At the start of cross-country season in August, Avaleena and Jonas Nanaeto of Ignacio High School could not have pictured their seasons more differently if they tried.
Jonas, a junior who runs for Bayfield High School because Ignacio High does not offer a boys team, set a goal of making the state championship meet this season. Avaleena, a freshman who runs for the newly-formed Ignacio girls team, competed to simply get in shape for basketball season. On Saturday, the Nanaeto siblings will race at the Colorado High School Activities Association's state championship races Saturday at the Norris-Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs.
Their mother, Sheila, might be more excited to see her children both compete this weekend than the state qualifiers themselves.
"I was at Delta and my husband, Travis, was at Aspen," Sheila said. "We are very excited for both of them. Because the races were on the same day, I got asked to go up to Delta to chaperone the girls. What we do in instances when they are separated is we text. I was texting my husband, asking, 'OK, what's going on with the Bayfield boys?' Ignacio's race was around 10 minutes after the Bayfield race had ended, and we were texting each other back and forth. Then he texted me, saying, 'He placed,' and I knew that Jonas was in, and then Avaleena's race started right after I found out. Then she qualified not long after, so it was fantastic."
Travis Nanaeto compared it to play-by-play broadcasting.
"It was just really exciting to see and send the updates because we had no idea how it would play out the way that it did," he said.
Jonas has had a history of qualifying and performing well at big-time events, such as the track and field state championship last spring. Running in the 800, placed 10th with a time of 2:03.14. He also qualified for the 400 and finished 16th in the prelims with his 53.80. At the 2017 Native American Indigenous Games in Toronto, he placed third in the 300-meter run as a member of the Southern Ute Tribe.
Jonas placed sixth at the 3A Region 1 cross-country meet last Friday in Aspen in a time of 17 minutes, 44.20 seconds.
While Jonas has experience, it's all new to Avaleena, at least when it comes to running. She also competed in the Native American Indigenous Games last year, but in basketball.
This was her first season of distance running, and she set a new personal record in every meet but one. She cut down her time from the beginning of the season of 26:15 at the Bayfield Invitational on Sept. 15, to 21:44 at the 2A Region 4 meet in Delta. She was the last runner to sneak into the field to qualify for state, as she beat the 16th-place finisher by just 2.52 seconds.
When Avaleena first found out the news, she thought her teammates were playing a practical joke on her.
"I was mad because I thought they were joking with me," Avaleena said. "I thought it was only the top 10 who made it, and so I still made a strong kick at the end and gave it my all, but I thought. 'Ope, there goes my chance.' I was like, 'I'm going to finish my race and then I'm going to go home.' But when I realized they were for real, I was so excited; my coach was very excited and so were my teammates. It hasn't really hit me yet, and it'll be a whole new experience."
Jonas was just as excited to qualify, as he will race with fellow Ignacio junior Elco Garcia, who was 12th in last week's regional and qualified with a time of 18:14.
"Friday was just really great because we have worked so hard all year to get to this point," Jonas said. "Elco and I have a little bit of a rivalry going on because when he's at his best, I always try to keep up with him and vice versa. Now that we're this close to Saturday, it'll be fun, and we'll keep our workouts light."
When Jonas found out his sister qualified for state, he was pleasantly surprised.
"I was impressed," Jonas said. "She's never really been that much of a runner, but, no matter the sport, the thing that she's always done has been to give it her all, and I'm looking forward to Saturday knowing she's going to be competing, too."
Both will relish the chance to run Saturday.
"I did not expect to be here at all," Avaleena said. "I thought I'd be in the gym, getting shots up and practicing for hoops. This is just fun to be still running this week."
Jonas will race in the Class 3A boys race at 9 a.m., while Avaleena will run the Class 2A girls race at 12:20 p.m.
bploen@durangoherald.com
Behind the Scenes with Avaleena
What is your favorite sports movie?:
'Forrest Gump'
Who is your favorite artist?:
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
What is your favorite pre- or post-Race meal?:
Noodles
If you could have any superpower, what would you pick?:
The ability to fly because I get to places much faster.
If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?:
Anywhere in Africa to see the wildlife.
Who is your favorite athlete?:
Russell Westbrook and Jim Thorpe. I did my history day project on (Thorpe) and his contributions to the Native American community.
What is your favorite book?:
'The Green Mile' by Stephen King
What is your favorite local restaurant?:
El Amigo in Ignacio; they know my order by heart, which is a Frito pie.
Which teacher has had the Greatest impact on you?:
Naomi Russell, my first basketball coach. She let me play with the older boys with Jonas and his friends, and that's where my love for basketball came.
Who is your role model?:
My dad because he's always encouraged me to go out for everything and give it my all.
Behind the Scenes with Jonas
What is your favorite sports movie?:
'McFarland, USA'
Who is your favorite artist?:
I don't really have one because my music taste is so varied.
What is your dream car?:
It doesn't matter as long as I can get from Point A to B
What is your favorite pre- or post-Race meal?:
Before, I usually load up on carbs. After the race, I always have fruit, and watermelon is my go-to.
If you could have any superpower, what would you pick?:
Teleportation because you can get anywhere you need to in a flash.
If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?:
Japan. It's always seemed really cool to go there.
What is your favorite outdoor activity?:
Fishing at Capote Lake in Pagosa Springs.
Who is your favorite athlete?:
Like my sister, Jim Thorpe.
What is your favorite local restaurant?:
The Rose just south of Ignacio.
Which teacher has had the Greatest impact on you?:
Mr. Sweet, my algebra and geometry teacher. He didn't give up on his students and was also caring and helped us out a lot. I had him for my freshman and halfway through my sophomore year.
Who is your role model?:
My dad because he got me into basketball, other sports and encouraged me to try different things. We always had fun with it.
