Bloomfield qualifies 5 athletes for state

FARMINGTON – The Bloomfield Bobcats had a staggering start on the first day of the track season on Saturday.

At the Early Bird track meet in Farmington, the Bobcats qualified five individuals for the end-of-the-season Class 4A state meet, which will be held May 17-18 at the University of New Mexico Track-Soccer Complex in Albuquerque.

The qualifiers include pole vaulter Eli Meador, shot putter Robert Williams, sprinter Evani Velasquez and hurdlers Andrew Himes and Heath Johnson.

“This is a great start for us,” fourth-year Bloomfield coach Brian Mosely said. “We have some really strong kids. You know, we didn’t do a lot of relays today. We wanted to see where they’re at individually, then we’ll build upon our relays.”

Himes and Johnson finished1-2 in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. Himes won both events, clocking in at 15.25 seconds in the 110 and 41.52 seconds in the 300 as those times beat the state qualifying marks.

Johnson met the 110 state standard with a 16.07 effort. His 44.04 try in the 300 hurdles missed the mark by two-plus seconds.

Himes also earned a third qualification with a 43-feet effort in the triple jump, an event in which he won state last season. The Bloomfield sophomore hit that mark on his first try.

“I want to try and be a two-time state champion,” Himes said. “I want to win the hurdles, too.”

Despite it being the first meet, Mosley felt that Himes would meet the state qualifying mark based on his training the past few weeks.

“He popped it well,” Moseley said. “The kid is a gifted individual. He works really hard. He’s like a sponge, he sucks all the information in. He just goes after it.

“He only has one speed and it’s ‘let’s go get it right now,’” he added. “I won’t be surprised if he qualifies in both jumps.”

In the long jump, Himes took third, going 19-11, which was five inches off the state qualifying mark. He did record a 20-11n leap but had to scratch that mark as he went a couple of inches past the take-off board.
“Last year I got 20-08, so I know that I can get out there,” Himes said.

In the girls sprints, Velasquez was a double winner. She claimed the 100- and 200-meter dashes with times of 12.7 and 25.67 seconds, respectively.

“She’s our main sprinter and she took third at state last year,” Mosley said, “and the year before as an eighth grader and a freshman,” Mosley said.

The sophomore sprinter met the state qualifying marks for both events.

In the shot put, Williams won the event with a 46-04 effort while Meador took the pole vault with a 13-06 attempt. Those marks earned the two Bloomfield athletes state qualifications.

Mosley was also keen on boys sprinter George Rascon, a senior. Rascon won the open 100 with a time of 11.5 and he took fourth in the 200 with a time of 24.39.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what he does this year,” the Bloomfield coach said of Rascon.

“We also have three high jumpers that did well,” Mosley added.

At the Farmington meet, Alivia Waite was two inches off from qualifying for state as she cleared 4-08 in the high jump. Kaylynn Armenta and Keira Abney both leaped 4-06.

---