Lady Rams edged in District 4-4A track

ARTESIA — Portales High’s girls nearly pulled off an upset in Friday’s District 4-4A track meet.

The Lady Rams challenged favored Artesia for the top spot, but fell four points short with 101 to 105 for the Lady Bulldogs.

“The girls did awesome,” PHS track coach Quintin Wilson said. “It came down to the mile relay (the final event of the meet). They (Lady Bulldogs) beat us out, but it wasn’t for lack of effort.”

On the boys’ side, Portales finished fourth in the four-team field with 51 points. Artesia won it comfortably with 119.

Senior Kylyie Paden led the Lady Rams with three first-place finishes, winning pole vault (11 feet), high jump (5-3) and the 300 hurdles (48.74 seconds).

“She had a really good day,” Wilson said.

Senior Angelina Maestas in javelin (112-9), freshman Kadence Reeves in the 400 (1:02.60) and junior Emma Hurren in the 1,600 (6:18.87) added wins for the Lady Rams.

Meantime, junior Michael Riess led the Rams with first-place efforts in the 3,200 (11:38.49), the 800 (2:03.02) and the 1,600 (4:49.76). He was also third in high jump.

It was just his second time running the 3,200.

“Michael had a good day,” Wilson said. “He’s just a special young man.

“He went into it with the attitude that he wanted to win all three, but he wasn’t going to kill himself. He has enough confidence in himself that he could do it.”

The Rams’ only other win came in the 1,600 medley relay, with the quartet of sophomore Braden Beck, junior Evan Carbajal and freshmen Tilmon Richards and Jacob Romero clocking 3:50.54.

Wilson said Portales will send 13 girls and 11 boys to this week’s Class 4A state meet at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

“We had hoped to get more (in),” Wilson said. “It didn’t happen, but the kids gave us everything they had.”

Wilson said he isn’t sure how high the Rams and Lady Rams can go in team standings this weekend, although they’re sure to get a bevy of points from Riess and Paden.

“We always want to finish in the top three (to win a team trophy), but you’ve got to be realistic,” Wilson said. “We’re going to go up there with the attitude that, ‘Hey, we’re here. We’re going to do the best we can and let the cards fall where they fall.”

St. Pius ousts Lady Rams — At Albuquerque, the host Sartans erased an early three-run deficit with a seven-run second and went on to beat Portales High 13-3 on Friday in a first-round Class 4A state softball matchup.

St. Pius (19-4), seeded sixth in the 16-team field, advanced to an eight-team double-elimination bracket. The Sartans’ next outing is a 9 a.m. contest on Thursday against third-seeded Silver at Rio Rancho Cleveland H.S.

Sophomore Bailey Hinderliter went 3-for-3 with a double and a run-scored while senior Cashlin Fraze was 2-for-2 and knocked in a run during the Lady Rams’ three-run second.

Portales (11-13) finished with eight hits. Senior Alivia Gonzales took the loss in the circle for the Lady Rams.