Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Despite missing six starters due to injuries and other factors, the Tucumcari wrestling squad saw four of its athletes finish third at the prestigious, 14-team Cardinal Classic on Friday and Saturday at Robertson High School in Las Vegas.
Nathan Aragon, a senior in the 220-pound weight class, and Josh Pacheco, a freshman at 145 pounds, each finished in the top three in the boys competition for Tucumcari.
In THS girls grappling, eighth-graders Sadi Collins (at 107 pounds) and Naomi Garcia (138) each finished third in their weight classes.
Tucumcari coach Eddie Encinias didn’t have final team points from the Cardinal Classic, but estimated his squad finished sixth at the event. Tucumcari was the smallest-enrollment school there.
Other strong finishes by Tucumcari grapplers:
• Isiah Garcia, fifth at 120 pounds;
• Antonio Gonzales, sixth at 160;
• Diego Martinez, seventh at 138;
• Nicholas Romero, sixth at 113.
“It was awesome, man,” Encinias said. “You think, ‘Fourth, fifth, sixth, that’s not very good.’ But at that tournament, it is. I was really, really happy for our guys. They started out slow and really picked it up.”
Xzander Garcia at 170 wrestled well Friday night but withdrew from the tournament Saturday after a family member tested positive for COVID-19, Encinias said.
Encinias also said MiKayla Klinger at 152 pounds and Sarah Vallejos at 120 each went 3-0 during their girls matches Friday, but both withdrew Saturday. Klinger had to attend an FFA competition; Encinias didn’t disclose the reason for Vallejos’ no-show.
“It’s too bad they weren’t able to come back for the second day,” he said. “They probably would have won it.”
Encinias, however, probably was proudest of a compliment to his team from Robertson coach and tournament director David Luna after the event.
Luna wrote: “As important their success on the mat and may be more important is their character off the mat. Great job.”
“That is probably the highest honor a team can get,” Encinias said, “especially from a rival in our district.”
Tucumcari has a break until Feb. 12, when it hosts the district open event that determines who qualifies for the state tournament in Rio Rancho later this month. The top four finishes in each weight class will receive an automatic bid, plus at-large selections. Mat times for the district open will be scheduled later.
