Track exploits help open football doors for Hilltoppers' Gutierrez
Mar. 26—Melaki Gutierrez caught the attention of the University of New Mexico track and field program first.
The football program swooped in to seal the deal for the Los Alamos senior.
Gutierrez, the reigning Class 4A state champion in the 100 meters and a first-team 5A selection in football this fall, said he already had committed to UNM's track program as a sprinter when newly hired head football coach Bronco Mendenhall approached him about joining the football program.
Gutierrez said he intended to be a walk-on with previous head coach Danny Gonzales, but he liked what he heard from Mendenhall. He accepted a scholarship Monday to play football for the Lobos in the fall. Meanwhile, he will continue to compete on the track program.
It was a win-win situation for Gutierrez.
"The coaches for both teams are really phenomenal, and I'm really excited about that," Gutierrez said. "As for the track aspect, [sprints] coach D'nara Jones found me on Instagram and got me out there for a couple of visits and then she offered me. I wanted to stay as close to home, so I initially committed to track.
"When they brought in the new coach [Mendenhall], they found out about me and called me and it just took over from there."
The football program gets a 6-foot-1, 160-pound cornerback who was used in a multitude of ways by the Hilltoppers in 2023. Gutierrez was second on the team in all-purpose yards with 931 and had a team-leading 13 touchdowns on offense. Defensively, he had 32 tackles and tied for the team lead in interceptions with two, returning one for a touchdown. He also had a pair of punt returns for scores as Los Alamos went 9-3 and reached the 4A quarterfinals.
Gutierrez said Mendenhall told him his frame and athleticism fit well at cornerback.
"He said my ceiling at cornerback is very high, and he believes in me," Gutierrez said. "That's something you need in a coach."
The track program, meanwhile, gets one of the fastest sprinters in the state. Gutierrez has the third-best time in the 100 among all sprinters so far this season (10.89 seconds), but his 200 time (21.33) bests the rest of the state by .7.
He also is a part of a 400 relay squad that has the best time in the state (42.6) 800 relay team that has the best time in the state by almost 4 seconds (1:27.74).
Gutierrez said competing in two sports is something he is used to during his time at Los Alamos, and knows what it will take to do both successfully.
"It's a step up, and I know I have to work harder and stay focused and really grind it out," Gutierrez said.
