Area athletes post four wins at state

ALBUQUERQUE – Three area athletes claimed individual wins on Friday's opening day of Class 1A and 2A state competition at the University of New Mexico's track facility.

Senior Jahvon Askew and sophomore Taye Smith notched victories for Texico's boys while Melrose senior Paityn Nicholson won her third consecutive title in Class 1A girls discus. The Lady Buffs also added a win with a state record time in the 3,200 relay and notched a 2-3-4-5 finish in 1A girls pole vault.

After the first day of competition, Melrose's girls had compiled 36 points as they begin defense of their 2022 championship. No team scores were available on Friday night.

Coach Casey Jackson said his squad was in good shape heading into Saturday's events, but still had work to do.

"We put the pressure on everybody else, for sure," he said.

Nicholson captured her third consecutive 1A crown in discus, throwing 112-9 to win the event by more than 10 feet. She was looking for her third shot put title in four years on Saturday after finishing second last spring.

In 1A girls pole vault, Odom and fellow junior Heidi Macfarlane both cleared eight feet to match Des Moines freshman Ali Polling, but Poling took first place after not missing until she tried 8-6. Behind Odom and Macfarlane were Lady Buffs sophomore Kinlee Bradley (7-6) and freshman Shylynn Downey (7-0).

Odom, who was among the contenders in today's 100 and 300 hurdles finals, helped the Lady Buffs' 800 relay team post the time time in prelims (1:54.05). She added a second-place finish in long jump on Friday at 16-8 ¼, with Fort Sumner sophomore Allyssa Casaus taking the event by going 17 feet on her final try in the finals.

Melrose's 3,200 relay team of sisters Heidi and Lily Macfarlane, junior Adeline Carlyle and sophomore Kambree Draper broke the 1A state record with their winning time of 10:56.39. They weren't pushed, finishing nearly 30 seconds in front of runnerup Springer.

Elida earned four points in discus, with senior Raquel Rogers finishing third at 97 feet, 6 inches, while Texico's girls had four points in 2A with a 4-6 finish in discus.

For the boys, Askew won long jump competition at 22 feet, 6 ¾ inches while Smith claimed the title in shot put with a throw of 51-2 ½, nearly 10 feet ahead of runnerup Ryan Tenorio of Santa Rosa (41-9). Askew also posted the top times in Friday's 100 and 200 prelims.

The Wolverines were sitting with 16 points after Friday, with their 3,200 relay team of senior Max Villarreal, sophomore Jait Garrison, junior Remington Hunt and sophomore Cole Essex clocking a time of 9 minutes, 9.64 seconds to place fifth.

Melrose came up with 7 ½ points on the boys side, highlighted by a second-place finish by junior Michael Cardonita in high jump at 6-0. He lost to Magdalena's D'Shaun Vinyard on misses.

The Buffaloes' other tally came on a sixth-place finish in the 3,200 relay, where freshman Marcos Lopez, sophomore twins Josiah and Josh Roybal and freshman Max Sena posted a time of 9:27.31.

"We left a couple of things out there today," Jackson said of the boys' performance. "But they're still in the hunt, I think."