Cats, Rams win district track titles

ALBUQUERQUE — Clovis High’s boys posted seven first-place finishes and scored in everything except the 400 en route to winning Friday and Saturday’s District 2-6A track meet.

The Wildcats tallied 141 points for a margin of more than 30 over runnerup Eldorado (107 1/2) in the six-team event. Clovis has not lost to a New Mexico school this spring.

On the girls’ side, Clovis came in second with 98 points, trailing La Cueva with 134.

CHS boys coach Darren Kelley said the Cats got a couple more events qualified for Class 6A state competition, noting the team had strong performances all the way around. He said the Cats will have around 17 entrants this weekend at the University of New Mexico track facility in Albuquerque.

“The biggest thing was winning the whole thing,” he said of the district meet. “Getting a (team) trophy was nice.”

Junior Burgin Foster broke his own school record in pole vault for the third time this spring, going 15 feet, 3 inches. He’ll try to defend his Class 6A championship this weekend at Albuquerque, and would appear to have a good shot at it after winning last year’s event at 14 feet.

CHS won three of the four relay events and finished second in the other. The 1,600 medley relay won in 3 minutes, 39.40 seconds, the 800 relay posted a time of 1:30.81 and the 1,600 relay won in 3:25.78.

“We ran a qualifying time in the medley and won it,” Kelley said. “We improved our time in three relays.

“I think we’ll be in the top three or four in every relay (at state) except for the medley. And I think the medley will be able to get on the awards stand (top six).”

Other wins for the Cats were by Jonathan Williams in high jump (6 feet, 4 inches), Jon Fuentes in the 3,200 (10:10.60) and Josiah Thomas in discus (150-4).

As usual, the Lady Cats were dominant in shot put and discus. Senior Brittany Reed (39-4 1/2) led a 1-2-3-4 sweep in shot put while senior Monay Phillips (144-0) paced a 1-2-5 showing in discus.

Also, senior Jaci Sievers qualified for state by winning the 800 in 2:26.45, while eighth-grader MiKyla Harkley made a big splash, winning triple jump at 36-8 1/2, finishing third in long jump at 16-8 and running on the 800 and 400 relays, which finished third and fourth, respectively.

PHS boys take title — On Friday at Greyhound Stadium, Portales’ boys posted a team win in District 4-4A competition with 114 1/2 points. Hope Christian was second in the four-team competition at 94.

Meantime, the Huskies ran away with girls team honors, scoring 138 1/2 points to 97 for Moriarty. PHS was fourth out of five teams with 52 1/2 points.

Senior Trenton Small threw an even 50 feet in shot put and went 135-7 in discus, winning both events, while senior Treyton Neece was victorious in javelin and qualified for the 4A state meet in the event with a throw of 144-2.

“Our throwers as a whole did a good job scoring points for us,” PHS track coach Glenn Johnson said.

Meantime, junior Julian Tellez posted victories in long jump (20-10 1/2) and the 110 hurdles (16.43), and sophomore Julian Urioste won high jump (6-1). The Rams’ 400 and 1,600 relays also earned wins in respective times of 42.82 and 3:34.63.

“We were very pleased (on the track),” Johnson said. “Overall, we ran some of the best times we’ve run all year.”

The lone win for the Lady Rams came from senior Daniella Villanueva, who threw 111-11 in javelin.

“I was very happy, very pleased with the way we performed,” Johnson said of the girls. “We had some personal bests, and that’s what you look for this time of year.”