Lady Buffs get it done again

ALBQUERQUE – Not everything went just right for Melrose's girls in Class 1A state track competition, but enough did that in the end the Lady Buffs had plenty of points to spare.

Melrose ran away to its second consecutive 1A title, rolling up 95 points to 61 for District 6-1A rival and runnerup Logan on Friday and Saturday at the University of New Mexico track facility.

The schools swapped places on the boys' side, with the Longhorns winning with 93 points to 74 ½ for the Buffaloes.

In Class 2A, Texico's boys rode a strong showing from senior Jahvon Askew to a third-place finish with 53 points, trailing District 6-2A rival Santa Rosa (66) and Hagerman (57). The Lady Wolverines came in fourth with 35 points, one behind Rehoboth Christian and also trailing Santa Rosa (70) and Academy for Technology & The Classics (46).

Melrose junior Graci Odom earned 1A girls high-point honors for the second year in a row, actually sharing it with now-graduated teammate Jayda Brittenum in 2022. She won the 300 hurdles (49.14 seconds), placed second in long jump (16 feet, 8 ¼ inches) and pole vault (8-0) and finished third in the 100 hurdles (17.06), while also helping Melrose's 800 relay team, also including sophomores Kambree Draper and Eden Lunsford and eighth-grader Shylynn Downey, to a win in 1 minute, 53.18 seconds.

"We won three out of five relays (including the 3,200 and 1,600 relays), and that was more than I was expecting," Melrose coach Casey Jackson said. "I figured if everything went well, we'd have about a 20 or 30-point victory."

Senior Paityn Nicholson, going for a three-peat in shot put, came up a bit short, finishing second at 36-5 ½ to Jemez Valley senior Amyah Chose (38-0 ½).

Jackson noted the Lady Buffs grabbed control of the meet early, building a comfortable lead on the first day.

"I think they knew we were sitting good," he said. "We didn't have to press (on Saturday), just everybody go out and run their race."

Meantime, the Buffs had a solid showing, led by a meet-record 44-0 ¾ in triple jump from junior Michael Cardonita on Saturday, adding to his second-place performance in high jump on Friday. He also finished third on Saturday in the 200 (23.66).

"They exceeded by expectations, for sure," Jackson said of the boys.

Sophomore Haden Judd won four events – pole vault, 300 hurdles, 100 and 200 – to lead Logan to the team championship.

Also in 1A, Dora's boys tied for 14th place with six points, Floyd was 16th with four and Elida finished in a three-way tie for 18th with two. On the girls' side, Dora scored 12 points to finish 14th while Elida ended in a three-way tie for 15th with seven.

In 2A, Askew captured three events for the Texico boys – long jump (22-6 ¾), the 100 (a season-best 11.23) and the 200 (a Class 2A record 22.32), defeating Hagerman sophomore Jevon Aguilar in all three events – en route to high-point honors for the meet. Askew also helped the Wolverines finish third in the 800 relay (1:34.65).

"It was a nice weekend," Texico coach Ryan Autrey said. "We had a couple of setbacks, but you can't control that."

Sophomore Taye Smith repeated his state championship in shot put (51-2 ½, nearly 3 ½ feet ahead of runnerup Ryan Tenorio of Santa Rosa). Freshman Luke Thompson was second in the 300 hurdles (41.32) while sophomore Alex Fuentes was third in javelin (141-7) and fifth in high jump (5-10).

The Lady Wolverines didn't have a win until the 1,600 relay finale, in which juniors Cadence Smith and Madison Hodges, senior Emma Wahlen and freshman Zayna Hunt ran 4:24.08.

"It was a good way to end the day," Autrey said.

Autrey said he thought the Lady Wolverines would be in contention for a team trophy (top-3). They made up some ground on the Lynx in the 1,600 relay, but not enough – Rehoboth held on to the No. 3 spot by placing second in the race.

Santa Rosa swept both team titles with 66 points for the boys and 70 for the girls. Autrey said Texico left some points on the track or it could have been in contention for the boys' team title.

"I knew our girls would be in a close battle for third," Autrey said. "The boys, I thought, had a good chance of winning the whole thing."