Tucumcari track boasts 7 district champs

Tucumcari High School's track teams crowned seven district champions during the District 4AAA championships in Tucumcari, including one notable double-winner.

Senior Khobie Salvador, apparently recovered from a bout with pneumonia several weeks ago, took home two district medals by winning the discus throw and the shot put.

His hurl of 132 feet, 3 ½ inches in the discus was nearly 30 feet longer than the second-place finisher and was a personal-best for him this season. His effort was doubly impressive considering he was throwing the disc into a stiff western wind.

Salvador's effort of 46 feet, 5 inches in the shot put also earned him first place. Coach Wayne Ferguson said that surpassed his season-best by three feet.

Salvador ranks among the top athletes in Class 3A in both events, according to MileSplit.com data.

Also for the Tucumcari boys, Andrew Henderson-Clark, a senior, also took home a district title in the boys javelin throw with an effort of 148 feet, 2 inches. That surpassed the runner-up by almost 10 feet, and Ferguson said it was a personal-best for him, as well.

For the Lady Rattlers, sophomore Haisley Huffman won the long jump with an effort of 16 feet, 6 1/4 inches. She also qualified for state by finishing second in the 200-meter dash in 0:29.09 and ran a state-qualifying time of 0:13.38 while finishing third in the 100-meter dash.

Huffman ranks among the top long jumpers in Class 3A girls competition, according to MileSplit.

Senior Delilah Acosta won the discus with a throw of 87 feet, 5 1/2 inches, beating the runner-up by almost 10 feet. She qualified for state in the shot put by finishing second with an effort of 28 feet, 2 inches.

Freshman Caylee Benavidez won a district title in the girls 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 51.82 seconds.

Freshman July Lafferty captured the girls javelin with an effort of 95 feet. She, however, won't be able to participate in the state meet due to a prior commitment.

Senior Elena Gutierrez won the 300-meter hurdles in 0:53.26 and qualified for state in the 100-meter hurdles by finishing second in 0:18.38.

Other state qualifiers from Tucumcari included:

• Manny Hernandez, second place, boys 3,200-meter run, 11:24.73, and second place, boys 1,600-meter run, 5:16.53;

• Nate Griego, second place, boys 400-meter dash, 0:56.36;

• Santiago Montano, second place, boys 300-meter hurdles, 0:46.53, and second place, boys 110-meter high hurdles, 0:19.23;

• Charles Prieto, Henderson-Clark, Montano and Griego, second place, boys 400-meter relay, 3:53.04;

• Prieto, Henderson-Clark, Montano and Griego, second place, boys 1,600-meter relay, 3:51.94;

• Estella Cordova, second place, girls triple jump, 29-11 1/2;

• Alexus Lafferty, second place, girls javelin, 93-1;

• Kyla Samaniego, second place, girls high jump, 4-4;

• Kylie Ann Rincones, July Lafferty, Benavidez and Huffman, second place, girls 400-meter relay, 0:53.88;

• Gutierrez, Rincones, Riley Knapp and Benavidez, second place, 1,600-meter relay, 4:47.35;

• Rincones, Knapp, Alexus Lafferty and Benavidez, second place, girls 1,600-meter sprint medley relay, 5:21.61.

The Lady Rattlers finished second at the district meet with 114 1/2 points, finishing behind only Dexter's 156 1/2 points.

The Tucumcari boys team finished third at the meet with 101 points. New Mexico Military Institute won the team title with 212 points, while Dexter was runner-up with 127.

Ferguson said he was pleased with his teams' performances.

"Where we placed was where I expected us to be," he said. "There weren't a lot of surprises there overall."

This week's track and field state championships will be Friday and Saturday at the University of New Mexico Track-Soccer Complex in Albuquerque.