PICTURED: Artesia head basketball coach Michael Mondragon addresses his team during a time-out from their Class 4A State First Round game against Bloomfield Saturday at Bulldog Pit.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

PREVIOUS WINTER SPORTS WRAPS
• Bulldog hoops wins D4 Tourney, sets sights on state; swim, wrestling bring home hardware from state events; cheer powering through final pre-state competitions; tennis opens season with strong results
• Runnin' 'Dogs win seventh straight district title as Artesia teams prepare for upcoming D4 Tournament
• Swim teams place second in district; wrestling sending four to state; AHS cheer wins district amidst hardware haul; Bulldog hoops tops Lovington, Portales
• Bulldog bowlers do Artesia proud at state tourney, finish as A-4A runners-up
• Basketball teams top Goddard, fall to Portales in district play; cheerleaders celebrate Galentine's
• Advanced bowlers close out perfect regular season; hoops teams split district openers; swimmers finish first, second at Artesia Invite; wrestlers split district finale; cheer wins big at NMSU
• AHS basketball closes out regular season; JV wrestlers attack the mat at Oil Patch Invite
• Basketball teams finish first, fourth at Hope Christian; wrestling, bowling shine in home events
• Hoops teams sweep Eddy County War Part II; swimming, wrestling, bowling, cheerleading start 2026 on high note
• Runnin' 'Dogs finish third in Hobbs Holiday Tournament; Lady Bulldogs kick off new year with 4A win
• Hoops teams pick up pre-holiday wins; swimmers racking up state qualifications; wrestling starts season strong; bowlers back on track for big year
• Fall sports go out with a bang as hoops season kicks off with City of Champions Classic

BULLDOG BASKETBALL

Class 4A State Tournament
Round One

PICTURED: Trent Egeland puts back an offensive board between Bloomfield's Paxton Morris (1) and Elijah Cooks (5) as Cael Houghtaling (30) and Clay Kincaid (42) look on.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

High school gymnasiums tend to become repositories for a lot of emotions this time of year. On Saturday, Bulldog Pit was filled to the rafters.

Ten seniors played their final game on their home court in Artesia's Class 4A State Round One contest against Bloomfield. On the other half of the gym, six more seniors played their final high-school game ever. Parents, families, friends and fans alike shared in those milestones, bidding farewell to another season's worth of memories in the City of Champions' enviable gym. Two teams were fighting to keep that season alive and one to take the next step on its quest to defend a state title. In the end, the Runnin' 'Dogs took that step, making the statement they'd come to make and once again trading Bulldog Pit for The Pit in Albuquerque.

With their 73-33 victory over the No. 15 Bobcats, the second-ranked Bulldogs advanced to the 4A State Quarterfinals, where they'll take on No. 7 Gallup at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at the University of New Mexico gym. The boys in orange put their skills on display Saturday, holding Bloomfield to single-digit scoring in all four quarters of play while unleashing an offensive barrage that again highlighted not only the prowess of their starters but the depth of their bench, as 11 members of their 12-man roster put their names in the book.

The Bulldogs brought their fans to their feet with a rim-rattler just seconds into the game, as Cael Houghtaling snuck in the back door and slammed an alley-oop pass from Charlie Campbell home before the Bloomfield defense could so much as turn around. That was followed by a coast-to-coast layup from Braylon Vega and a Campbell drive to the hoop to make it 6-0. And although the 'Cats were able to cut their deficit in half with their first field goal of the night at the 5:17 mark -- a Paxton Morris three-pointer -- Vega followed his immediate in-kind response with two from the free-throw line, and a pair of buckets in the paint by Trent Egeland sandwiched a Kaydin Nelson basket to make it 15-5 'Dogs with 3:35 to go in the quarter. Bloomfield got another trey from Marcus Garcia soon after, but Artesia would close out the period on two more Egeland baskets -- including a two-handed slam from a standing position under the basket -- and one from Jack Byers to take a commanding 21-8 advantage into the second.

PICTURED: Braylon Vega speeds past Bloomfield's Avery Harrison for a layup.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

There, Campbell and Clay Kincaid tagged into the offensive onslaught. The latter posted nine points in the quarter -- four off the offensive boards and three via a successful and-one -- and the former eight, including a pair of NBA-range three's, to lead the charge as Artesia outscored the Bobcats 23-9. Campbell also hit Vega on the run for a layup and Byers logged an offensive putback to send the 'Dogs up the ramp with a 44-17 lead in hand.

And the Bulldogs were by no means done. Houghtaling kicked off the second half the same way he had the first, and with a bucket each by Egeland and Kincaid and another trifecta from Campbell, Artesia had more than doubled up on the 'Cats by the midway point of the third, 53-24. Vega's second basket of the quarter -- which followed a Corbyn Dominguez layup -- set the mercy-rule clock in motion with just over two minutes still to go, leading to a shortened fourth that began with the 'Dogs up 61-24.

PICTURED: Cael Houghtaling opens the game with a dunk off the alley-oop pass from Charlie Campbell as Clay Kincaid, far left, Campbell (3) and Trent Egeland (24), along with Bloomfield's Paxton Morris (1), Kaydin Nelson (14) and Elijah Cooks (5), look on.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

As the seconds sped off the clock, the two squads went back and forth for the majority of the final eight minutes. A jumper by Bloomfield's Elijah Cooks was followed by a Jace Deans three and a breakaway layup off the steal by Paxton Morris with a Dominguez mid-air offensive putback. By the time Deans countered a pair from the stripe by Lane Hunt with his second trey of the quarter, just 2:45 remained in the game. Hunt posted an old-fashioned three-point play four seconds later, but the Bulldogs still put a bark on he bout, as Sawyer Whitehead took an offensive rebound and quick pass from Tootie McNeil for a shot off the glass and Derrick Warren put one up and under to set the final tally: 73-33.

The Bulldogs finished with four players in double digits Saturday: Vega with 15, Campbell with 13, Kincaid with 11, and Egeland with 10. Cooks, Garcia and Nelson all had six for the Bobcats.

The Artesia boys (23-5) will now prepare to head north this week with three boxes left to tick on their 2025-26 season. Their opponents, the seventh-ranked Bengals -- the champions of District 1-AAAA -- reached the quarterfinals by way of a 48-37 win over No. 10 Silver Saturday and stand at 22-7. The teams have a few in-common matchups this year, including Valencia, whom Artesia defeated 45-30 and 39-35, and Gallup 65-54; Piedra Vista, topped 72-34 by the Bulldogs and 52-45 by the Bengals; Taos, whom the 'Dogs defeated twice, 61-45 and 63-51, and to whom Gallup fell 62-55; Belen, defeated 60-33 by the Bulldogs and 67-64 by the Bengals; and finally, Bloomfield, with whom Gallup split in district play, falling 51-44 and winning 48-42.

Tickets for Wednesday's 6:30 p.m. quarterfinal at The Pit are available for sale online only via UNM's ticketing portal and can be accessed by clicking here. Ticket prices at The Pit are listed at $11 for adults, $7 for students (K-12), seniors (65+) and the military, with chair-back reserved seats available for $15. However, those prices will increase to $15 for adults; $10 for students, seniors and the military; and $19 for reserved seats after UNM's fees are applied. All-Tournament Passes can also be purchased by calling (505) 923-3266 between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays. Tournament passes are the only tickets that allow for re-entry.

Other information of note:
• UNM has a clear-bag policy; bags may not be larger than 12"x6"x12". Gallon-sized Ziploc bags are also acceptable.
• UNM will charge $7 per vehicle for parking.
• Concession sales will be card-only; no cash.
• Livestreaming will be via NFHSNetwork only, which requires a subscription.

PICTURED: Clay Kincaid puts one off the glass ahead of Bloomfield's Kaydin Nelson as Paxton Morris (1) and Marcus Garcia (3) look on.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

PICTURED: Charlie Campbell drains a three-pointer early in the third.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

STAT BOX

#2 Artesia 73
#15 Bloomfield 33

Artesia (23-5): Braylon Vega 5, 4-9 15; Charlie Campbell 5, 0-1 13; Clay Kincaid 5, 1-1 11; Trent Egeland 5, 0-2 10; Jace Deans 2, 0-0 6; Jack Byers 2, 0-0 4; Corbyn Dominguez 2, 0-0 4; Cael Houghtaling 2, 0-0 4; Tootie McNeil 0, 2-4 2; Derrick Warren 1, 0-0 2; Sawyer Whitehead 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 30, 7-17 73

Bloomfield (15-13): Elijah Cooks 2, 2-4 6; Marcus Garcia 2, 1-2 6; Kaydin Nelson 2, 0-0 6; Avery Harrison 2, 0-0 5; Lane Hunt 1, 3-3 5; Paxton Morris 2, 0-0 5
Totals: 11, 6-9 33

Field Goals: Artesia 30; Bloomfield 11
Three-Pointers: Artesia 6 (Campbell 3, Deans 2, Vega 1); Bloomfield 5 (Nelson 2, Garcia 1, Harrison 1, Morris 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 7-17 (41%); Bloomfield 6-9 (67%)
Turnovers: Artesia 9; Bloomfield 16
Fouls: Artesia 11; Bloomfield 15
Fouled Out: None

BULLDOG BASEBALL

Season Opener vs. Grants

PICTURED: Kolton Hamilton laces a two-RBI double into deep left field during Game Two Saturday at Brainard Park.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Every defending state champion wants to make a statement to start the new season, to put the state on notice that they're back and ready to make another run at the blue trophy. If the statement the Bulldog baseball team was looking to make was "GANGWAY!", then mission accomplished.

Kicking off their 2026 campaign against the Grants team that had defeated them in the 2024 Class 4A State Championship game, the Diamond 'Dogs put on a show for the home crowd at Brainard Park Saturday, taking their double-header against the Pirates by finals of 10-5 and 18-0 (5 innings). The Artesia boys racked up 29 hits on the morning and afternoon while playing error-free baseball. On the mound, senior Daelon Pacheco tossed a one-hitter through six complete in the opener, while juniors Elijah Carrasco and Lucas Atkins threw a combined five-inning no-hitter in Game Two.

Grants came into the outing with two wins already under their belts: a 13-0, five-inning run rule of Gallup March 3 and a 7-2 win over Moriarty March 5 on the road. But the Pirates could get nothing going offensively against the 'Dogs' starting pitching. Grants' lone hit off Pacheco in Game One came in the top of the first inning, when catcher Dereck Rhoades delivered a one-out double, then scored on a passed ball and a wild pitch. From there, only two more Pirates -- Aaden Jiron on a walk in the top of the third and Rhoades on a fielder's choice one out later -- would reach the basepaths through six.

PICTURED: Center-fielder Jett Whitmire looks the third out of the top of the fifth into his glove during Game One.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Artesia, meanwhile, took a 2-1 lead out of the first when Jett Whitmire and Jett Fuentes led off with back-to-back singles and scored on a Pacheco sacrifice fly and a passed ball, respectively. They'd make it 4-1 in the second after Kolton Hamilton -- on with a leadoff double to the fence in left-center -- crossed on a Jarod Flores single and Flores came around on a base hit by Fuentes. That score would hold until the bottom of the fifth, when the Bulldogs doubled their tally on a two-run homer to right-center by senior catcher Brant Usherwood and consecutive RBI doubles from Hamilton and Flores. They'd tack on two more insurance runs in the sixth on a single-turned-error and a passed ball.

The Pirates were able to mount a brief pillaging in the top of the seventh following Pacheco's exit, using four walks, a hit batsman, and a pair of wild pitches to plate two runs and a Jojo Lujan RBI single and sac-fly by Rhoades to add two more to make it 10-5. That sacrifice, however, became Outs Nos. 2 and 3 when Whitmire fired home from center in an attempt to prevent the run and Usherwood was able to throw Lujan out at second instead.

Pacheco closed out his win with one hit, one earned run, and nine strikeouts, while at the plate, Usherwood went 3-4 and a double away from the cycle with two runs batted in. Flores, a sophomore, was 2-3 with a double and two RBI, and senior Fuentes and freshman Hamilton both went 2-4 with an RBI, Hamilton with two doubles. The 'Dogs had five extra-base hits in the contest.

PICTURED: Courtesy runner Lucas Atkins slides home on a passed ball in the sixth for Artesia's 10th run of the game.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Game Two, meanwhile, was a runaway from the word go. With Carrasco on the mound, the Artesia boys seated the Pirates in order in the top of the first before blowing the game wide open in the home half. The Bulldogs batted around, putting their first two runners on base via a Whitmire walk and a Fuentes double, then scoring on a two-base error in left and a two-RBI double to the fence in right by Usherwood. Usherwood's courtesy runner, Connor Tutak, crossed on a Carrasco RBI single, Carrasco's CR Atkins and Hayden Moser -- aboard with a base hit between first and second -- on a two-RBI double from Hamilton, and Hamilton and Logan Rodriguez -- on as a hit batsman -- on another two-run two-bagger from Flores. Fuentes then made it 9-0 on his second double of the inning, which plated Flores.

Grants was able to get two on with no outs on consecutive walks in the top of the second, but a strikeout, a fielder's choice that saw Fuentes gun Colin Lundstrom down at the plate from short, and a fly out to Rodriguez in left ended the threat. The 'Dogs proceeded to put the run rule on the table in the second on back-to-back base hits by Carrasco and Moser -- the latter for an RBI -- and the boys in orange put the game well out of reach in the third. Batting around once again, Artesia added eight to their total on RBI singles by Usherwood, Carrasco and Rodriguez. Two more runs crossed on RBI walks by Moser and pinch hitter Griffin Huizenga, another when Destin Pacheco was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and the 18th run of the game on a Whitmire RBI fielder's choice.

The Pirates went down in order again in the fourth, and the game would come to an end in the fifth on a ground out to second, a K, and an out due to batting out of order. Carrasco gave up no hits through four complete, striking out five. Fuentes led the team at the plate, going 4-4 with two doubles and a run batted in. Carrasco helped his cause, going 3-4 with two RBI; Moser was 2-3 with two RBI; Usherwood went 2-4 with a double and three RBI; Hamilton finished 1-1 with a double and two RBI; and Flores was 1-2 with a double and two RBI.

The Diamond 'Dogs (2-0) will next head west to the 51st Annual New Mexico Invitational in Las Cruces, where they'll open at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 12, against Class 5A Rio Rancho. The Rams -- who've been competing since February -- are currently unbeaten at 6-0 with wins over El Paso Montwood (11-2), El Paso El Dorado (7-3), El Paso Eastlake (3-0), Rio Grande (7-2), Santa Fe High (32-0... that's not a typo) and Atrisco Heritage Academy (12-2).

Tickets can be purchased via GoFan or by credit card at the gate at the Field of Dreams Baseball Complex. Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for students and the military. Click the links below to purchase in advance via GoFan. Fans should also note that the Las Cruces Public Schools have a clear-bag policy.
• New Mexico Invitational - Day One tickets (Thursday, March 12)
• New Mexico Invitational - Day Two tickets (Friday, March 13)
• New Mexico Invitational - Day Three tickets (Saturday, March 14)

PICTURED: Elijah Carrasco delivers to the plate during the top of the third.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

STAT BOX

Game One

Grants 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 5
Artesia 2 2 0 0 4 2 - 10

Artesia
Batting: Jett Whitmire 1-3, 1-HP; Jett Fuentes 2-4, 1-RBI; Daelon Pacheco 1-3, 1-SAC, 1-RBI; Brant Usherwood 3-4 (1-3B, 1-HR), 2-RBI; Elijah Carrasco 1-3, 1-HP; Connor Tutak 0-4; Kolton Hamilton 2-4 (2-2B), 1-RBI; Jarod Flores 2-3 (1-2B), 2-RBI; Destin Pacheco 0-3
Pitching: Da. Pacheco, sr.: 6-IP, 1-H, 1-R, 1-ER, 9-K, 2-BB; Whitmire, sr.: 1/3-IP, 0-H, 4-R, 4-ER, 1-K, 3-BB; De. Pacheco, jr.: 2/3-IP, 1-H, 0-R, 0-ER, 0-K, 1-BB
Team: 12-H, 0-E, 5-SB, 7-RBI, 6-LOB

Grants
Batting: Jojo Lujan 1-4, 1-RBI; Dereck Rhoades 1-3 (1-2B), 1-SAC, 1-RBI; Evan Taylor 0-2, 1-BB; Colin Lundstrom 0-2, 1-BB; Zeth Villasana 0-3; Bryan Antonio 0-2, 1-HP; Floyd Lee 0-2, 1-BB; Nathan Nieto 0-2, 1-BB, 1-RBI; Aaden Jiron 0-1, 2-BB, 1-RBI
Pitching: Lujan, 8th: 5-IP, 10-H, 8-R, 5-ER, 7-K, 0-BB; Lee, so.: 1-IP, 2-H, 2-R, 2-ER, 0-K, 0-BB
Team: 2-H, 3-E, 0-SB, 4-RBI, 3-LOB

Game Two

Grants 0 0 0 0 0 0
Artesia 9 1 8 0 - 18

Artesia
Batting: Jett Whitmire 1-4, 1-BB, 1-RBI; Jett Fuentes 4-4 (2-2B), 1-RBI; Daelon Pacheco 1-4; Brant Usherwood 2-4 (1-2B), 3-RBI; Elijah Carrasco 3-4, 2-RBI; Hayden Moser 2-3, 1-BB, 2-RBI; Kolton Hamilton 1-1 (1-2B), 1-BB, 2-RBI; Logan Rodriguez 1-2, 1-HP, 1-RBI; Jarod Flores 1-2 (1-2B), 1-BB, 2-RBI; Destin Pacheco 1-1, 1-HP, 1-RBI; Connor Tutak 0-1; Griffin Huizenga 0-0, 1-BB, 1-RBI
Pitching: Carrasco, jr.: 4-IP, 0-H, 0-R, 0-ER, 5-K, 3-BB; Lucas Atkins, jr.: 1-IP, 0-H, 0-R, 0-ER, 1-K, 0-BB
Team: 17-H, 0-E, 4-SB, 16-RBI, 7-LOB

Grants
Batting: Jojo Lujan 0-3; Dereck Rhoades 0-2; Evan Taylor 0-2; Colin Lundstrom 0-0, 1-BB; Zeth Villasana 0-0, 1-BB; Bryan Antonio 0-2; Floyd Lee 0-2; Nathan Nieto 0-1, 1-HP; Aaden Jiron 0-1, 1-BB; Noah Mace 0-1; Miguel Montoya 0-1
Pitching: Taylor, so.: 0-IP, 6-H, 9-R, 8-ER, 0-K, 1-BB; Antonio, jr.: 2-IP, 9-H, 9-R, 8-ER, 1-K, 2-BB; Nieto, so.: 2-IP, 2-H, 0-R, 0-ER, 2-K, 2-BB
Team: 0-H, 4-E, 0-SB, 0-RBI, 4-LOB

LADY BULLDOG SOFTBALL

Season Opener - Cleveland Softball Classic

PICTURED: The 2026 Lady Bulldog softball team poses for a photo at the Cleveland Softball Classic in Rio Rancho.

The Lady Bulldog softball team got its season off to a blazing start over the weekend, powering into 2026 with a pair of wins over Class 5A opponents and two more over fellow 4A squads at the Cleveland Softball Classic in Rio Rancho:
• vs. Farmington, 10-7
• vs. Piedra Vista, 8-0
• vs. Belen, 16-8
• vs. St. Pius, 11-4

The girls in orange plated at least eight runs in all four of their matchups at the unusually formatted round-robin-style tournament. Games were given hour-and-45-minute time limits, leading to early endings, and tourney placements were determined by "power points." Artesia and Organ Mountain were the only two teams to go 4-0 on the weekend, with the Lady Knights placed above the runner-up Lady 'Dogs by two points, 29-27.

The Lady Bulldogs opened both their season and the Classic Friday morning against 5A Farmington, and the battle was on from the opening pitch. Tied 2-2 after one complete, the Lady Scorpions took a 6-4 lead over the Artesia girls out of the third. But as is their trademark, the Lady 'Dogs put their trust in their bats, and in the bottom of the fourth, it paid off. Senior Kayden Apodaca launched a three-run homer in that at-bat to put Artesia back on top with one swing, 7-6, and after sophomore pitcher Katrin Marquez and her defense held the Scorps scoreless in the top of five, freshman A'dyn Levario delivered a two-RBI double to help the Lady Bulldogs expand their lead to four, 10-6. Farmington was able to bring a seventh run around in the top of the sixth, but the contest would end there via the time limit. Marquez and Apodaca both went 3-3 at the plate, the former with one RBI and the latter with five. Danyela Munoz and Isabel Cruz were both 2-3, Munoz with a run batted in, and in the circle, Marquez finished with six hits allowed through six complete, striking out 11.

A few hours later, the Lady 'Dogs were back in the Shockyards for their second test against 5A competition versus Piedra Vista. With Apodaca throwing a six-inning, three-hit shutout in the circle, Artesia built their lead steadily in that bout, taking two runs out of the first and one out of the third before pulling away decisively in the top of the fourth with five to make it 8-0. That game would also end after six. In addition to the W in the circle, Apodaca picked up her second home run of the day, going 2-2 with a two-run shot. Senior Jenna Whitmire was 2-3 at the plate and Janae Molina 1-2 with two runs batted in.

Saturday morning saw Artesia squaring off against their first 4A opponent of the year, and despite a few early-season errors that led to runs for the Lady Eagles, the Lady Bulldogs were again strong at the plate in the 16-8 decision. The girls in orange took a quick 3-0 lead in the contest, and although Belen would cut it to one in the top of two, 3-2, Artesia answered with six in the home half to widen the gap to seven, 9-2. The Eagles were also able to plate two in their third, fourth and fifth trips to the plate, but the Lady 'Dogs kept their offense going as well, leading 11-4 after three, 12-6 after four, and rounding out the final with four runs in the fifth. Munoz got the win in the circle for the Lady Bulldogs in the five-inning game, while at the plate, Whitmire went 3-4 with her first home run of the season and two RBI, Marquez 4-4 with three runs batted in, and Cruz 3-4 with three RBI.

The Lady Bulldogs' final outing of the tournament played out against St. Pius in the form of another dominant win by the girls in orange. Artesia fell behind in the first as the Lady Sartans took a 1-0 lead out of the home half, but the Lady 'Dogs would respond with eight of their own in the top of the second to quickly turn the tables. Pius was able to cut their deficit in half, 8-4, in the bottom of the third, but the Lady Bulldogs added a trio of insurance runs in the top of the fourth to make it 11-4. Both squads would go scoreless in the fifth and final. The Artesia girls outhit the Sartans 12-6 on the afternoon, with Whitmire posting a three-run tater for her second HR of the day and Levario notching a triple. Marquez recorded another win in the circle, with Apodaca coming on to close in the fifth.

Next on the docket for the Lady Bulldogs will be the Southern New Mexico Softball Invitational this weekend in Las Cruces. Hosted by Mayfield, the tournament features 16 of the top teams in the state, with Artesia opening at 1 p.m. Friday, March 13, against Deming. The Lady Wildcats are currently 2-6 on the year with two wins over Ruidoso (13-1 and 15-0) and double-header losses to Centennial (6-12, 2-17), Gadsden (1-10, 17-20) and Los Lunas (3-12, 1-9).

Ticket sales will be conducted via GoFan only. Tickets may be purchased at the gate at the Field of Dreams Softball Complex but only by scanning a QR code that will direct the customer to GoFan. To purchase in advance, click the links below. Fans should also note that the Las Cruces Public Schools have a clear-bag policy.
• Southern N.M. Softball Invite - Day One tickets (Friday, March 13)
• Southern N.M. Softball Invite - Day Two tickets (Saturday, March 14)

AHS TRACK & FIELD

PICTURED: Artesia javelin throwers wait for the start of their event during the Bulldog Relays March 5 at Morris Field.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

One year removed from their respective runner-up and fourth-place finishes at the Class 4A State Meet, the Bulldog and Lady Bulldog track and field teams hit the track -- and the grass, and the sand, and the pits -- running Feb. 27 at the Roswell Independent School District's annual Early Bird Meet and March 7 at the Albuquerque Academy-Los Alamos Co-Op Meet in Albuquerque.

The Bulldogs came in an impressive second overall at both meets, out of a field of 15 teams in Roswell and seven teams in Albuquerque. The Lady Bulldogs were fifth at both events out of fields of 14 and seven.

Artesia field events picked up five early state qualifications at the Early Bird in late February, three of those coming courtesy of the program's strong slate of shot putters. For the Bulldogs, Marco Soto took first place in the event with his qualifying throw of 50'1", while, for the Lady Bulldogs, Brooklynne Ivans and Harper Murray placed second and third, respectively, with their throws of 35'6" and 34'1". Also qualifying for the 'Dogs were Jayden Leyva and Brant Usherwood in the javelin with respective second- and fourth-place throws of 174' and 156'6", and Marcos Ornelas in the 110-meter hurdles with a first-place time of 15.24.

The Artesia boys also got a runner-up finish from Derek Lopez in the shot put, just off the qualifying mark at 45'8.5", and third-placements from Ayden Kenyon in the 200-meter dash (24.07), Aden Garcia in the 800-meter run (2:06.08), the 800-meter (1:35.32) and 1600-meter (3:43.43) relay teams, and Dylan Quiroz in the triple jump (41'6"). Lady Bulldog Ellie McGaughy finished first in the pole vault with an 8'6", just 4" off the state mark.

From there, it was off to the Duke City March 7 for the AA-LA Co-Op, where the teams added five new state qualifications to their lists. The Bulldogs qualified the program's first relay of the season, with the 1,600-meter team of Ornelas, Noah Beardsley, Moises Corza and Ulises Montanez turning in a second-place time of 3:30.53. Montanez also qualified in the high jump with a first-place jump of 6', and Lopez added his name to the shot put list with a qualifying throw of 48'5" for third. Re-qualifying and bettering his previous mark in the 110 hurdles was Ornelas with a first-place time of 15.02, and Soto and Leyva also re-qualified in the shot put and javelin, respectively, with first-place throws of 49' and 172'2". The Lady Bulldogs picked up two new state qualifiers: McGaughy in the pole vault with a third-place vault of 9', and Peyton Barela in the discus with a bronze-medal throw of 98'10.75". Re-qualifying and bettering her previous shot put mark was Ivans with a first-place, 36'7.5" throw, and Murray also re-qualified in that event with a third-place throw of 33'8".

The 'Dogs had two other relay teams top the podium in Albuquerque -- the 400-meter group of Miguel Soto, Ornelas, Beardsley and Corza with a 43.92, three-hundredths of a second off the mark, and the 800-meter team of Josiah Carrillo, Beardsley, Miguel Soto and Fabian Moya with a 1:32.98, 15-hundredths away -- as did Quiroz in the triple jump with a 41'7". The boys' medley relay team placed second with a 3:57.08 and Colt Moziejko was runner-up in the pole vault (10'6"), and Artesia got third-place finishes from Montanez in the boys' 400-meter dash (52.72); Corza in the boys' long jump (19'7"); the girls' 800 relay team of Gabriela Aguilar, Molly Mathews, McGaughy and Caiya Olivas (1:58.09); the girls' 1,600 relay team of Kaylee Berdoza, Aguilar, McGaughy and Marlyn Corza (4:27.54); and the girls' medley relay team (4:58.44).

In between, the Artesia High School junior varsity track teams hosted the Bulldog Relays March 5 at Bulldog Bowl and Morris Field. That meet gave the AHS program a chance to gain extra experience for their JV athletes and an opportunity to both integrate their athletes making the transition from winter sports and allow an extra qualifying meet for their two-spring-sport athletes. As such, both the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs notched a pair of state qualifications apiece. For the Bulldogs, Usherwood bettered his qualifying mark in the javelin with a second-place throw of 161'3", while Jett Whitmire topped the podium in that event with a 174'4" throw. His twin sister, Jenna Whitmire, was the runner-up in the girls' javelin with a state-qualifying throw of 109'10", and placing first and qualifying in the high jump was Elena Melendez with a 4'10" jump. Also placing first at the meet was the girls' 1,600-meter relay team with a time of 4:56.03.

Other second-place finishes included Saile Herrera in the boys' 800-meter run (2:29.63); the boys' medley relay team (4:08.56); the boys' 1,600-meter relay team (3:56.15); Chance Hocker in the boys' pole vault (9'); Kaden Mendoza in the boys' shot put (35'10"); Sammi Medrano in the girls' 100-meter hurdles (20.16); Kaidence Hnulik in the girls' 300 hurdles (56.90); the girls' medley relay team (4:57.88); and Quinley Murray in the high jump (4'2"). Bronze medalists included Hector Maldonado in the boys' 1,600-meter run (5:26.40); Braxton Norman in the boys' 110 hurdles (19.03); Andres Ortiz in the boys' high jump (5'4"); Silas Bush in the boys' discus (100'6.5"); Hnulik in the girls' 100 hurdles (20.60); Allie Elkins in the girls' 300 hurdles (57.01); the girls' 400 relay team (58.22); Mathews in the girls' high jump (4'2"); Natalie Medrano in the girls' discus (79'5"); and Gracen Kuykendall in the girls' javelin (85'9").

The varsity track and field teams will now be off until the Artesia Invitational, scheduled for Saturday, March 28, at Bulldog Bowl and Morris Field. JV track, meanwhile, will head to Carlsbad Thursday, March 12, for the Eddy County Qualifier. Tickets for that meet can be purchased here.

(Bulldog Relays Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Early Bird Meet Boys' Team Placements
1. Organ Mountain - 105
2. ARTESIA - 76
3. Los Alamos - 67
T-4. Hobbs - 44
T-4. Carlsbad - 44
6. Portales - 40
7. Roswell High - 24
8. Ruidoso - 18
9. Goddard - 16
10. Legacy Academy - 15
11. Hope Christian - 14
12. NMMI - 10
13. Gateway Christian - 5
14. Dexter - 3
15. Hagerman -1

Early Bird Meet Boys' Results
• 100-Meter Dash
- Noah Beardsley, 8th, 11.75
- Fabian Moya, 10th, 12.03
- Demitrius Aguilar, 25th, 12.79
• 200M Dash
- Ayden Kenyon, 3rd, 24.07
- Fabian Moya, 5th, 24.48
- Ulises Montanez, 6th, 24.51
• 400M Dash
- Santos Calderon, 18th, 58.99
- Andres Ortiz, 28th, 1:02.28
• 800M Run
- Aden Garcia, 3rd, 2:06.08
- Wyatt Knudsen, 13th, 2:16.66
- Aaron Allison, 18th, 2:19.61
• 1600M Run
- Aden Garcia, 12th, 5:13.65
- Hector Maldonado, 14th, 5:22.38
- Edwin Villarreal, 19th, 5:37.59
• 110M Hurdles
- Marcos Ornelas, 1st, 15.24 *
- Xavian Hernandez, 7th, 18.23
• 300M Hurdles
- Xavian Hernandez, 7th, 45.02
- Ever Najera, 15th, 50.01
- Braxton Norman, 18th, 50.95
• 400M Relay
- Artesia "A", 4th, 44.36
• 800M Relay
- Artesia "A", 3rd, 1:35.32
• 1600 Medley Relay
- Artesia "A", 4th, 4:09.38
• 1600M Relay
- Artesia "A", 3rd, 3:43.43
• High Jump
- Jared Rone, 7th, 5'6"
• Long Jump
- Moises Corza, 4th, 19'9"
- Ulises Montanez, 5th, 19'7.75"
- Fabian Moya, 7th, 19'2.5"
• Triple Jump
- Dylan Quiroz, 3rd, 41'6"
- Layton Whitmire, 5th, 38'5.5"
• Discus
- Derek Lopez, 4th, 119'5.25"
- Silas Bush, 13th, 98'5.25"
• Javelin
- Jayden Leyva, 2nd, 174' *
- Brant Usherwood, 4th, 156'6" *
- Jordan Gonzalez, 9th, 121'8"
• Shot Put
- Marco Soto, 1st, 50'1" *
- Derek Lopez, 2nd, 45'8.5"
- Silas Bush, 17th, 36'1"

Early Bird Meet Girls' Team Placements
1. Los Alamos - 144.5
2. Organ Mountain - 67
3. Hobbs - 59
4. Hope Christian - 38
5. ARTESIA - 37
6. Carlsbad - 35.5
7. Legacy Academy - 34
8. Gateway Christian - 22
9. NMMI - 16
10. Portales - 14
11. Ruidoso - 9
12. Roswell High - 4
13. Tularosa - 3
14. Dexter - 1

Early Bird Meet Girls' Results
• 100-Meter Dash
- Caiya Olivas, 8th, 13.58
- Olivia Bunt, 11th, 13.85
- Kaitlyn Addington, 12th, 13.89
• 200M Dash
- Gabriela Aguilar, 5th, 27.93
- Alani Escareno, 10th, 29.47
- Marlyn Corza, 11th, 29.64
• 400M Dash
- Allie Elkins, 9th, 1:09.22
- Chloe Caley, 10th, 1:09.69
- Elena Melendez, 15th, 1:11.17
• 1600M Run
- Caylee Shockey, 14th, 7:07.18
- Nori Larsen, 16th, 7:15.94
- Katherine Lewis, 21st, 7:39.88
• 3200M Run
- Caylee Shockey, 8th, 15:14.77
• 100M Hurdles
- Ellie McGaughy, 6th, 17.96
• 400M Relay
- Artesia "A", 6th, 52.60
• 1600 Medley Relay
- Artesia "A", 4th, 5:02.99
• 1600M Relay
- Artesia "A", 2nd, 4:29.50
• Long Jump
- J'Lee England, 4th, 14'6"
- Caylee Shockey, 20th, 11'4"
• Triple Jump
- Quinley Murray, 5th, 30'10"
- J'Lee England, 10th, 29'10.5"
- Elena Melendez, 12th, 29'7.5"
• Pole Vault
- Ellie McCaughy, 1st, 8'6"
• Discus
- Natalie Medrano, 9th, 79'6.25"
- Katie Dowell, 14th, 70'4"
- Leila Irvin, 20th, 59'11"
• Javelin
- Natalie Medrano, 6th, 74'1"
- Lily Klingshirn, 14th, 60'
- Adalee Kempton, 23rd, 45'1"
• Shot Put
- Brooklynne Ivans, 2nd, 35'6" *
- Harper Murray, 3rd, 34'1" *
- Lily Klingshirn, 7th, 29'3"

AA-LA Co-Op Meet Boys' Team Placements
1. Albuquerque Academy - 143.5
2. ARTESIA - 99
3. Rio Rancho - 86
4. Los Alamos - 72
5. St. Pius - 17.5
6. Legacy Academy - 17
7. Sandia Prep - 11

AA-LA Co-Op Meet Boys' Results
• 100-Meter Dash
- Noah Beardsley, 7th, 11.40
- Ayden Kenyon, 12th, 11.71
- Dylan Quiroz, 17th, 12.21
- Ervey Cano, 24th, 12.69
• 200M Dash
- Marcos Ornelas, 4th, 23.00
- Ayden Kenyon, 8th, 23.98
- Dylan Quiroz, 16th, 25.06
• 400M Dash
- Ulises Montanez, 3rd, 52.72
- Josiah Carrillo, 9th, 56.68
• 800M Run
- Aden Garcia, 10th, 2:10.46
- Aaron Allison, 17th, 2:21.84
• 1600M Run
- Wyatt Knudsen, 21st, 5:27.31
• 3200M Run
- Edwin Villarreal, 16th, 11:33.83
• 110M Hurdles
- Marcos Ornelas, 1st, 15.02 *
- Xavian Hernandez, 6th, 17.96
• 300M Hurdles
- Xavian Hernandez, 5th, 45.30
• 400M Relay
- Artesia "A" (Miguel Soto, Marcos Ornelas, Noah Beardsley, Moises Corza), 1st, 43.92
• 800M Relay
- Artesia "A" (Josiah Carrillo, Noah Beardsley, Miguel Soto, Fabian Moya), 1st, 1:32.98
• 1600 Medley Relay
- Artesia "A", 2nd, 3:57.08
• 1600M Relay
- Artesia "A" (Marcos Ornelas, Noah Beardsley, Moises Corza, Ulises Montanez), 2nd, 3:30.53 *
• High Jump
- Ulises Montanez, 1st, 6' *
• Long Jump
- Moises Corza, 3rd, 19'7"
- Dylan Quiroz, 5th, 18'8"
- Ulises Montanez, 6th, 18'6"
- Fabian Moya, 8th, 18'3.5"
• Triple Jump
- Dylan Quiroz, 1st, 41'7"
- Layton Whitmire, 8th, 37'6"
• Pole Vault
- Colt Moziejko, 2nd, 10'6"
• Discus
- Derek Lopez, 5th, 120'3"
- Jonah Deason, 17th, 74'11.5"
• Javelin
- Jayden Leyva, 1st, 172'2" *
• Shot Put
- Marco Soto, 1st, 49' *
- Derek Lopez, 3rd, 48'5" *

AA-LA Co-Op Meet Girls' Team Placements
1. Albuquerque Academy - 124
2. Los Alamos - 117
3. Rio Rancho - 91
4. Legacy Academy - 46
5. ARTESIA - 44
6. St. Pius - 5
7. Sandia Prep - 3

AA-LA Co-Op Meet Girls' Results
• 100-Meter Dash
- Caiya Olivas, 14th, 13.48
- Alani Escareno, 15th, 13.54
- Chloe Caley, 21st, 14.36
- Molly Mathews, 22nd, 14.43
• 200M Dash
- Alani Escareno, 8th, 28.75
- Chloe Caley, 17th, 30.01
- Molly Mathews, 18th, 30.81
• 400M Dash
- Marlyn Corza, 6th, 1:05.55
- Kaylee Berdoza, 7th, 1:05.61
• 800M Run
- Aubrey Allison, 14th, 2:47.52
• 100M Hurdles
- Ellie McGaughy, 4th, 17.49
- Kaidence Hnulik, 11th, 20.23
• 300M Hurdles
- Kaidence Hnulik, 5th, 54.89
- Adianez Renteria, 8th, 56.07
• 800M Relay
- Artesia "A" (Gabriela Aguilar, Molly Mathews, Ellie McGaughy, Caiya Olivas), 3rd, 1:58.09
• 1600 Medley Relay
- Artesia "A", 3rd, 4:58.44
• 1600M Relay
- Artesia "A" (Kaylee Berdoza, Gabriela Aguilar, Ellie McGaughy, Marlyn Corza), 3rd, 4:27.54
• Triple Jump
- Quinley Murray, 6th, 29'11.75"
• Pole Vault
- Ellie McGaughy, 3rd, 9' *
• Discus
- Peyton Barela, 3rd, 98'10.75" *
• Shot Put
- Brooklynne Ivans, 1st, 36'7.5" *
- Harper Murray, 3rd, 33'8" *
- Lily Klingshirn, 8th, 27'3.5"

Bulldog Relays Boys' JV Results
• 100-Meter Dash
- Alexander Hendricks, 4th, 12.54
- Jonathan Corza, 6th, 12.68
- Santos Calderon, T-8th, 12.79
- Deron Hernandez, T-8th, 12.79
- Brock Wiley, 12th, 12.92
- Daven Osburn, 13th, 12.93
- Isaac Madrid, 14th, 13.01
- Brody Parra, 28th, 13.81
- Nate Leyva, 30th, 14.18
- Nathan Baine, 35th, 15.17
- Dexter Crosby, 38th, 16.61
• 200M Dash
- Alexander Hendricks, 6th, 26.15
- Santos Calderon, 8th, 26.52
- Brock Wiley, 10th, 26.97
- Demitrius Aguilar, 13th, 27.25
- Dustin Yaste, 19th, 28.69
- Nate Leyva, 21st, 29.92
- Nathan Baine, 28th, 31.84
- Dexter Crosby, 32nd, 35.59
• 400M Dash
- Chance Hocker, 6th, 58.01
- Alexander Hendricks, 11th, 1:00.34
- Demitrius Aguilar, 14th, 1:03.02
• 800M Run
- Saile Herrera, 2nd, 2:29.63
- Justin Rodriguez, 10th, 2:52.12
- Taylor Beltran, 11th, 2:52.63
- Alexander Molina, 14th, 2:59.31
• 1600M Run
- Hector Maldonado, 3rd, 5:26.40
- Aedyn Moralez, 6th, 5:38.28
- Sterlin Sheffield, 12th, 5:57.04
- Justin Rodriguez, 15th, 6:13.17
- Duncan Hill, 16th, 6:22.25
• 3200M Run
- Aedyn Moralez, 6th, 12:52.71
- Sterlin Sheffield, 9th, 13:30.33
- Taylor Beltran, 4th, 18:51.78
• 110M Hurdles
- Braxton Norman, 3rd, 19.03
- JC Apodaca, 9th, 21.75
• 300M Hurdles
- Braxton Norman, 4th, 50.11
- JC Apodaca, 10th, 59.64
• 400M Relay
- Artesia "A", 5th, 48.96
• 800M Relay
- Artesia "A", 4th, 1:42.88
• 1600 Medley Relay
- Artesia "A", 2nd, 4:08.56
• 1600M Relay
- Artesia "A", 2nd, 3:56.15
• High Jump
- Andres Ortiz, 3rd, 5'4"
• Long Jump
- Jared Rone, 7th, 17'10"
- Jonathan Corza, 8th, 17'8.5"
• Triple Jump
- Jared Rone, 4th, 38'
- Demitrius Aguilar, 7th, 35'1.5"
• Pole Vault
- Chance Hocker, 2nd, 9'
- Brody Parra, 4th, 8'
- JC Apodaca, 5th, 8'
• Discus
- Silas Bush, 3rd, 100'6.5"
- Jonah Deason, 4th, 97'3"
- Jonah Doporto, 5th, 96'4"
- Keagan Savage, 21st, 74'1"
- Jesse Johnson, 23rd, 73'10"
- Luis Hernandez, 25th, 68'8.5"
• Javelin
- Jett Whitmire, 1st, 174'4" *
- Brant Usherwood, 2nd, 161'3" *
- Silas Bush, 5th, 106'10"
- Jonah Deason, 7th, 102'1"
- Austin Norton, 12th, 89'1"
• Shot Put
- Kaden Mendoza, 2nd, 35'10"
- Daniel Cortez, 9th, 32'5"

Bulldog Relays Girls' JV Results
• 100-Meter Dash
- Braelynn Gurrola, 5th, 14.84
- Annaly Zuniga, 7th, 14.90
- Cheyenne Cook, 18th, 16.57
- Alexa Hernandez, 25th, 17.34
• 200M Dash
- Braelynn Gurrola, 4th, 30.69
- Annaly Zuniga, 9th, 32.26
- Alexa Hernandez, 27th, 37.45
• 400M Dash
- Layla Shipman, 5th, 1:09.59
- Ashton Craft, 7th, 1:12.03
• 800M Run
- Nori Larsen, 7th, 2:59.06
• 1600M Run
- Nori Larsen, 7th, 7:08.95
- Mckenna Drake, 8th, 7:10.50
- Katherine Lewis, 12th, 7:27.21
- Ariana Perez, 16th, 8:04.58
• 100M Hurdles
- Sammi Medrano, 2nd, 20.16
- Kaidence Hnulik, 3rd, 20.60
- Adianez Renteria, 4th, 20.75
- Aliso Rodriguez, 7th, 21.21
- Demri Box, 8th, 22.63
- Tynlee Whitmire, 9th, 22.68
• 300M Hurdles
- Kaidence Hnulik, 2nd, 56.90
- Allie Elkins, 3rd, 57.01
- Sammi Medrano, 4th, 58.81
- Adianez Renteria, 5th, 59.38
- Aliso Rodriguez, 7th, 1:01.37
- Demri Box, 8th, 1:02.08
- Tynlee Whitmire, 12th, 1:08.77
• 400M Relay
- Artesia "A", 3rd, 58.22
• 1600 Medley Relay
- Artesia "A", 2nd, 4:57.88
• 1600M Relay
- Artesia "A", 1st, 4:56.03
• High Jump
- Elena Melendez, 1st, 4'10" *
- Quinley Murray, 2nd, 4'2"
- Molly Mathews, 3rd, 4'2"
• Long Jump
- Alison Rodriguez, 16th, 11'11.5"
- Alexa Hernandez, 22nd, 10'
• Triple Jump
- Adianez Renteria, 4th, 29'11"
- Sammi Medrano, 6th, 29'3"
- Layla Shipman, 9th, 25'7"
• Discus
- Natalie Medrano, 3rd, 79'5"
- Katie Dowell, 8th, 64'8"
- Gracen Kuykendall, 9th, 64'4"
- Desiray Savoie, 12th, 60'8"
• Javelin
- Jenna Whitmire, 2nd, 109'10" *
- Gracen Kuykendall, 3rd, 85'9"
• Shot Put
- Leila Irvin, 4th, 25'2"

* denotes state qualification

AHS TENNIS

Following their season-opening tournament Feb. 27-28 in Alamogordo, the Artesia High School tennis teams were on the road again March 6-7 at the Lea County Invitational in Hobbs, where Artesia proceeded to go an impressive 3-1 against some stiff Class 5A competition.

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs opened Friday morning against Clovis, coming away with an 18-1 win over the Wildcats. The Artesia boys went undefeated in both singles and doubles play, while the Artesia girls dropped just one singles match to the Lady Wildcats:

Boys' Singles vs. Clovis
• Cutter Summers def. Ben Brooks (6-3, 6-3)
• Damian Lopez def. Mason Loucks (6-0, 6-3)
• Paul Miller def. Connor O'Doherty (6-0, 6-0)
• Jackson Hollinger def. Zaydon Martinez (6-1, 6-1)
• Josh Martinez def. Justice Kincheloe (6-0, 6-0)
• Ediel Miranda def. Lucas Woodard (6-0, 6-2)
Boys' Doubles vs. Clovis
• Martinez/Miller def. Brooks/Loucks (6-1, 6-0)
• Summers/Hollinger def. Martinez/Kincheloe (6-1, 6-1)
• Miranda/Adan Alva def. Woodard/Parker Harrison (6-3, 6-0)

Girls' Singles vs. Clovis
• Kirklyn Miller def. Ava Evans (6-0, 6-1)
• Breckyn Miller def. Emily Bjorklynd (6-1, 7-5)
• Adrienne Harvey def. Sophie Roberts (4-6, 6-4 (10-5))
• Abigail Jowers def. Avery Linn (6-1, 6-2)
• Renee Irvin def. Tara Zimmerman (6-1, 6-0)
• Stella Rand fell to Bailey Baldock (3-6, 1-6)
Girls' Doubles vs. Clovis
• Miller/Miller def. Evans/Bjorklynd (6-1, 6-0)
• Harvey/Jowers def. Roberts/Linn (6-1, 6-3)
• Rand/Chloe Aguilar def. Zimmerman/Baldock (6-4, 6-4)

Mixed Doubles
• Madrid/Irvin def. O'Doherty/Ava Sanders (6-1, 6-4)

Artesia made a clean sweep of Roswell High at the tournament, 19-0, with five of the Lady Bulldogs' six singles players notably shutting out their Lady Coyote opponents.

Boys' Singles vs. Roswell High
• Paul Miller def. Hiram Alvarado (6-2, 6-0)
• Josh Martinez def. Sergio Carreon (6-0, 7-5)
• Jackson Hollinger def. Martin Carreon (6-1, 6-3)
• Ediel Miranda def. Aaron Gurrola (6-0, 6-0)
• Adan Alva def. Christian Sanchez (6-2, 6-3)
• Mateo Madrid def. Carlos Alvarado (8-4)
Boys' Doubles vs. Roswell High
• Miller/Martinez def. H. Alvarado/S. Carreon (6-2, 6-1)
• Hollinger/Damian Lopez def. M. Carreon/Gurrola (6-1, 6-0)
• Miranda/Alva def. C. Alvarado/J. Tejeda (6-1, 6-3)

Girls' Singles vs. Roswell High
• Breckyn Miller def. Sophia Vigil (6-0, 6-0)
• Adrienne Harvey def. Valentina Ruiz (6-0, 6-0)
• Abigail Jowers def. Nicole Sanchez (6-0, 6-0)
• Renee Irvin def. Estrella Yepez (6-0, 6-0)
• Sadia Morris def. Xanali Madrid (6-0, 6-3)
• Chloe Aguilar def. Emily Velarde (6-0, 6-0)
Girls' Doubles vs. Roswell High
• Miller/Miller def. Vigil/Madrid (6-0, 6-0)
• Jowers/Harvey def. Ruiz/Sanchez (6-1, 6-1)
• Irvin/Morris def. Yepez/D. Torrez (6-1, 6-0)

Mixed Doubles
• Summers/Rand def. Guerrero/Barozzo (6-2, 6-0)

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs also turned in an exciting win over county rival Carlsbad that saw the Lady Bulldogs sweep their singles and doubles matches to secure the win while the 'Dogs added a singles and doubles win to the mix. Defeating their Cavegirl counterparts in singles play were Kirklyn Miller, Breckyn Miller, Harvey, Jowers, Irvin and Morris, while Miller/Miller, Harvey/Jowers and Irvin/Morris also came out on top in doubles play. The Artesia boys' singles win came in a hard-fought tie-breaker match by Miller against Sean Erosido (6-2, 3-6 (10-8)), while Miller and Hollinger secured the Bulldogs' doubles win over Erosido/Alex Burns (7-5, 6-3). Madrid and Aguilar also took the mixed-doubles match over Alexis Soria/Grayson Reed.

The teams' only loss of the weekend came at the hands of Seminole, Texas, who edged Artesia 11-8. The Lady Bulldogs accounted for four singles wins in the competition, with Kirklyn Miller defeating Melany Vazquez 7-5, 6-1; Breckyn Miller topping Addi Armstrong 6-4, 6-1; Harvey besting Marley Jannaman 6-1, 10-2; and Irvin defeating Jazlynn Holmstrom 6-2, 6-4. The Lady Indians took all three doubles matches. On the boys' side, the Bulldogs added two doubles and two singles victories, with Miller/Martinez defeating Maddox Savage/Jacoby Armstrong 7-5, 6-2; Miranda/Alva topping Ruben Villalobos/JJ Rivera 6-0, 6-2; Hollinger besting Samuel Thiessen 6-2, 6-2; and Miranda winning over Villalobos 6-1, 6-3.

The AHS tennis teams are now on the road Monday, March 9, and Tuesday, March 10, in Santa Fe, where they'll be taking on St. Michael's and Santa Fe Prep, respectively.

AHS CHEER

The Artesia High School cheerleaders competed in their final pre-state event Saturday, March 7, and made it count, coming home with a pair of first-place trophies and one runner-up. The varsity cheer squad claimed the top prize in the competitive Class 4A-5A All-Girl Game Day Cheer competition, which sends them into the March 21 State Spirit Competition with a big boost of confidence. Meanwhile, the JV cheerleaders closed out their 2025-26 competition season in Alamo, taking first place for their All-Girl Cheer with Music. That routine went undefeated on the season, and you can check out a video of it here. Artesia JV cheer also took silver for their All-Girl Game Day Cheer.

Bulldog fans will have a chance to see the varsity cheerleaders perform their State Spirit routines at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, at Bulldog Pit. The squad will also be honoring its seniors and holding a prize raffle fundraiser at a cost of $2 per ticket. The New Mexico State Spirit Competition will be held Saturday, March 21, at The Pit in Albuquerque. Tickets for that event are already on sale and can be purchased via the University of New Mexico's ticketing portal.

SPORTS TICKETING

Available online ticketing options for this week's scheduled sporting events:

Class 4A State Basketball
#2 Bulldogs vs. #7 Gallup
6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at The Pit (Albuquerque)
Click here to purchase

Bulldog Baseball
New Mexico Invitational (March 12-14)
Field of Dreams Baseball Complex (Las Cruces)
Round One: vs. Rio Rancho
3 p.m. Thursday, March 12
Click here to purchase Day One tickets
Click here to purchase Day Two tickets
Click here to purchase Day Three tickets

Lady Bulldog Softball
Southern New Mexico Softball Invitational (March 13-14)
Field of Dreams Softball Complex (Las Cruces)
Round One: vs. Deming
1 p.m. Friday, March 13
Click here to purchase Day One tickets
Click here to purchase Day Two tickets

JV "A" Baseball
vs. Roswell High
4:30/6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at Artesia
Click here to purchase

vs. Hobbs
4:30/6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at Artesia
Click here to purchase

JV "A" Softball
Hobbs Tournament
Friday-Saturday, March 13-14
Click here to purchase Day One tickets
Click here to purchase Day Two tickets

JV Track & Field
Eddy County Qualifier
3 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at Carlsbad
Click here to purchase