The Roswell Coyotes cross country boys’ and girls’ teams will get another early-season test at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, when they compete in the Jesus Fierro Invitational at Alta Vista Middle School in Carlsbad.
Roswell head coach Gabriel Vidal said Goddard, Hobbs, Carlsbad, Capitan and Mescalero Apache are the only schools he knows for certain will be in the field.
The Coyotes opened their 2026 campaign Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Clovis Invitational at Ned Houk Park, where several runners turned in encouraging performances despite the teams finishing toward the bottom of the standings.
Hoover leads Roswell girls
Senior Makenzie Hoover paced Roswell’s girls in the 5,000-meter run, finishing in 22 minutes, 56.42 seconds. Hoover placed 12th among 52 runners, while the Coyotes finished fifth among six teams. Goddard, Clovis, Hobbs, Randall of Amarillo, Texas, and Hereford of Hereford, Texas, also competed in the race.
For Vidal, Hoover’s value goes beyond her performance on the course. Her leadership, he said, has already helped set the tone for a young team.
“She’s our leader,” Vidal said. “She’s always ready to go out there and push the pace.”
Arambula sets pace for boys
Junior Emmanuel Arambula led the Roswell boys at Clovis, completing his race in 20:41.56 and finishing 32nd among 55 runners. The Coyotes placed sixth among seven teams, with Fort Sumner joining the boys’ field.
Vidal looks ahead
With the season still in its opening stages, Vidal isn’t expecting his teams to hit their peak right away. The focus instead is on steady progress, with each meet serving as another opportunity to build fitness and confidence.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to build them up, push them and have them ready for each meet, including the Jesus Fierro Invitational,” Vidal said.
Marshall Mecham can be reached at (915) 232-1793 or on X @mecham_marshall. Mecham serves with the New Mexico Local News Fellowship, which places emerging journalists in newsrooms across the state. Learn more at www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org.
