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Like any number of track and field athletes when the calendar turns to May, Alejandro Casaus of Rio Rancho is looking to solve a puzzle.

Namely, strategizing his agenda for the state track and field meet.

What to enter and what not to enter is a constant work in progress for dozens of boys and girls, and their coaches, including Casaus, this time of year. Casaus at the very least won鈥檛 have to ponder if he鈥檚 going to run the 3,200-meter final in two weeks.

Casaus put together a strong second mile Thursday at Nusenda Community Stadium and captured the 3,200 on the first day of the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Metro Championships.

鈥淭he whole plan was to kind of relax the first mile and pick it up the second mile, and I think I was pretty successful at that,鈥� Casaus said. He is qualified at all three distances for state, but wasn鈥檛 yet certain if he鈥檇 run all three.

Casaus ran early in the program Thursday in relatively benign conditions, and completed his eight laps around the stadium in 9 minutes, 52.92 seconds. He finished almost 10 seconds in front of second place Silas Brown of St. Pius.

鈥淟ittle bit slow,鈥� Casaus said of his time. 鈥淚 can definitely be better.鈥�

It was part of a strong early start to the meet for the Rams, as Mariah Galbraith of Rio Rancho posted a comfortable victory in the girls鈥� 3,200-meter final, finishing in 11 minutes, 16.82 seconds. She won by nearly 37 seconds.

sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Academy鈥檚 girls (35陆 points) lead the team standings after Day 1. Cleveland (27) and Rio Rancho (23陆) are second and third, respectively. 

La Cueva鈥檚 34 points lead the boys, with Cleveland (29) and Academy (22) next.

sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Academy鈥檚 girls smashed a school record in the 4x800-meter relay, with Rowan Jaime, Anna Hastings, Addison Julian and Sophia Jordan finishing an impressive run in 9 minutes, 29.82 seconds. This quartet lowered the previous school record by 26 seconds.

Eldorado sophomore Gianna Rahmer made her outdoor debut in the metro area this spring in this same event. She ran the opening leg of the 3,200-meter relay for the Eagles, who led after the first leg and finished fourth overall. Rahmer is expected to run the open 1,600 early Friday evening.

Academy鈥檚 boys also won the 4x800, finishing in 8:0416, for a 3 陆-second triumph over Cleveland.

La Cueva鈥檚 Jhett Kinghorn cleared 14 feet, 6 inches in his pole vault victory, and the Bears went 1-2 in this event with Tobias Bechdholt (12-6).

Grace Erinle of Academy had her usual superb day. She won the long jump with a mark of 18 feet, 10 inches (on her first jump of the day), and she also is the top seed for Friday鈥檚 100-meter final after running 12.23 seconds in her heat on Thursday. She鈥檒l be favored in Friday鈥檚 triple jump, as well.

Morgan James of Cleveland, the metro鈥檚 most elite hurdler, placed second (18-0) in the long jump to Erinle, and this is an event she doesn鈥檛 always enter. She also will be the top seed in Friday鈥檚 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles finals after her qualifying times on Thursday.

Cleveland鈥檚 Giovanni Mollica has been the metro鈥檚 best javelin thrower for the better part of two years, but he was pushed to the limit Thursday by La Cueva鈥檚 Troy Dixon.

Mollica recorded a throw of 181 feet, 6 inches on his first effort in prelims.

Dixon, on his last throw in the finals, threw 181-5.

鈥淭he form is right where it needs to be, right now we鈥檙e just worrying about carrying more speed into the throw, and then more tension on that javelin so it snaps out,鈥� Mollica said. 鈥�...We鈥檙e gonna come with a lot more focus for state and be ready to go beat everybody.鈥�

The boys鈥� 100-meter final on Friday ought to be one of the must-see events of the meet. St. Pius鈥� Hershul Olloway Jr. posted the top time in Thursday鈥檚 prelims, at 10.68 seconds. Joining him in the final will be, among others, Chigekwu Nwagbo of Sandia, last week鈥檚 Harper champ, plus Israel Nichols of Atrisco Heritage (who is the top seed in the 400) and Tanner Montano of La Cueva.

Montano, in the last field event of the day, which didn鈥檛 finish until late in the evening, won the long jump at 23 feet, 8 inches. Raymundo Luj谩n (23-1) of Eldorado was second.

Cleveland鈥檚 Moses Sparks continued to show his dominance in the shot put. He won metros Thursday with a heave of 54 feet, 2 inches. Runner-up Zach Waghorn (49-9) of Academy nearly joined him at the 50-foot threshold.

The girls shot put proved to be the most tightly contested of the day, with Rio Rancho鈥檚 Anni Presser and Manzano鈥檚 Camya Lawshea both having thrown 33 feet, 10 inches. Presser was declared the winner on a tiebreak.

鈥淭his is my second year doing shot put,鈥� Lawshea said. 鈥淚鈥檓 actually really proud of myself. It shows what I can do, what I鈥檓 capable of, and I know I鈥檓 capable of more.鈥�

Rebecca Neal of Highland had a big Thursday. She followed up her Harper win in the high jump with a winning mark of 5-4 at metros on Thursday. She also won the javelin in the evening, and her throw of 111 feet, 10 inches was roughly three feet ahead of Harper champion Amariah Altamirano of Valley (107-7).

The boys 110-meter high hurdles final on Friday is shaping up to be a duel between Cleveland鈥檚  Collin Joyner and Eldorado鈥檚 Lujan, who were far ahead of their peers in prelims on Thursday.

NOTE: Friday鈥檚 second day begins at 4:15 p.m. with the remaining field events, and the running program starts at 5:30  p.m.

James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at .