9.
Females, ages 35 to 39
Kori Mannon of Elephant Butte finished first with a time of 1:14:26.2.
Liz Clabaugh of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:20:41.4.
Females, ages 60 to 64
Lynette Napier of Socorro finished first with a time of 1:44:48.7.

For complete results of the race, log on to socorro.com/ssr/chile.

Photo caption: Alisa Lauer of Santa Fe turns the corner onto El Camino Real during the last leg of the Chile Harvest Triathlon on Saturday morning. Photo by Mike Sievers

Organizers: Triathlon Was Most Successful Yet