Competitive field set for Wildcat Relays

Darrel Ray thinks his Clovis High girls track team is one athlete short of contending for the team championship in today’s Wildcat Relays at Leon Williams Stadium — and her name is Monique Walker.

The senior standout suffered a hyperextended knee when she slipped on a wet long jump takeoff board last week in a meet at Moriarty, and Ray said she will be held out to try give the injury more time to heal for the season’s stretch run.

Walker likely would have been a contender in the 100, the 200, long jump and the 400 and 800 relays, Ray said.

“If we had Mo competing this week, I think we could contend for a title,” he said. “We’ll obviously still be competitive, but we may finish down the pack a ways without those points.”

Still, he’s hoping some of the younger athletes will step up and replace some of the slack left by Walker’s absence.

Both the boys and girls meets will include 15 teams, with Manzano competing only on the boys side and Sandia only on the girls.

Ray said defending champion La Cueva is probably the team to beat for the girls.

“La Cueva has good balance,” he said. “There’s really a lot of variety as far as what teams are bringing. There’s no overwhelming team, although I’d say La Cueva may have a little more balance and depth than anyone else.”

Ray said the Lady Wildcats’ District 4-5A rival, Carlsbad, could also do well, while Alamogordo and Rio Rancho should have a chance to finish high.

The defending meet champion Clovis boys also have their work cut out, Wildcats coach Darren Kelley said.

La Cueva and Alamogordo could battle for team honors, he said.

“Alamogordo is really good this year,” Kelley said. “They’ve got pretty much the fastest relays, the fastest hurdlers and the fastest distance guys.

“The best teams in the state are here. Typically in the last few years, the top five teams at the (5A) state track meet have been the top five teams here.”

He thinks the competition is strong in a number of events, notably the throwing events, noting there are several competitors in shot put who have gone more than 55 feet, several in discus who are between 170 and 180 feet and several in javelin in the 180s. Also, Kelley said, Carlsbad pole vaulter Zach Graham has gone 16 feet, 3 inches this season.

He said the Cats will have to win or at least place high in their share of events to contend as a team.

“It’s not the depth that’ll get you,” Kelley said. “You have to win events. We can be a top-three team here, but we’ve got to run perfect to do it.

“As far as competition in events, this will be one of the better Wildcat Relays in a while.”