Lady Bulldogs post second win over CHS

ARTESIA — Score one for Artesia’s girls.

In what could be a budding rivalry of sorts, the Lady Bulldogs met up with Clovis High in track for the third time this spring on Friday, the second time in Artesia. They had split earlier matchups, each winning at home, before Artesia took the team championship on Friday in its own invitational, finishing with 150 points to 101 for the runnerup Lady Wildcats in a seven-school competition.

They’ll collide for a fourth time, on June 11 at Portales in the final meet of the regular season.

Lady Cats coach Darrel Ray said his team, which beat out Artesia for the team title the previous week in the Wildcat Relays at Leon Williams Stadium, just didn’t have its usual energy on Friday.

“We had several PRs (personal records), but we just ran tired,” Ray said. “We didn’t compete real well tonight.”

Clovis and Portales have a quick turnaround, with the Wildcat and Lady Cats hosting PHS and several other schools in the Clovis Invitational on Tuesday.

The only wins for the Lady Cats on Friday came from seniors Kiara Cox in the 200 and Camryn Barros in pole vault, and the 3,200 relay team. Barros, who has cleared 12 feet, 5 inches in pole vault this spring, won her event comfortably on Friday at an even 11 feet.

Ray said the Lady Cats had to adjust some events on the fly because of conflicting times for athletes, and it cost his team some points. Still, he said Artesia has a solid team.

“We ran into a buzzsaw, and they were called Artesia,” he said. “We’re just a little tired and beat up right now.”

Hobbs took a competitive boys team race with 123 1/2 points to 116 for Artesia and 107 for the Cats. Portales finished fourth with 70 1/2 points.

Clovis senior Pacer Hill outdueled Rams senior Traise Cain in pole vault, going a personal-best 14-6 while Cain was second at 14-0. Sophomore Robert Nora was first in long jump (20-0) and triple jump (a state-best 44-11), while senior Jerrick Maldonado took the 3,200 (10:36.88) and the 1,600 (4:45.25) and sophomore Brayden Golden led a 1-2-4 Cats finish in shot put (40-10 1/2).

“We competed hard today,” Cats coach Mark Sena said. “Some of the boys improved on what they’ve done this year.”

Entering Friday, Nora was trailing Farmington’s Kayden Gonzalez (44-9) in triple jump.

“He had a good day,” Sena said of Nora. “He and Pacer were going at about the same time and kind of feeding off each other.”

Maldonado, who tweaked his Achilles in the Wildcat Relays on May 15 and ended up having to miss the 1,600 that night, was well off his personal best in the 3,200, but wasn’t pushed in either event. The Cats went 1-4-6 in both races.

“He wasn’t really challenged,” Sena said. “He’s kind of gauging what he’s doing — he’s pretty much like a machine.”

As usual, Cain provided a lot of the highlights for the PHS boys. In addition to pole vault, he won high jump (6-2) and the 110 hurdles (15.04 seconds).

“We can’t compete with Hobbs and we can’t compete with Clovis,” PHS coach Quintin Wilson said. “But I’m proud of our kids — we went out and performed.”

The Rams also got a win from senior Mason Embry in the 200 (24.15), and qualified their 1,600 medley relay team for state, finishing second to Hobbs with a time of 3:48.22. They have already qualified their 400 and 800 relays.

“We stacked our medley relay to get it qualified, and we did that,” Wilson said. “I was happy with that.”

For the girls, junior Kylyie Paden finished second to Barros in pole vault (9-6). The Lady Rams were sixth in the meet with 24 2/3 points.

Wilson said his squads are making strides.

“Honestly, I wish we had a few more events (qualified for state),” he said. “I’m happy with where we’re at, but I think we can do better.”