ARTESIA — Seniors Donavin Sanchez and Will Archibeque shot 39-38 — 77, leading the Portales High boys golf team to a fifth-place finish in the Artesia Invitational on Monday.

The Rams’ score of 323 was good enough to earn a leg toward Class 3A state competition. It was their first outing of the spring.

Clovis won the team title with a score of 297, 10 strokes ahead of Hobbs. Alamogordo (315) and New Mexico Military (317) also finished ahead of Portales in the eight-team event.

Portales’ girls finished seventh at 405, led by freshman Tyler Rowley at 47-47 — 94. Alamogordo cruised to the team championship at 324.

“We didn’t play real good, but the boys qualified their first leg for state and the girls came close,” PHS coach Andy Correll said. “We feel we can only get better.

“We hit a lot of good shots and a lot of bad ones. The most promising thing I saw was that we battled.”

Sophomore Tristan Cottrell shot 37-44 — 81 for the Rams, while senior Nick Bergman recovered from a slow start to shoot 48-40 — 88 and sophomore Dennis Short finished at 43-47 — 90.

“His first six holes were what really did him in,” Correll said of Bergman. “He played most of the rest of the tournament at one-over-par.”

Other scores for the Lady Rams included senior Amber McCasland 55-46 — 101, eighth-grader Paige Hartman 51-50 — 101, freshman Gabby Espinoza 53-56 — 109 and freshman Kelsey Prince 58-57 — 115.

Portales teams return to action today in the Alien Invitational at Spring River Golf Course in Roswell.

Artesia Invitational

At Artesia C.C.
Par 71
Boys standings: 1. Clovis 297; 2. Hobbs 307; 3. Alamogordo 315; 4. New Mexico Military 317; 5. Portales 323; 6. Carlsbad 329; 7. Artesia 357; 8. Jal 400.
Individual medalist: Kyler Brewer-Hill, Clovis 71.
Girls standings: 1. Alamogordo 324; 2. Artesia 362; 3. Hobbs 370; 4. Carlsbad 382; 5. Clovis 394; 6. Texico 404; 7. Portales 405; 8. Lovington 424.
Individual medlist: Carissa Speck, Artesia 75.