Belen’s Sophia Cox defends 400 title, medals in four events

Belen’s Sophia Cox turned the hot track at the University of New Mexico Track & Field Complex into a showcase for Valencia County, defending her Class 4A 400-meter title in 55.92 seconds and leaving the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico 4A-5A State Track & Field Championships with medals in four events.

Cox’s repeat win mattered because state titles are hard to keep. She matched her 2025 championship in the 400, when she won in 57.01 seconds, and she did it while also finishing second in both the 100 and 200 meters and helping Belen’s 4x400 relay team place fourth with Lydia Hull, Allana Hidalgo and Linsey Sanchez. With medals awarded for first through sixth place, Cox scored in every event she entered.

That level of consistency separated Cox from most of the field in Albuquerque, where Albuquerque Academy won the 4A girls team title with 90 points and the meet drew a deep field from across the state. Cox’s results showed more than one big race. They showed range, resilience and the ability to deliver under pressure in sprints that reward tiny margins. Afterward, Cox said, “I was tired but excited, and each time I run it I feel even happier.”

For Belen High School, a program rooted in the first public high school in Valencia County, Cox’s performance carried more than one night of bragging rights. A state champion who defended her title and medaled four times gives the Eagles a rare statewide standard, the kind that lifts school pride and strengthens a track program’s profile well beyond one season. It also adds momentum to Cox’s growing place in Belen athletics history, with the News-Bulletin noting she is moving toward a possible future in the newly created Belen High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

The 2026 meet also underscored how Valencia County’s track pipeline keeps sending athletes to state-level competition. Valencia’s Jaiden Montgomery closed out her career in the javelin and 400 meters after previously competing in high jump, volleyball and basketball. “It was kind of hard on my body,” Montgomery said of stepping away from high jump. Cox, meanwhile, left Albuquerque with a repeat title, four medals and a résumé that should only grow in value as college recruiting attention follows the numbers.