Rio Rancho and Cleveland top Albuquerque cross country district meet

Cleveland High School hosted the District 5A-1 cross country championship meet on Friday, where Rio Rancho and Cleveland athletes claimed the top team and individual spots.

Rio Rancho won the girls' team title with 44 points. Cleveland followed with 48 points, and Volcano Vista took third place with 59. On the boys' side, Cleveland captured the district crown with 32 points. Rio Rancho placed second with 49 points, and Farmington finished third with 79 points.

The top three teams in both divisions earned berths in the 2026 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico State Cross Country Championships. Rio Rancho's Mariah Galbraith won the girls' individual race, while Alejandro Casaus won the boys' race. Both athletes established large early leads and finished well ahead of their competitors.

Galbraith and Casaus each won the pre-meet, the Academy Extravaganza, and the pre-state invitational before this district victory. Their schools, the Rams and the Storm, now compete for the state title.

Rio Rancho and Cleveland athletes dominated the field, with five of the top 10 girls and six of the top 10 boys coming from those two schools. The state championship meet is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Nov. 7 at Albuquerque Academy. The event will be live-streamed on nfhsnetwork.com, and results will be posted at nmact.org throughout the day.