Cats, Lady Cats sweep titles at Hobbs

HOBBS — Clovis High’s swimming teams captured both titles in Saturday’s Eagle Invite, hosted by Hobbs H.S.

The Wildcats scored 185 points in boys competition to outdistance Hobbs by 20 points. New Mexico Military was a distant third at 65.

For the girls, the Lady Wildcats finished with 163 points to 104 for Artesia.

Full results of the meet were not immediately available.

Clovis won six boys and five girls events. Junior Clayton Hogan was a double winner, taking the 50 freestyle in 24.30 seconds and the 500 freestyle in a state-qualifying time of 5 minutes, 13.26 seconds, while sophomore Porter Kidd won the 200 individual medley with a state-qualifying mark of 2:13.63 and sophomore David Reeb took the 100 backstroke in 1:01.10.

Also, the Cats won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:38.01 with Hogan, junior Thomas Palla, Kidd and Reeb, and the 400 freestyle relay in 3:31.64 with Kidd, Hogan, Reeb and Palla. Both times were state-qualifying marks.

“I was thrilled with Clayton making his state-qualifying time in the 500 free,” CHS co-coach Gordy Westerberg said. “I always knew he could do it. He just needed to go out and prove it to himself.

“David Reeb excelled today, not only winning the 100 back and being on two relays, but also posting a personal-best time in the 200 IM, (where he finished) second to Porter Kidd.”

Girls individual winners were freshman Julia Spears, 1:06.79 in the 100 butterfly, and eighth-graders JuJu Fernandez, 5:59.33 in the 500 freestyle, and Mary Howalt, 1:42.24 in the 100 breaststroke.

The Lady Cats also captured the 200 and 400 freestyle relays with respective times of 1:57.95 and 4:15.90. Fernandez led off the 200 free relay, followed by senior Lexi Spears, Julia Spears and junior Chara May, while the 400 free relay team included Julia Spears, Fernandez, Lexi Spears and May.

“One of our eighth-graders, Lily Russell, had some huge time drops in the 100 free and 200 back that helped the girls team win,” Westerberg said.

The Cats and Lady Cats return to action on Saturday in the Artesia Invite on, then close the regular season a week later in Albuquerque Academy’s Tom Casey Invite.