Melrose cruises to 1A girls state track title

ALBUQUERQUE — Melrose’s girls knew they had a chance to earn their first Class 1A state championship last weekend since going back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.

Turns out, the Lady Buffs never really had to worry. Melrose posted a pair of double winners and nearly had a third in rolling up 104 points for a 39-point margin over runnerup Gateway Christian.

Senior Jayda Brittenum took the 100 (13.06 seconds) and 200 (27.04) dashes for Melrose, while sophomore Graci Odom claimed first place in both hurdles races with times of 17.45 seconds in the 100 and 50.94 in the 300.

Junior Paityn Nicholson captured her second consecutive title in discus with a throw of 96 feet, 8 inches, but settled for second at 33-3 behind Jemez Valley’s Amyah Chose (35-4) in a bid to threepeat in shot put.

For the boys, Melrose finished fourth with 46 points, trailing Magdalena (90) and District 6-1A rivals Fort Sumner (64) and Logan (53).

Melrose coach Casey Jackson said the meet couldn’t have gone much better for his squads.

“It set up perfect on the girls’ side,” he said. “I knew if we did what we’re capable of, we’d win it. I knew it was going to be tighter on the boys’ side, but I have no complaints.”

Sophomore Heidi Macfarlane added a win for the Lady Buffs in pole vault (8-0), winning on fewer misses over Des Moines’ Ali Poling and Odom. Melrose freshman Kinlee Bradley was fifth at 7-0.

The Lady Buffs also won the 800 relay in 1 minute, 52.83 seconds with freshmen Kambree Draper and Eden Lunsford, Odom and Brittenum. They were second in three other relays and third in the 1,600 relay.

Magdalena’s boys won comfortably behind seven first-place finishes, including five in field events. The Buffaloes’ two wins came in the 400 and 800 relays with respective times of 46-flat and 1:35.20.

“It was going to be tough for anybody to catch Magdalena because they had so many people in different events,” Jackson said.

Elida and Grady scored in the 1A girls shot put. The Lady Tigers got a third-place finish from junior Raquel Rogers in the event at 31 feet, 10 inches, good for four points, while Grady sophomore December Garza placed fifth at 29-1 to tally two points for the Lady Bronchos.

Texico boys tie for third — Junior Jahvon Askew had a big weekend, winning three events, and the Wolverines tied District 6-2A rival Santa Rosa for third place in Class 2A boys competition, each with 40 points.

Both were six points behind another district foe, Pecos. Hagerman ran away with the team title, winning six events en route to 112 points.

Askew was first in long jump (22-9 1/2), the 100 (11.30) and the 200 (22.80). Freshman Taye Smith added a win for Texico in shot put with a solid effort of 49-9 on his final throw, overtaking Hagerman’s David Chacon.

“We had a great weekend,” Texico athletic director and interim coach Ryan Autrey said. “We competed really well. Everyone that was in anything pretty much had a season best.”

Autrey said he wasn’t really surprised by Askew’s showing.

“I knew he had the ability,” Autrey said. “When it’s time to compete, he’ll get after it. I knew there were some guys (on other teams) who could challenge him.”

Autrey said that while the Wolverines’ 3,200 relay team earned a single point for a sixth-place finish, it was enough to keep them tied with the Lions and earn a team trophy, adding that the quartet of sophomore Remington Hunt, freshman Jait Garrison, junior Troy Callaway and freshman Cole Essex knocked about 20 seconds off their previous best time.

Meantime, the Lady Wolverines finished in 14th place with 15 points. Sophomore Kadence Smith earned a second-place finish in the 400 and also helped the 1,600 relay team to third place.

“She’s a good athlete,” Autrey said. “I think (the girls) are starting to see what they’re capable of.”

Santa Fe-based Academy for Technology and the Classics took girls team honors with 66 points to 58 for Rehoboth Christian.

In Class 3A, St. Michael’s swept the team titles, scoring 69 1/4 points on the boys’ side and 104 in girls’ competition.