Clovis boys cruise in Texas

PLAINVIEW, Texas — Clovis’ boys track and field team is trying to improve on last year’s third-place state finish, while the Lady Wildcats hope to keep evolving.

So, Friday’s season-opening performance in the Walmart-DC Bulldog Relays in Plainview were good first steps toward both those goals. Clovis’ boys finished first with 192 points, 34 ahead of second-place Randall, while the Lady ’Cats took third (138 points) behind champion Canyon and runner-up Randall.

Clovis’ Montez Wright — who captured two individual seconds at last year’s state championship meet in Albuquerque — won the 200-meter dash Friday (23.25). Wright’s football teammate Ethan Culliver notched a first-place finish in the 400-meter dash (52.81).

Jon Fuentes and Jerrick Maldonado, who finished 1-2 in last November’s District 4-5A cross country meet at Ned Houk Park, were back at it on the track and field scene Friday. Fuentes won the 800-meter run (1:58.94), with Maldonado taking second (1:59.72). They landed the same places in the 3,200, with Fuentes posting a winning time of 9:46.12 and Maldonado next at 9:50.62.

In the field events, Clovis’ Elijah Garcia won the high jump (5-08), Wright won the long jump (20-07.25), Brandon Mason won the triple jump (42-09.50) and Daniel Mendoza tied Canyon’s Calvin Burns for first in the discus (129-01).

Clovis’ girls had two first-place finishes from sophomore Mikyla Harkley — in the long jump (17-00) and triple jump (36-06).

The Lady Wildcats’ Kameron Kelley won the high jump (4-10). And Clovis’ 4x100-meter relay team was first with a time of 51.64.

Clovis will next compete this coming Friday at the Cleveland Invitational in Rio Rancho, set to begin at 3 p.m.