Farmington Early Bird Invite Opens 2026 High School Track Season
Farmington sophomore Avery Sandefer won two events Saturday as the Scorpions and Bloomfield dominated the 2026 Early Bird Invite at Hutchison Stadium.
Several hundred athletes from roughly 10 area schools filled Hutchison Stadium in Farmington on Saturday for the Early Bird Invitational, the opening meet of the 2026 local high school track and field season, with Bloomfield and the Farmington Scorpions splitting the spotlight across nearly every event on the card.
Bloomfield's sprint duo set the tone in the boys short events. Donavin Mickas clocked an 11.68-second 100-meter dash, narrowly holding off Kirtland Central's Angel Acosta and Piedra Vista's Robert Hess, who both finished in 11.70. D'Ante Morgan then took the 200-meter dash in 23.34 seconds, with Aztec's Silas Robison finishing second in 23.64.
Farmington answered in the middle distances. Sophomore Canton Cahoon cruised to a 400-meter win in 52.46 seconds, leading a 1-2 Scorpion finish as teammate Eli Bliss crossed in 54.65. Bliss later returned to the field to win the triple jump at 41 feet, 1.25 inches, demonstrating the kind of versatility that makes him a multi-event threat early in the season.
Cash Garrett and Gilberto Quezada gave Farmington a dominant showing in the 300-meter hurdles, finishing first and second in 43.06 and 43.98 seconds respectively. The pair doubled back to share the meet's top mark in the pole vault, both clearing 11 feet, 6 inches.
Farmington High sophomore Avery Sandefer was the meet's most decorated individual performer. Sandefer won the triple jump with a leap of 34 feet, 8 inches, besting Aztec's Alisia Valerio by more than a foot, then returned to the track to take the 200-meter dash title in 27.42 seconds.
Navajo Prep claimed the 4x800 relay in 9:00.82. Farmington swept the shorter relay events, posting times of 44.46 in the 4x100, 1:35.59 in the 4x200, and 3:36.52 in the 4x400. The Scorpions also won a second set of relay events with a 50.91 in the 4x100 and 1:49.70 in the 4x200, holding off hard-charging squads from Piedra Vista and Bloomfield.
The Early Bird Invite drew schools from across San Juan County, with Farmington, Bloomfield, Aztec, Kirtland Central, Piedra Vista, and Navajo Prep among the programs represented on day one of the 2026 season.
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