Tucumcari runner 2nd at Clovis Invite

Tucumcari’s Alex Bueno De La O finished runner-up Saturday in the Clovis Invitational boys cross-country meet at Ned Houk Park.

The Rattlers finished third overall in the team standings.

Bueno De La O, a senior, finished the 5-kilometer course in 18 minutes, 59.96 seconds — only about 30 seconds behind his state-meet time last year.

That was well behind, however, overall winner Sammy Fuentes, a senior from Clovis, who finished almost 90 seconds faster.

Tucumcari coach Tim Clark said Bueno De La O actually finished third, but a Lovington runner ahead of him was disqualified for making an illegal shortcut.

Tucumcari’s Fernando Ureste, a junior who is a standout long-distance runner in track, finished seventh in 19:49.41. Clark said Ureste would help Bueno De La O set the pace at future meets.

Other finishers for Tucumcari were senior Patric Szaloy (17th, 23:12.17), freshman Bryson Klinger (20th, 26:32.96) and sophomore Paxton Smith (23rd, 28:41.27).

Clark said Smith would have run better, except he experienced tight hamstrings during the race.

The Rattlers finished with 60 points, behind runner-up Hereford’s 44 points and winner Clovis’ 26 points.

The meet was rescheduled to Saturday morning because of extreme heat during the mid-afternoon Friday, when it originally was scheduled. According to weather station data, the temperature reached 102 degrees in Clovis on Friday afternoon.

Clark said his team turned in a good performance despite light workouts leading up to the event because of the heat wave.

“Overall, I’m ecstatic,” he said. “To have a full boys team now, it’s great. We just have to improve as the season goes on.”

The San Jon boys finished fourth at the meet with 104 points.

The top runner for the San Jon boys was freshman Michael Urrea, who finished 24th in 29:16.17.

Other San Jon runners were junior Nathaniel Erwin (25th, 29:57.19), junior Travis Lee (26th, 30:09.51), sophomore Eli Clements (27th, 30:35.99) and freshman Luis Mendez (28th, 38.29.22).

As Clark had hoped, he also fielded a full girls team for the meet. The Lady Rattlers finished third with 83 points, compared to runner-up Hereford’s 33 points and winner Clovis’ 24 points.

The top runner for the Lady Rattlers over the 5K course was senior Heaven Maes-Arellano, who finished 13th in a time of 31:03.73.

“For her very first cross-country meet, she was right there,” Clark said.

Other Tucumcari girl runners were freshman Ashlynn Box (17h, 37:26.67), freshman Daniella Garcia (18th, 39:54.19), junior Rachel Mardo (19th, 45:10.41) and junior Amackey Hernandez (20th, 46:47.19).

San Jon sophomore Rayna Sena, a state qualifier last season, finished 16th in 35:23.83.

The other San Jon competitor was freshman Lynette Robinson (21st, 52:08.20).

Brooke Newcomer, a sophomore from Clovis, won the race in 21:41.56, more than a minute faster than runner-up and teammate Roselia Morales.

Tucumcari’s runners will compete Saturday at a meet at Amarillo College.