Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
PHS freshman Braylea Moreno keeps her focus on the finish line as she clears a hurdle during Friday's girls 100 hurdles competition in the District 4-4A track meet at Greyhound Stadium. Moreno finished third in the event in a time of 55,94 seconds.
It was a satisfying day overall for Portales High sophomore Skyler Massey, especially in high jump.
Massey set a personal best, clearing five feet to win the event and help the Lady Rams to a second-place team finish in Friday's District 4-4A meet at Greyhound Stadium.
Now she has her sights on a possible win in Class 4A state competition in Albuquerque this weekend.
"My goal is to PR (set a personal record) again in high jump, and hopefully in every event," Massey said. "Hopefully, I can get to 5-2, and I think that won it last year."
Massey also competed in the 100 placing fifth (13.92 seconds), and ran a leg on the 800 and medley relays. The Lady Rams won both of those events, taking four of the five relays altogether, and finished with 106 points to 120 for Artesia.
"The girls had a good performance," PHS track coach Quintin Wilson said.
Senior Olivia Low won the discus (114-1) and javelin (113-2 ½) competitions, while senior Audrey Paden (1:00.99) and junior Kaydence Reeves (1:03.11) went 1-2 in the 400. It marked a season-best for Paden.
"She was really shooting for a 59," Wilson said. "We hadn't been running her in the 400, but the last three meets we have and she's just gotten better and better and better."
As usual, Low led the way in the throwing events, establishing personal bests in shot put and javelin.
"I did really good," she said. "I wasn't expecting to win javelin (she came in seeded third)."
Her top event is probably discus. That event will be the first for her this weekend on Friday morning, while the other two are on Saturday.
"It'd like to do well in discus to help me mentally on Saturday," she said. "I want to come back a state champion in something."
On the boys' side, PHS finished third with 45 points, two ahead of Goddard. Artesia dominated with 137 points, while Lovington was second at 93.
The Rams got wins from junior Tommy Lopez in pole vault (11-06), junior Anthony Bonilla in javelin (174-0 ½) and Manny Chavez in the 300 hurdles (42.40).
Lopez went 12-9 at the Marilyn Sepulveda Invitational last month in Albuquerque, but he tweaked his hamstring during the week in practice and didn't want to jeopardize going to state in the event next week.. He's hopeful of moving up this week from his fourth-place finish at state last season.
"I just didn't have the preparation for it," he said of Friday's showing. "If you miss (a lot of practice time) in pole vault, you don't have the same rhythm."
He finished fourth a year ago at state.
"I tried to stay healthy (in the district meet)," Lopez said. "I have a fighting chance next week if I jump good."
The best event for Chavez is javelin, but he came in third on Friday at 141-9 ½, behind Bonilla (174-0 ½) and Rams sophomore Gideon Smith (145-6). Wilson said Chavez is nursing an arm injury suffered in Clovis' Wildcat Relays last month.
Chavez did win the 300 hurdles (42.40) and placed third in the 110 hurdles (16.81).
Wilson said everyone is fighting for second behind Los Alamos in this week's 4A boys state meet, and fighting for third on the girls side behind the Lady Hilltoppers and Albuquerque Academy.
