CHS boys capture six event victories in Roswell meet

ROSWELL — The Clovis High boys track team compiled six first-place finishes, including three by junior R.J. Nora, in Thursday’s Early Bird meet, hosted by Roswell High.

The Wildcats compiled 116 points, although no team scores were kept.

Nora posted wins in long jump (20 feet, 6 inches), triple jump (40-10 1/2 and the 100 hurdles (15.57 seconds). He was also a part of the Cats’ first-place 800 relay team (1:35.89) with sophomores Kaleb Foggie and Joshua Mondragon and senior Andrew Hall, and the third place 400 relay (45.90) with Hall, Roberts and Mondragon.

“He improved his 110 hurdles time,” CHS boys coach Mark Sena said of Nora. “As of (Thursday), he was leading all classes in that event.”

Clovis’ 3,200 relay picked up a win (9:24.68) with Foggie, Roberts, Johnson and freshman Sammy Fuentes, while the Cats also had a strong showing in shot put and discus, earning wins and multiple places in both events. Senior Gage Angeles paced a 1-2-3-6 showing in shot at 39-11 1/2, while sophomore Jeremiah Johnson threw 116-9 as Clovis finished 1-2-5 in discus.

“In what we competed at, we were very, very solid,” Sena said. “I was very pleased overall. Our older kids showed some leadership.”

The Cats and Lady Wildcats were originally slated to compete in Friday’s Cleveland Invite at Rio Rancho, but the Roswell meet replaced that event for the boys. The meet was canceled anyway due to Thursday night’s winter weather.

CHS squads return to action on Thursday in Artesia’s Bulldog Relays.

Tennis — The Cats and Lady Cats hosted Portales on Tuesday, with the boys posting a 9-0 sweep of the Lady Rams while the girls notched an 8-1 victory.

Clovis overwhelmed the young Rams on the boys’ side, losing just 11 games.

“We played like we were supposed to,” CHS boys coach Tristan Pautler said. “A lot of the form and timing we’ve been putting them through, they actually did that.”

The girls’ side was tighter, with Portales junior Jenna Brown scored her team’s only win, a 6-3, 6-4 verdict over Lady Cats junior Niliyaah Hall, while Hall and senior Ayia Saleh needed a 14-12 victory in a third-set supertiebreaker to edge Brown and sophomore Maggie Duong at No. 1 doubles.

Clovis squads return to action with a 3 p.m. dual at Lovington on Tuesday, while the next outing for Portales is in a neutral-court matchup with Moriarty on March 24.