Cross country teams optimistic after pre-district meets

CARLSBAD — If Thursday was any indication, the Clovis boys cross country team is right in the hunt for a district championship

Jerrick Maldonado crossed the finish line first yet again, and he and T.J. Gregg ran the fastest times in school history in Thursday’s Pre-District 4-5A meet.

No team scores were taken for the event, but Clovis coach Mark Bussen guessed the Wildcats and Hobbs were within a few points of each other.

“We made big strides” Bussen said. “The conditions Thursday were not good. It was 45 degrees and windy. But it was a flat, fast course. The kids wanted to run fast. Jerrick ran the fastest time in school history; his three-mile conversion was 14:51. T.J. ran the second-best time in school history.”

Maldonado won the meet at 15:05, and was followed by Gregg at 15:27.

They’ll head right back to Carlsbad Friday for the official district meet, starting at 3:30 p.m.

“Our goal is to try to win the district next week,” Bussen said, “and get a trophy at the state championship. We beat some kids from Hobbs with our 4 and 5 we normally haven’t beat.”

Other runners for the Clovis boys were Kyle Richardson, (ninth, 16:33), Kannon Brooks (17th, 17:11), Sage Spade (21st, 17:22), Alejandro Chavarria (23rd, 17:33 and Nehemiah Gonzales (24th, 17:34).

Things are improving for the girls, with Annalysse Hamlett finishing in 19:10 for third place.

“Annie, in taking third, beat an Alamogordo girl she hadn’t beaten all year,” Bussen said. “Her goal is to run with (Mitzy Madrid, 18:44 for first place) from Hobbs. I don’t know if we can beat Hobbs, but we can certainly beat Roswell and Carlsbad.

Shylee Tree was fifth overall at 19:47.

Other Clovis finishers were Ali Tree (18th, 21:33), Brittney Albin (28th, 23:10), Yazmean Ledezma (30th) 23:17) and Tayden Curtis (31st, 23:22).

Portales makes strides — Portales competed in its own pre-district meet Saturday in Ruidoso, with the boys taking sixth place and the girls eighth.

The Ram boys had a pair of top-10 finishers with Brandon Guerro fifth at 17:51 and Michael Riess eighth at 18:37, while Aliyah Miranda was 10th for the girls at 23:22.

Portales coach Laura McNeil noted the boys race was competitive, with Guerro finishing one second behind first place.

“We’re lookng forward to district (Saturday in Santa Teresa),” McNeil said. “Most of our teams in district were in this meet, so we’re looking at some hopefuls for state.”

Other finishers for the Portales boys were Luis Esparza (26th, 19:34), Allen Parks, (54th, 21:32), Cody Webster (67th, 22:26), Jesus Jacquez (71st, 22:52) and Traise Cain (77th, 23:22). Quinn Sanson was 15th in the JV race at 23:07.

Other Ram finishers for the girls were Cashlin Fraze (53rd, 27:48), Vanessa Villanueva, 60th, 28:47), Alexis Ryen, 65th, 29:19), Andrea Weems (76th, 31:37), Karleah Hulett (79th, 31:58) and Anjelica Rubio (80th, 32:26).