Track season opens with Rattler Relays

Two of the biggest stars on the Logan boys and Tucumcari girls track teams seemed to be in midseason form during the season-opening Rattler Relays meet Saturday at Rattler Stadium.

Logan junior Haden Judd, who won multiple events at the Class A state championships last year, won three on Saturday, including the triple jump in school-record distance.

Tucumcari senior Haisley Huffman, a two-time Class 3A champ in the long jump and defending state champion in the triple jump, won both those events easily on Saturday.

Tucumcari long-distance runner Fernando Ureste also won the 3,200-meter race on Saturday, as did the THS boys 1,600-meter medley relay team.

The Portales boys and girls each took home team titles during the 19-team meet Saturday.

Judd won the triple jump with an effort of 42 feet, 7 inches, surpassing runner-up Mark Balizan of West Las Vegas by more than three feet.

Judd also beat Logan's school record of 41-11 3/4 in the event, previously set by Kyle Griffiths, now coach of the Longhorns basketball and baseball teams.

Judd also won the 100-meter dash in 11.58 seconds on Saturday, outpacing Magic Barns of West Las Vegas more than a half-second. He also prevailed in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 41.23 seconds, more than five seconds faster than Santa Rosa's LeeAllen Lujan.

Judd also finished fifth in the high jump.

Huffman won the long jump in 17-5, outpacing runner-up Kaylee Williams of Logan and her 16-10 effort.

Huffman also easily prevailed in the long jump with a distance of 34-7, beating runner-up Williams by more than a foot.

Ureste won the 3,200-meter run in a time of 10:47.72, topping Deavan Baca of West Las Vegas by more than 20 seconds.

Others who scored team points for Tucumcari were:

- Alex Bueno De La O, fifth, 3,200-meter run, 11:19.8, and fourth in 1,600-meter run, 5:21.09;

- July Lafferty, second, javelin throw, 98-4;

- 400-meter relay team of Aubriana French, Lafferty, Caylee Benavidez and Huffman, second, 0:53.78;

- French, sixth, 400-meter dash, 1:13.27, and third, triple jump, 31-7;

- Kirksey Smith, second, shot put, 28-2;

- Benavidez, sixth, discus, 71-5.

The Tucumcari girls finished third in the team standings with 38 points. Portales led the way with 94 points, and West Las Vegas was runner-up with 47. The Logan girls finished ninth with 27 points.

The Tucumcari boys finished fifth with 30 points. Portales won the title with 71 1/2 points, and Logan was runner-up with 60.

Logan athletes who scored points included:

- Devin Kotara, fifth, 800-meter run, 2:26.54;

- 800-meter relay of Aydin Kotara, Diego Sanchez, Kaeden Stoner and Izaiah Kneitz, second, 1:40.57;

- Aydin Kotara, second, 400-meter dash, 0:53.74;

- Hayden Bruhn, fourth, 400-meter dash, 0:55.11, and second, high jump, 5-6;

- Mason Wallin, sixth, shot put, 34-5, and third, discus, 119-4;

- Stoner, third, javelin throw, 144-11;

- Makinlee Judd, second, 100-meter dash, 0:14.1; third, long jump, 15-9; and fifth, javelin, 81-7;

- Brynn Bush, sixth, long jump, 14-7;

- Abby Paris, third, discus, 90-2;

- Sarah Williams, sixth, triple jump, 28-10.

For San Jon, Summer Jennings finished sixth in the girls 1,600-meter run in 7:17.94.