Lady Cats finish third behind Storm, La Cueva

Clovis High's Heather Pastirchak was oh, so close to winning girls pole vault in Friday's Wildcat Relays at Leon Williams Stadium.

How close? She could actually see it.

CMI photo: Kevin Wilson

Clovis High seniors Gladys Miranda, left, and Maddie McNaughton try to keep pace with each other during the 3,200 event. Miranda was fourth and McNaughton fifth in the event, while the Clovis girls finished second on the day behind Cleveland.

Having cleared a personal best-tying nine feet along with Eldorado's Tamara Begay, the precocious Pastirchak almost cleared 9-3 on her first try, then thought she had it again on her final attempt.

"That last one, I looked down on it," she said. "I had to have been high enough to get over it, but I just couldn't push off."

Pastirchak's showing helped the Lady Wildcats place third in the meet with 61 points, well behind Rio Rancho Cleveland (120 1/2) and La Cueva (87) but one ahead of Eldorado.

Pastirchak placed fifth in last year's state meet at Albuquerque. Her ultimate goal, she said, is the school mark of 10 feet set by Christian Vick in 1994.

"The record is 10 feet," she said. "If I win a meet sometime, I'm going to try to go for 10-1."

• ••
• CHS coach Mike Hankins was pleased with his team's performance overall.

  "There's things we've got to do better, but we did a lot of good things tonight," he said. "This meet lets you see where you're at."

CMI photo: Kevin Wilson

Portales' Emilee Haman gets set for the starting gun during the girls 400 relay during Friday's Wildcat Relays at Leon Williams Stadium.

The Lady Cats won the 400 and 800 relays in season-best times of 49.41 seconds and 1:44.71, respectively. They were third in the 1,600 relay finale, but sophomore Sasha Smith nearly made up a 15-yard or so deficit on Cleveland's Larimar Rodriguez on the back stretch.

"My 4-by-1 and 4-by 2 ran great, and my 4-by-4 ran right at their best," Hankins said. "We were eighth last year (in Class 5A state competition), and now we're in the hunt for a trophy (top three). That's our goal."

Other highlights for the Lady Cats included a second by Shatia Phillips in the 200; 3-4 and 4-5 finishes, respectively, by seniors Gladys Miranda and Maddie McNaughton in the 1,600 and 3,200, and a third-place showing in shot put and fourth in discus by senior Marivel Garza.

• ••
• Smith had a good day in the relays, and she also ran a strong time of 12.47 in placing fourth in the 100.

CMI photo: Kevin Wilson

Clovis High freshman Heather Pastirchak clears the bar at 8 feet, 9 inches during the girls pole vault event Friday at Leon Williams Stadium. Pastrichak finished second in the event as she matched her personal best of nine feet.

"I was shooting for better, but there's always next time," she said prior to the 1,600 relay. "People who are faster than me push me and make me do better."

She said things clicked for the Lady Cats in the relay wins.

"I think we did really good," Smith said. "Me and Shatia had really good handoffs on both."

• ••
• Portales' only points came on a fourth-place finish by junior Alex Ledbetter, who went 5 feet, 2 inches in a highly-competitive high jump competition.

  Hankins said he'd never seen anything like it.

  "There were 10 girls still in it at 5-2, and seven at 5-4," he said of the event eventually won by Cleveland's Cassie House at 5-4.

  Lady Rams coach Sandie Schillings said her squad had some conflicts on Friday with other school activities, plus a couple of athletes were sitting out with injuries or illness.

  Still, while PHS posted some personal bests, Schillings said she'd hoped to score more points.

  "It's good for us," she said of going against the larger schools. "We just didn't perform today as well as we have been in a few events.

  "I think we'll be all right once we get everybody healthy."