Duong has high hopes for state

MELROSE - With the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected high school sports in New Mexico, it may have seemed an unusual time for a senior to decide to go out for track for the first time, but Clovis Christian's Kane Duong has made the most of it.

Duong had already qualified for Thursday's Class 1A state meet in shot put and discus at the University of New Mexico, but he improved his personal mark in the former en route to wins in both events in Thursday's District 6-1A meet.

"Right now I'm leading (1A) in both shot put and discus," Duong said. "I'm just trying to get ready for state, and I thought I did pretty well today."

Officials tried to get in as much of the meets as possible - District 4-1A also conducted its event - before temperatures reached their max of around 100 later in the day.

Logan took both 6-1A titles, followed in both by Melrose, CCS and San Jon. Lake Arthur won the boys 4-1A crown, while Dora ran away with things on the girls side.

Duong also competed in javelin on Thursday, finishing sixth, and ran a leg of the Eagles' 400 relay. He said the team has had a good season, given its somewhat limited numbers and the fact that a couple of their athletes are splitting time between track and golf.

"For how many guys came out this year, we've done well," said Duong, who plans to walk on in track at Division I University of Phoenix. "We have a lot of really good athletes."

Clovis Christian's boys won five events - junior Santi Garbarino was also a double winner (400 and 800) - while the Lady Eagles captured four events, with Sofia De Groot (triple jump, 400) and Katelyn Joslin (1,600 and 3,200) each picking up two.

CCS coach Cordy Wilhoit said that while his squads lack numbers, they have the potential to do well at state.

"We've got a chance to do some major damage," he said. "Logan's probably going to win it, but I think our boys have a chance at second or third place."

Melrose collected nine wins overall, including six on the girls' side. Freshman Graci Odom (100 hurdles and 300 hurdles) and sophomore Paityn Nicholson (shot put and discus) each notched two wins for the Lady Buffs.

"I pulled through," Odom said, referring to the heat. "I scored my personal record in the 300 hurdles (55.54 seconds), but I think my best event is the 100s."

As with Duong, Odom, who also runs on two qualifying Lady Buffs relays, said she hasn't been at the sport that long, either. She didn't try it until she was in the seventh grade.

"I kind of just got drawn into it," she said. "It's been pretty fun. We have a good team and good coaches."

She said her work's cut out for her, but she'd like to think she can win either or both of the hurdles events.

"I'd like to pull out a win in both," she said. "In the relays, we've really got to push but I think we can do well in both."

Melrose coach Casey Jackson said he thought his squads generally did pretty well.

"I thought the kids competed well, given how fast the meet was run," he said. "We were trying to get a couple more kids (qualified), but mainly we were trying to improve on our times and get ready for state."

Gateway Christian elected not to come to the 4-1A district meet, so that left it open to the other four schools.

Dora won seven events on the girls' side, including all four relays in which it participated. The Lady Coyotes had a double winner in the throws with Addison Ainsworth (shot put and discus), while the Floyd girls had one in Brycie Payne (800 and 1,600).

In the boys' meet, senior Eli Terry accounted for all three of Floyd's wins, taking triple jump, the 800 and the 1,600. Meantime, Dora's three wins came from Caden Smith in the 110 hurdles, Jordan Hurst in the 300 hurdles and the medley relay team.