Clovis track teams eyeing trophies

Staff report

ALBUQUERQUE — So far, Clovis High’s boys have only three points on the board in the Class 5A state track meet at the University of New Mexico track facility, but coach Darren Kelley remains optimistic they can get a team trophy.

The Wildcats scored when junior Kaine Bender finished fourth in pole vault at 12-6 on Friday. They have 10 events ready to go — eight on the track — in today’s final round of competition.

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Lady Wildcats senior Sasha Smith-Pollard runs the second leg of the Class 5A girls 400 relay preliminary on Friday morning at the University of New Mexico track and field complex in Albuquerque. Pollard, who qualified for today’s finals in the 100, 200 and 400, helped the Lady Cats post the second-best time in the 400 relay on Friday at 48.71, trailing only Rio Rancho Cleveland (48.32).

“We had one of the best days we’ve ever had,” Kelley said of Friday’s outing. “We qualified three (for the finals) in the 100, and we’ve never done that.”

The Lady Wildcats, meantime, got 11 points from junior Shelby Jones, including a win in shot put, and three more from junior Sara Lucero for a fourth-place finish in long jump. They’re currently third with 14 points, although coach Mike Hankins said they have their work cut out trying to hold off either La Cueva (28 points), Eldorado (21) or Rio Rancho Cleveland (11), and possibly Rio Rancho (10), for a team trophy (top-three finish).

Hankins said his squad also had a solid day.

“What else can you ask?” he said. “The kids performed very well. We’ll just go out tomorrow and see what happens.”

Jones, the favorite going in, threw 41 feet, 9 1/2 inches to win shot put competition and also came in third in discus at 119-5. She competes in javelin, where she is ranked third and one inch out of second, at 3 p.m. today.

“We had three get to the finals in both shot put and discus,” Hankins said. “Shelby came out and threw the shot put like she was supposed to do. It was a great day for her.”

Lucero, meantime, went from seventh to fourth at 16-10 1/2 on her final attempt in long jump.

Senior Sasha Smith-Pollard posted the best time of the day in the 100 (12.56) and 200 (25.29) and the fifth-best time in the 400 (58.54). Clovis also qualified all four relays for the finals.

Freshman Jaci Sievers qualified in the 300 hurdles, but Hankins said she is likely not to run in the finals and instead will probably run a leg on the 1,600 medley relay.

Meantime, junior Heather Pastirchak is scheduled in pole vault today at noon. She finished third in the event last year.

Hankins thinks Eldorado will probably end up winning the meet.

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Clovis freshman Monay Philips throws the discus during the 5A girls discus final Friday afternoon during the 2014 NMAA state track and field championships at the University of New Mexico track and field complex.

“La Cueva performed very well today,” he said. “Those three (also including Cleveland) are what they are, and I think us and Rio Rancho are close in there.”

The boys have eight track finals today, plus Pedro Acuna in shot put at 10 a.m. and Alfonso Rivas in javelin at 2 p.m.

“The kids did a phenomenal job of competing today and giving us a chance for a trophy tomorrow,” Kelley said. “I think all the relays should improve (in the finals) and be competitive.”

Cass ran a time of 11.02, winning his heat easily and finishing three-hundredths of a second behind overall leader Dante Hernandez-LaCour of Atrisco Heritage. He was sixth overall in the 200 at 22.09.

In field events today, Clovis will have Pedro Acuna in shot put at 10 a.m. and Alfonso Rivas in javelin at 2 p.m.