Storm Boys and Girls Dominate at Wildcat Relays in Clovis

It would be a gross understatement to say that the Cleveland Storm boys track and field team is laying waste to the rest of its rivals in Class 5A.

The Storm are obliterating everyone in its path.

The Wildcat Relays in Clovis are generally considered a pretty fair barometer of how 5A stacks up, and if last weekend’s meet is any indication, Cleveland is running — and throwing and jumping — circles around everyone else.

The Storm dominated the event, scoring 125 1/2 points. Alamogordo was a very distant second, at 57 points, one-half point in front of third-place Clovis.

Individual winners for Cleveland included Parker Jones in the 200, Brandon Lawrence in the 400, Reece White in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles and Luis Martinez, who won both the 1,600 and 3,200 on the same day.

The Storm also won three relays. Romell Jordan, Cheyne Dorsey, Lawrence and White took Cleveland to victory in the 4×100. Jordan, Jones, White and Tyler Chavez took the 4×200. And Jordan, Chavez, Omar Vigil and Dustin Enyeart were first in the 1,600 medley relay.

Jones posted three state-qualifying marks, in the 100, 200 and the high jump. Lawrence, a sophomore, not only won the 400, but was third in the 200 and also ran legs in the 4×100 relay and 4×400 relay.

White was also the runner-up in the 110-meter high hurdles.

Other state-qualifying marks of note: Matt Smith in the 1,600, and Jared Mayoral in the 3,200.

Cleveland scored in 18 of 19 events.

♦ Rio Rancho’s boys finished sixth with 29 points.

Top finishes for the Rams were posted by C.J. Williams (second in the 100), Connor Brown (third in both hurdles) and Alex Oluyitan (runner-up in the shot put).

Cleveland and Rio Rancho are both at the Richard A. Harper Memorial meet at Albuquerque Academy on Friday and Saturday. The Harper also features one of the strongest fields of the season.

GIRLS: Cleveland scored 120 1/2 points to win the meet, and the girls’ field was every bit as deep as the boys. La Cueva (87) and Clovis (61) were second and third, respectively.

Julissa Hunt had two wins for the Storm, sweeping the 100 and 200. Elicia Gallegos captured the 400, Malia Gonzales the 1,600, Cassie House the high jump and Alex Winebark the shot put.

Gallegos also was runner-up in the 3,200 (where she broke the school record), and Winebark placed second in the discus.

The Storm also qualified Nicolette Pacheco (3,200) and Pearl Isaia (shot put) for state.

Cleveland had two or more scorers in eight events.

“This team understands that every point counts, and they keep rising to the level of the competition and coming through,” Storm coach Tim Flores said.

Cleveland is at Alamogordo for a meet Friday.

Rio Rancho’s girls are at the Harper meet Friday. The Rams scored only five points at Clovis, to place 11 out of 13 teams.

Softball

On Tuesday in District 1-5A, Cibola downed Rio Rancho 7-3 and Volcano Vista beat Cleveland 8-2.

Four Cougars combined for nine of their 10 hits as Cibola (16-3, 2-2) pulled even with the Rams (13-8, 2-2) in the 1-5A standings. The teams are tied for second place.

Brittany Baca was 3-for-3 and drove in three runs for Cibola, which scored three runs in the sixth to break open a close game.

At Cleveland, the unbeaten Hawks (19-0, 4-0 in 1-5A) led from start to finish and pounded out 15 hits in their win.

Catcher Jade Gray was 3-for-3 for Volcano Vista. Kacie Swihart homered for the Storm (15-6, 0-4).

♦ On Saturday, Desne Salazar’s walk-off home run lifted Rio Rancho past Cleveland 8-6.

The Rams scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh, and scored seven unanswered runs after trailing 6-1 headed to the bottom of the fifth.

BreOnna Castañeda also went deep for the Rams, while Swihart homered for the Storm.

Today, Rio Rancho is at Volcano Vista, while Cleveland goes to Cibola.