“I’m not really chasing greatness; I’m just having fun”
Logan High School senior Haden Judd will go down as one of the most decorated track and field athletes New Mexico has produced. Judd has already won 11 Class A individual state championships. He won his first title as an eighth grader competing in the 300m hurdles and never looked back. Judd has 19 total medals overall in the four previous years at the state meet.
“I’m not chasing greatness, I’m just having fun,” Judd said.
At this year’s state meet, Judd will compete in the 100m race, 200m race, 300m hurdles, triple jump, and pole vault. He is the defending state champ in all those events, except for triple jump, and he is going for a five-peat in the 300m hurdles. Not only is he the defending state champ in the 100m, 200m, 300m hurdles, and pole vault, Judd is also the Class A state record holder in those four. “He’s also close to the top 100 in the nation in the pole vault,” said his coach Dwayne Roberts.
Roberts says Judd has racked up a total of 109 points for the Longhorns over the course of his career. “I’m a little nervous because it’s my last meet, but I’m feeling pretty confident,” Judd said. “I’ve been working on my mental game and not getting to upset with myself when I don’t do as well as I can.”
Ironically, Judd’s strongest race is the one he likes the least. “I hate to say it, but my strongest event is probably the 300 hurdles,” Judd said. “I hate that race, it’s not very fun to run, but it’s my strongest,” he joked. When asked if he ever thought of asking coach about taking him out of that event for another, Judd laughed and said, “No, because I already know what his answer will be.”
“He hates the 300 hurdles, but he’s really good at it, and yes, I’m not going to let him out of it,” Roberts said with a smile. “He has a lot of natural ability, and this senior year he’s taking on a leadership role and he’s become even more team-oriented and really wants Logan to get that three-peat.”
Judd already helped Logan win their first state football championship back in the fall with over 2,200 all-purpose yards and 35 touchdowns during the Longhorns’ undefeated season.
Judd plans to attend Texas Tech University later this year and pursue a degree in sports management. He says he might consider walking on to compete in pole vault. Judd will begin his quest for more medals at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico State Track & Field Championships on Friday and Saturday at the University of New Mexico.
