PREVIOUS WINTER SPORTS WRAPS
• 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

PICTURED: Artesia's very own team of expert analysts -- from left, Layton Whitmire, Lucas Atkins, George Blackburn and Elijah Carrasco -- set up courtside during the Bulldogs' game against Portales Feb. 13 at Bulldog Pit.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

District 4-AAAA Round 2: vs. Lovington

The Bulldogs' final road test of regular District 4-AAAA play came in the dangerous confines of Lovington's home gym. With the Wildcats and their fans always eager to upend Artesia in any sport, stranger things than even Portales' half-court Hail Mary the week before have happened in 'Cat Country over the years, and the Artesia boys knew they needed to keep their focus on the boys in blue in order to keep their district campaign on track. In the end, they got the job done to devastating effect, completing a sweep of the Wildcats with a 74-39 win that was never in doubt.

A brief lead by Lovington in the early goings of the first quarter would be it for the 'Cats on the night, as Artesia quickly turned the tables with a 13-0 run that included seven points from Clay Kincaid and two apiece by Trent Egeland, Braylon Vega and Charlie Campbell to go up 17-6 with two minutes to go. An Egeland shot off the glass and two each from the free-throw line by Jack Byers and Vega made that 21-8, but Lovington was able to trim their deficit back into single digits, 23-14, going into the second on a pair of late treys from Elijah Rivero and Danny Criswell.

The second quarter was a lower scoring one for both squads, but the Wildcats were able to continue hanging within nine until the midway point, when a jumper by Corbyn Dominguez kicked off a 9-2 stretch that saw a Cael Houghtaling offensive putback, followed by a steal and dish to Tootie McNeil for the layup, and a long three bomb by Campbell send the Bulldogs into the locker room up by 14, 37-23. And that gap would only widen in the third.

The 'Dogs came out on fire for the second half, opening with eight unanswered and again scoring in bursts to -- with help from a stingy defensive effort -- keep the Wildcats on their heels. Artesia got six points apiece from Vega, Egeland and Kincaid in the quarter to lead 61-33 going into the final eight minutes following a buzzer-beating three by Lovington's Manny Perez. Manny Perez and JoJo Perez would knock down treys in the fourth, as well, but they would comprise the entirety of the Wildcats' scoring in that quarter. The 'Dogs, meanwhile, added 13 with help from their bench, with McNeil posting a pair of buckets and Diego Morales and Jace Deans one each to round out the 74-39 final.

Campbell led all scorers in the game, followed by Criswell with 16 for Lovington. Egeland finished with 14, Kincaid 13 and Vega 11 for the Bulldogs, who got points from 10 of their 12 athletes on the night. Artesia improved to 18-5, 3-1 with the victory, while the 'Cats dropped to 5-19, 1-3.

STAT BOX

Artesia 74
Lovington 39

Artesia (18-5, 3-1): Charlie Campbell 6, 2-2 17; Trent Egeland 7, 0-0 14; Clay Kincaid 5, 3-4 13; Braylon Vega 3, 5-6 11; Tootie McNeil 3, 0-0 6; Cael Houghtaling 2, 0-0 4; Jack Byers 0, 3-4 3; Jace Deans 1, 0-0 2; Corbyn Dominguez 1, 0-2 2; Diego Morales 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 29, 13-18 74

Lovington (5-19, 1-3): Danny Criswell 6, 2-2 16; Elijah Rivero 5, 0-0 11; Manny Perez 2, 0-0 6; JoJo Perez 1, 0-0 3; Chase Terrell 1, 0-0 2; Donnivan Gomez 0, 1-2 1
Totals: 15, 3-4 39

Field Goals: Artesia 29; Lovington 15
Three-Pointers: Artesia 3 (Campbell); Lovington 6 (Criswell 2, M. Perez 2, J. Perez 1, Rivero 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 13-18 (72%); Lovington 3-4 (75%)
Turnovers: Artesia 11; Lovington 8
Fouls: Artesia 8; Lovington 10
Fouled Out: None

District 4-AAAA Round 2: vs. Portales

PICTURED: Charlie Campbell sails in for a layup past Portales' Pat Alvarado (1) as Clay Kincaid (42) and Trent Egeland (24) look on.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The mission was clear: This time, leave nothing to chance.

Artesia found out the hard way Feb. 3, when a buzzer-beating prayer was answered for Portales on their home court to briefly bump the Bulldogs out of first place in District 4-AAAA play. But three days later, the boys in red would fall to last-place Lovington on the road, 75-69, drawing them back into a tie with the 'Dogs that placed significant importance on the teams' second meeting Feb. 13 at Bulldog Pit. And before a big home crowd on Pack the Pit Night, the Runnin' 'Dogs weren't handing out any Valentines.

With a four-quarter effort that saw the boys in orange build a big lead in the opening period, fend off a challenge in the second, and maintain a double-digit margin throughout the second half, Artesia got its revenge in the Ram rematch, defeating Portales 67-50 to move back in front in the D4 standings.

The 'Dogs made a strong statement in the first, as Braylon Vega sank a three off the opening tip, then added a pair of free throws amidst a trio of layups from Charie Campbell that made it 11-2 Artesia with six minutes still to go in the quarter. Campbell, Clay Kincaid and Corbyn Dominguez all took perfect trips of their own to the stripe in the final two minutes of the period, and a Dominguez shot off the glass on a dump pass by Vega put the Bulldogs firmly in the driver's seat, 18-8, going into the second.

PICTURED: Cael Houghtaling slams it home on an alley-oop pass from Charlie Campbell (3).
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Back-to-back buckets from Campbell and Vega made that 22-8 a minute-and-a-half in, but the Rams would put together a 9-0 run -- with seven of those points coming courtesy of 6'7" power forward Pierce Culpepper -- to pull back within five by the halfway point. Vega and Campbell would step in to trade baskets with Portales and maintain that margin through the two-minute mark, but from there, Artesia was able to force a string of turnovers to close out the half on nine unanswered of their own. That rally began with a spin move and a layup from Campbell, to which Kincaid and Vega added layups on back-to-back steals by Cael Houghtaling. Jack Byers then added a mid-air offensive putback as time ran out to make it 35-21 Artesia at the break.

The third quarter was a see-saw battle that saw both teams put up 18 points, six of the Rams' coming on three consecutive turnovers by the Bulldogs in the final minute. But with Artesia's 14-point advantage holding strong, all that remained was to finish the job, which the 'Dogs did with help from a trio of buckets by Byers, two from Kincaid, a pair from the line by Trent Egeland, and a Houghtaling dunk on an alley-oop give-and-go with Campbell as Artesia powered to the 67-50 win.

Culpepper had 18 on the night for the Rams, while Campbell and Vega both finished with 17 for the Bulldogs. The victory moved Class 4A second-ranked Artesia to 19-5 on the season, 4-1 in district play, and dropped No. 9 Portales to 12-12, 3-2. The 'Dogs will close out regular-season district play at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, against Goddard (11-13, 2-3) at Bulldog Pit, while Portales hosts Lovington (5-20, 1-4) at the same time.

PICTURED: Clay Kincaid dunks the ball during the third quarter as Portales' Pat Alvarado (1) and Jacoby Bamforth (2) look on.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

PICTURED: Braylon Vega puts a short-range jumper up over Portales' Pierce Culpepper.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

STAT BOX

Artesia 67
Portales 50

Artesia (19-5, 4-1): Charlie Campbell 8, 1-2 17; Braylon Vega 7, 2-2 17; Clay Kincaid 5, 3-4 13; Jack Byers 4, 0-1 8; Trent Egeland 2, 2-2 6; Corbyn Dominguez 1, 2-2 4; Cael Houghtaling 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 28, 10-13 67

Portales (12-12, 3-2): Pierce Culpepper 6, 5-5 18; La'Trell Long 5, 2-2 12; Jacoby Bamforth 3, 1-2 9; Aiden Mestas 4, 0-0 9; Ramiro Flores 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 19, 8-9 50

Field Goals: Artesia 28; Portales 19
Three-Pointers: Artesia 1 (Vega); Portales 4 (Bamforth 2, Culpepper 1, Mestas 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 10-13 (77%); Portales 8-9 (89%)
Turnovers: Artesia 20; Portales 10
Fouls: Artesia 10; Portales 17
Fouled Out: Artesia 0; Portales 1 (Long, 3:54-4Q)

LADY BULLDOG BASKETBALL

PICTURED: Kailee Padilla, out due to injury since mid-December, sends hopeful hints head coach Candace Pollard's way prior to Artesia's game against Portales Feb. 13 at Bulldog Pit.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

District 4-AAAA Round Two: vs. Lovington

Still seeking their second District 4-AAAA win, the Lady Bulldog basketball team knew it would be a tough order last week as they headed to Lovington Feb. 10 to take on the Class 4A eighth-ranked Lady Wildcats before returning to Bulldog Pit Feb. 13 for a rematch with No. 9 Portales. As it would happen, the girls in orange were close enough to taste it in both outings. But the inconsistent offense that's plagued the team off and on throughout the season wound up spelling the difference again.

Versus Lovington, the Artesia girls overcame a slow start to put the Lady Wildcats back in their sights for the mid-portion of the contest. The 'Cats had opened the contest with a 10-3 run -- Artesia's points coming on an Ashton Craft trey -- and, following a shot in the paint by Craft and a three from Jordan Rone, had pushed their lead to 12, 20-8, with eight more unanswered points late. Another longball at the buzzer by Craft, however, got the Lady 'Dogs back within nine, 20-11, and the girls in orange were able to close the gap further in the second. Holding Lovington to just nine points in that quarter, Craft continued her offensive onslaught, knocking down two more trifectas in the period and a jumper in the final 20 seconds, while Brooklyn Fuentes added a pair of j's of her own to see Artesia trailing by just six, 29-23, at the half.

Craft resumed her banner night from beyond the arc just seconds into the third, and Fuentes would join the party past the perimeter with two of her own that made it a three-point game, 35-32, with four minutes to go in the quarter. Ashelynn Borunda was able to create some space for the Lady 'Cats, but offensive putbacks from Fuentes and Jenna Whitmire and a pair from the stripe by Peyton Barela had the Lady Bulldogs well within striking distance going into the fourth, 45-38.

Unfortunately, that's where the comeback effort would end. With help from five untimely turnovers by Artesia, Lovington was able to rack up 12 unanswered points in the fourth to put the game out of reach before the Lady 'Dogs ever got on the board. Craft put down her sixth three-pointer of the night with a minute to go in the game, and that would be it for Artesia's scoring as the Wildcats pulled away for a win that looked more lopsided than it was, 59-41.

Borunda led all scorers on the contest with 27, followed by Craft with 22. Contributing heftily to Lovington's scoring were 25 trips to the free-throw line, of which the girls in blue hit 18. By contrast, Artesia went to the stripe just once, with Barela making both attempts.

STAT BOX

Artesia (12-11, 1-3): Ashton Craft 8, 0-0 22; Brooklyn Fuentes 5, 0-0 12; Jordan Rone 1, 0-0 3; Peyton Barela 0, 2-2 2; Jenna Whitmire 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 15, 2-2 41

Lovington (18-6, 3-1): Ashelynn Borunda 9, 9-11 27; Abbi Shouse 7, 5-6 19; Leslie Corral 4, 4-6 13; #5 0, 0-2 0
Totals: 20, 18-25 59

Field Goals: Artesia 15; Lovington 20
Three-Pointers: Artesia 9 (Craft 6, Fuentes 2, Rone 1); Lovington 1 (Corral)
Free Throws: Artesia 2-2 (100%); Lovington 18-25 (72%)
Turnovers: Artesia 15; Lovington 8
Fouls: Artesia 14; Lovington 6
Fouled Out: Artesia 1 (Fuentes, 2:00-4Q)

District 4-AAAA Round Two: vs. Portales

PICTURED: Avery Frederick puts up a bucket over Portales' April Benavides in the first quarter.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Tied 24-all with Class 4A ninth-ranked Portales going into the fourth quarter, the Lady Bulldogs had given themselves a chance. And it was very nearly enough. A poor night from the free-throw line, a few too many turnovers, and a slow start, however, conspired against the girls in orange in a three-point District 4-AAAA loss at Bulldog Pit, 39-36.

Artesia couldn't afford to give the Ramettes a leg up as the fourth quarter began, but that's unfortunately what happened. Samantha Babalola got two on the offensive boards, and following two missed free throws by the Lady 'Dogs, Delaynee Banda would chase an April Benavides bucket with a three to give Portales a seven-point edge, 31-24. The final two-and-a-half minutes of play would arrive before the Lady Bulldogs scored their first points of the period on a Jenna Whitmire layup, but when Jordan Rone logged an offensive putback one minute later, Artesia found themselves still within a shot, 31-28. They'd go back and forth with the Ramettes from there, with Brooklyn Fuentes answering a Banda basket at the 1:07 mark and Zaleigh Greer following two from the ine by Babalola with a shot off the glass out of the press-breaker at :41. But although Whitmire would compensate for two more misses from the stripe with an offensive putback that made it a two-point game, 36-34, Portales' Amaya Lujan was able to wrap two free throws around an Artesia turnover to effectively put the game out of reach. A final bucket by Greer could only reinstate that maddening three-point margin as the Lady 'Dogs fell 39-36.

PICTURED: Ashton Craft goes in for an easy layup as Zaleigh Greer looks on.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Single-digit scoring in both the first and second quarters got the girls in orange off to a less-than-ideal start. Artesia didn't get on the board in the contest until just 3:46 remained in the first quarter on a jumper from Ashton Craft. Whitmire followed with a coast-to-coast layup and a shot in the paint off the pass from Greer, but the Ramettes were able to double up on the Lady 'Dogs by period's end, 12-6. Artesia held Portales to just six of their own in the second and third quarters to help facilitate their comeback, however. The Lady Bulldogs weren't able to take advantage of it in the second, managing only seven of their own on a Craft trey and baskets from Avery Frederick and Whitmire to trail 18-13 at the half. But Artesia fared better in the third, spreading the scoring around with a bucket apiece from Whitmire, Craft, Fuentes, Frederick and Greer en route to the tie that took them into the fourth.

Whitmire was high point on the evening with 11, with Molly Ainsworth and Addyson Mayberry both finishing with nine for the Ramettes. With the loss, the Lady Bulldogs dropped to 12-12 on the season, 1-4 in district play, while Portales improved to 14-10, 4-1. That placed the girls in red in a tie for the lead in the district with Lovington (19-6, 4-1), which will be broken Tuesday, Feb. 17, when those two teams square off at the same time the Lady 'Dogs will be facing Goddard (13-11, 1-4) at Bulldog Pit.

STAT BOX

Portales 39
Artesia 36

Artesia (12-12, 1-4): Jenna Whitmire 5, 1-4 11; Avery Frederick 3, 0-0 6; Zaleigh Greer 3, 0-2 6; Ashton Craft 2, 0-2 5; Brooklyn Fuentes 2, 0-0 4; Jordan Rone 2, 0-0 4; Desiray Savoie 0, 0-2 0
Totals: 17, 1-10 36

Portales (14-10, 4-1): Molly Ainsworth 3, 2-2 9; Addyson Mayberry 4, 1-2 9; Samantha Babalola 3, 2-2 8; Delaynee Banda 2, 0-0 5; April Benavides 1, 2-4 4; Amaya Lujan 0, 4-6 4
Totals: 13, 11-16 39

Field Goals: Artesia 17; Portales 13
Three-Pointers: Artesia 1 (Craft); Portales 2 (Ainsworth 1, Banda 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 1-10 (10%); Portales 11-16 (69%)
Turnovers: Artesia 18; Portales 18
Fouls: Artesia 13; Portales 12
Fouled Out: None

AHS SWIMMING

PICTURED: The 2025-26 District 3/4 Runner-Up Bulldog and Lady Bulldog swim teams display their hardware alongside head coach Andrea Ciro, far left, Feb. 7 at the Artesia Aquatic Center.
(All Photos Courtesy Andrea Ciro)

In the days since swimming was combined into one bulk classification in the state of New Mexico, district meets are a gamut unto themselves. In Artesia's combined district -- 3/4 -- alone, 13 teams arrived at the Artesia Aquatic Center on Saturday, Feb. 7, ready to vie for the D3/4 titles. And all but five of those hail from Class 5A schools.

Needless to say, the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs had a challenge on their hands in their home pool, and they rose to the occasion, finishing as the District 3/4 runners-up, the boys just 12 points behind Hobbs -- and ahead of the Eagles, had Hobbs not been the lone team in the district to participate in diving -- and the girls second only to powerhouse Clovis. In addition, the Artesia program crowned five individual district champions at the meet, including:
• Aidan Ciro, boys' 50-yard freestyle (21.44)
• Aidan Ciro, boys' 100 butterfly (50.95)
• Morgan Fisher, girls' 100 breaststroke (1:12.38)
• Boys' 200 freestyle relay - Alec Ciro, Javier Rodriguez, Joziah Murdoch, Aidan Ciro (1:36.09)
• Boys' 400 freestyle relay - Aidan Ciro, Alec Ciro, Javier Rodriguez, Joziah Murdoch (3:30.07)

Aidan Ciro additionally broke the school, pool and district records in both the 50 and 100 freestyles and the pool and district records in the butterfly, coming just four-hundredths of a second away from the school record.

Artesia also earned a trio of district runner-up placements, including:
• Joziah Murdoch, boys' 200 individual medley (2:16.91)
• Girls' 200 medley relay - Johanna Padilla, Morgan Fisher, Sarah Plotner, Carly DeHoyos (2:00.96)
• Girls' 200 freestyle relay - Morgan Fisher, London Acosta, Johanna Padilla, Sarah Plotner (1:49.34)

Four athletes also finished with a bronze:
• Morgan Fisher, girls' 200 IM (2:25.34)
• Sarah Plotner, girls' 100 freestyle (58.58)
• Johanna Padilla, girls' 100 backstroke (1:05.60)
• Alec Ciro, boys' 500 freestyle (6:11.04)

In terms of state, the Bulldogs added two new qualifications to their tally: freshman Joziah Murdoch in the 100 butterfly with a time of 58.40 and the 400 freestyle relay team of seniors Aidan and Alec Ciro and Javier Rodriguez and Murdoch with their district-winning 3:30.07. The 'Dogs also re-qualified with season-best marks in three events: Aidan Ciro in the 50 freestyle (21.44) and 100 butterfly (50.95) and the 200 freestyle relay with a slightly different lineup that included Aidan and Alec Ciro, Rodriguez and Murdoch (1:36.09). All told, that brings the Bulldogs' list of qualifiers to five athletes spread across 10 events. The 'Dogs qualified all three of their relays, with Aidan Ciro a member of each of those teams plus a qualifier in seven other individual events. Murdoch qualified with all three relays and as the only other Bulldog in an individual event, Rodriguez and Alec Ciro with all three relays, and junior Chaz Rogers with two relays.

For the Lady Bulldogs, three state re-qualifications came with season bests at district: sophomore Morgan Fisher in the 200 individual medley (2:25.34), senior Sarah Plotner in the 100 freestyle (58.58), and a differently configured 200 freestyle relay team of Fisher, Plotner, junior Johanna Padilla and freshman London Acosta (1:49.34). Fisher and the team of Fisher, Padilla, Plotner and freshman Carly DeHoyos re-qualified with second-best times in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.38) and 200 medley relay (2:00.96), respectively. Padilla was just 21 one-hundredths of a second off the qualifying time in the 100 backstroke. The Lady 'Dogs' list of qualifiers is set at six athletes across six events, including the three relays. Fisher is a member of all three teams plus a qualifier in two individual events, Plotner qualified with two relays and in two individual events, and Padilla qualified with all three relays and in one individual event.

The State Swim Meet will be held Feb. 20-21 at the Albuquerque Academy Natatorium, with swimming preliminary rounds beginning at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, and swimming finals at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. Click here for a full state meet schedule. Tickets are available via the NMAA's GoFan site at a cost of $17 for a day pass that includes re-entry and non-re-entry tickets of $12 for adults, $8 for students (K-12), seniors (65+) and the military. Purchase Day One tickets here and Day Two tickets here.

PICTURED: At top, the boys' 200-yard freestyle relay team of, from left, Aidan Ciro, Joziah Murdoch, Javier Rodriguez and Alec Ciro pose atop the podium after finishing as the district champions in the event. Above, the same team -- from left, Aidan Ciro, Alec Ciro, Murdoch and Rodriguez -- poses for a photo after winning the 400 freestyle relay.

PICTURED: District champion Morgan Fisher, left, and Anikah Wisen pose for a photo after completing the girls' 100-yard breaststroke.

PICTURED: The district runner-up girls' 200 medley relay team of, from left, Morgan Fisher, Johanna Padilla, Sarah Plotner and Carly DeHoyos pose on the podium.

PICTURED: District runner-up Joziah Murdoch, left, and Bryce Walton pose for a photo after completing the boys' 200 individual medley.

PICTURED: Sarah Plotner, far right, poses with her bronze medal alongside girls' 100 freestyle district champ Evelee Eugene of Clovis, center, and silver medalist Claire Palla, far left, also of Clovis.

PICTURED: Alec Ciro, far right, poses with his bronze medal alongside boys' 500 freestyle district champ Thomas Buck of Clovis, center, and runner-up Willie Briske, far left, of Las Cruces High.

PICTURED: Carly DeHoyos smiles for the camera following the girls' 500 freestyle. DeHoyos finished fourth overall in the event.

PICTURED: Artesia High School's senior swimmers pause for a photo during their recognition at the District 3/4 Meet. They are, from left, Aidan Ciro, Alec Ciro, Sarah Plotner, Javier Rodriguez and Aylin Yescas.

District 3/4 Meet Results
• Girls' 200-Yard Medley Relay
- Artesia "A" (Johanna Padilla, Morgan Fisher, Sarah Plotner, Carly DeHoyos), 2nd, 2:00.96 *
• Boys' 200 Medley Relay
- Artesia "A" (Kaleb Barquero, Bryce Walton, Chaz Rogers, MJ Anderson), 9th, 2:09.49
• Girls' 200 Freestyle
- London Acosta, 5th, 2:23.88
- Zoe Gomez, 12th, 3:06.68
- Kenna Yeager, 14th, 3:08.30
• Boys' 200 Free
- Chaz Rogers, 5th, 2:15.36
- Deacon Simons, 7th, 2:23.81
- MJ Anderson, 9th, 2:24.33
• Girls' 200 Individual Medley
- Morgan Fisher, 3rd, 2:25.34 *
• Boys' 200 IM
- Joziah Murdoch, 2nd, 2:16.91
- Bryce Walton, 5th, 2:36.44
• Girls' 50 Free
- Sarah Plotner, 6th, 26.81
- Carly DeHoyos, 9th, 28.22
- London Acosta, 10th, 28.48
- Ella Thomas, 27th, 36.53
- Aylin Yescas, 34th, 39.69
• Boys' 50 Free
- Aidan Ciro, 1st, 21.44 *
- Javier Rodriguez, 5th, 24.68
• Girls' 100 Butterfly
- Johanna Padilla, 4th, 1:10.50
• Boys' 100 Butterfly
- Aidan Ciro, 1st, 50.95 *
- Joziah Murdoch, 6th, 58.40 *
• Girls' 100 Free
- Sarah Plotner, 3rd, 58.58 *
- Anikah Wisen, 6th, 1:00.85
- Ella Thomas, 25th, 1:22.98
- Kenna Yeager, 28th, 1:26.43
- Zoe Gomez, 29th, 1:26.88
- Aylin Yescas, 32nd, 1:35.48
• Boys' 100 Free
- Javier Rodriguez, 4th, 54.90
- Chaz Rogers, 7th, 1:00.10
- Kaleb Barquero, 10th, 1:02.79
- MJ Anderson, 11th, 1:04.08
• Girls' 500 Free
- Carly DeHoyos, 4th, 5:57.81
• Boys' 500 Free
- Alec Ciro, 3rd, 6:11.04
- Deacon Simons, 6th, 6:35.60
- Kaleb Barquero, 7th, 6:57.28
• Girls' 200 Free Relay
- Artesia "A" (Morgan Fisher, London Acosta, Johanna Padilla, Sarah Plotner), 2nd, 1:49.34 *
- Artesia "B" (Aylin Yescas, Kenna Yeager, Zoe Gomez, Ella Thomas), 2:33.87
• Boys' 200 Free Relay
- Artesia "A" (Alec Ciro, Javier Rodriguez, Joziah Murdoch, Aidan Ciro), 1st, 1:36.09 *
- Artesia "B" (Bryce Walton, MJ Anderson, Kaleb Barquero, Chaz Rogers), 1:53.85
• Girls' 100 Backstroke
- Johanna Padilla, 3rd, 1:05.60
• Boys' 100 Backstroke
- Alec Ciro, 5th, 1:06.35
- Bryce Walton, 11th, 1:10.72
• Girls' 100 Breaststroke
- Morgan Fisher, 1st, 1:12.38 *
- Anikah Wisen, 7th, 1:21.81
• Girls' 400 Free Relay
- Artesia "A" (London Acosta, Ella Thomas, Carly DeHoyos, Anikah Wisen), 4th, 4:27.48
• Boys' 400 Free Relay
- Artesia "A" (Aidan Ciro, Alec Ciro, Javier Rodriguez, Joziah Murdoch), 1st, 3:30.07 *

* denotes state qualification

Boys' Team Results
1. Hobbs
2. ARTESIA
3. Clovis
4. Carlsbad
5. Alamogordo
6. Centennial
7. Las Cruces High
8. Lovington
9. NMMI

Girls' Team Results
1. Clovis
2. ARTESIA
3. Hobbs
4. Carlsbad
5. Alamogordo
6. Las Cruces High
7. Mayfield
8. Centennial
9. Gateway Christian
T-10. Lake Arthur
T-10. NMMI

AHS WRESTLING

PICTURED: At top, Edel Villa, Colt Moziejko and Daniel Madrid pose for a photo after qualifying for the Class A-4A State Wrestling Tournament with their respective third-, fourth- and sixth-place finishes at the Region 2 event in Santa Teresa. Above, Leila Irvin shows off her bronze medal after coming in third at the Girls' Region 2 Tournament at Roswell High to qualify for state.

With a season's worth of hard work in their rearview mirrors, the AHS wrestling teams headed into the first and second weekends in February determined to leave it all on the mats at the free-for-alls that are the Region 2 Tournaments. When the dust settled,

An eye-popping total of 33 teams competed Feb. 6-7 in the girls' event at Roswell High, with all classifications combined for both regionals and state. As a group, the Lady Bulldogs finished 26th overall, with Las Cruces High, Atrisco Heritage and Hobbs placing in the top three.

The girls' program got an exciting bronze-medal finish from freshman Leila Irvin in the 145-pound weight class. Irvin earned a bye through the opening round and advanced through the second following a medical forfeit. She came up short of Las Cruces High's Jacky Castille in the semifinals by fall at 2:06 but defeated Aaliha Rodriguez of West Mesa with a quick pin at :31 in the consolation semis. That moved Irvin into the tournament's third-place match, where she defeated Maria Ruiz-Jaquez of Socorro in a hard-fought match at 4:49. With her third-place showing, Irvin advances to the girls' state tournament Feb. 20-21 in Rio Rancho.

On the boys' side, wrestlers remain divided into Classes 5A and A-4A, with the latter event taking place Feb. 13-14 in Santa Teresa. A total of 20 squads competed there, with the Bulldogs coming out a solid 12th. Comprising the top three were Belen, St. Pius and Silver.

The Bulldogs picked up a thrilling bronze of their own in the 175-pound weight class, where senior Edel Villa defeated Valley's Jacob Roth in the quarterfinals by fall at 1:06 before coming up short of Cobre's Donald Wofford in the semis (MD 16-5). Villa won his consolation semifinal over Antonio Fisher of Highland with a pin at 1:17, however, before topping Mattias Wertz of Deming by major decision (17-8) in the third-place match, punching his ticket to the Feb. 20-21 state tournament in Rio Rancho. Coming in fourth and also qualifying for state for the Artesia boys was junior Colt Moziejko in the 132-pound class. Moziejko defeated Goddard's Daniel Munoz by fall at 5:07 in the opening round before falling to Kai Gachupin of St. Pius in the quarterfinals at 2:17. He bested wrestlers from Ruidoso, Santa Teresa and Valley, however, to work his way back into the third-place match, where he came up against Gachupin again, this time falling at 2:06. Senior Daniel Madrid, meanwhile, placed sixth overall to become the Bulldogs' third state qualifier in the 165-pound class, defeating St. Pius' TJ Maldonado in the quarters at 4:35 before falling to Del Norte's Anthony Fazio in the semifinals at 2:56. Madrid came up short of Chaparral's Ashton Cortinas in his consolation semifinal (2:46) and found himself paired again with Maldonado in the fifth-place match. Maldonado was able to turn the tables this time, however, by pin at :52.

Artesia's state contingent will head to the Rio Rancho Event Center this weekend, with action set to begin at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 20, and continue throughout the day before beginning again at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, for those who advance to the higher rounds. Click here to view a full state wrestling schedule. Tickets are on sale now via the NMAA's GoFan site. Click here for Day One tickets, and click here for Day Two tickets. Cost is $17 for a day pass with re-entry privileges. No-re-entry tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students (K-12), seniors (65+) and the military.

Region 2 Tournament Boys' Results
• 106 Pounds
- Ayden Carnero, fr.
Round One: fell to Daeson Urban (Ruidoso), TF 18-3
Consolation Round One: def. Miguel Ascencio (Silver), 4:38
Consolation Round Two: fell to Abraham Gandara (Tierra Encantada), MD 14-6
• 113 Pounds
- Jayce Herron, fr.
Round One: def. Davion Lovato (Valley), 1:11
Quarterfinals: fell to Yovan Suarez (Valley), 1:04
Consolation Round Two: def. Travis Carlson (Silver) by forfeit
Consolation Round Three: fell to Tanner Meador (Grants), TF 15-0
Seventh-Place Match: fell to Demian Hernandez (Chaparral), MD 18-5
Finish: Eighth
• 126 Pounds
- Jonathan Corza, fr.
Round One: fell to Braelyn Urban (Ruidoso), 1:52
Consolation Round One: fell to Angel Gaxiola (Cobre), :50
• 132 Pounds
- Colt Moziejko, jr.
Round One: def. Daniel Munoz (Goddard), 5:07
Quarterfinals: fell to Kai Gachupin (St. Pius), 2:17
Consolation Round Two: def. Layton Warmack (Ruidoso), 1:52
Consolation Round Three: def. Sergio Perez (Santa Teresa), 1:44
Consolation Semifinals: def. Elijah Avis-Labus (Valley), DEC 9-6
Third-Place Match: fell to Gachupin (St. Pius), 2:06
Finish: Fourth
• 138 Pounds
- Atley Starnes, fr.
Round One: fell to Manuel Aguirre (Tierra Encantada), 1:13
Consolation Round One: fell to Micah Burleson (Socorro), 2:54
• 144 Pounds
- Tristan Shannon, 8th
Round One: fell to Ashdyn Urban (Ruidoso), 1:03
Consolation Round One: def. Oscar Saldana (Santa Teresa), 3:46
Consolation Round Two: fell to Jacob Kropka (Albuquerque Academy), :57
• 150 Pounds
- Jaedon Smith, so.
Round One: def. Jose Tapia (Highland), 3:16
Quarterfinals: fell to Kade Aguirre (Silver), :50
Consolation Round Two: def. Aiden Lopez (Santa Teresa), 2:15
Consolation Round Three: fell to Mario Gutierrez (Belen), TF 16-1
Seventh-Place Match: fell to Isiah Garcia (Legacy Academy), DEC 6-5
Finish: Eighth
• 157 Pounds
- Braxton Norman, fr.
Round One: bye
Quarterfinals: fell to Stephan Ulibarri (Belen), :36
Consolation Round Two: fell to Uriel Valero (Goddard), :53
• 165 Pounds
- Daniel Madrid, sr.
Round One: bye
Quarterfinals: def. TJ Maldonado (St. Pius), 4:35
Semifinals: fell to Anthony Fazio (Del Norte), 2:56
Consolation Semifinals: fell to Ashton Cortinas (Chaparral), 2:46
Fifth-Place Match: fell to Maldonado (St. Pius), :52
Finish: Sixth
• 175 Pounds
- Edel Villa, sr.
Round One: bye
Quarterfinals: def. Jacob Roth (Valley), 1:06
Semifinals: fell to Donald Wofford (Cobre), MD 16-5
Consolation Semifinals: def. Antonio Fisher (Highland), 1:17
Third-Place Match: def. Mattias Wertz (Deming), MD 17-8
Finish: Third
• 190 Pounds
- Evan Heald, jr.
Round One: fell to Dominic Otero (Grants), :34
Consolation Round One: fell to Anthony Hernandez (Ruidoso), 2:07
• 215 Pounds
- Ethan Valencia, so.
Round One: fell to Adrien Lovato (Belen), :48
Consolation Round One: fell to Julian Adcock (Socorro), 2:06
• 285 Pounds
- Sergio Ortega, jr.
Round One: fell to Kieman Bell (Grants), 2:29
Consolation Round One: fell to Angelo Hoskins (Highland), MD 12-1

Region 2 Tournament Girls' Results
• 105 Pounds
- Caylee Shockey, so.
Round One: fell to Fernanda Patrocinio (Rio Grande), :23
• 110 Pounds
- Anna Lee Sorrells, so.
Round One: def. Guinever Esparza (Goddard), DEC 9-7
Round Two: fell to Mireya Barraza (Albuquerque High), 1:29
• 115 Pounds
- Alayna Petersen, so.
Round One: fell to Valeria Ruiz (Grants), :37
• 120 Pounds
- Lyla Woolsey, fr.
Round One: fell to Hazel Rodriguez (Clovis), :29
• 125 Pounds
- Kylie Rodriguez, fr.
Round One: fell to Alison Lopez (Clovis), :41
• 145 Pounds
- Leila Irvin, fr.
Round One: bye
Quarterfinals: def. Abigail Banuelos (Santa Fe), Medical Forfeit
Semifinals: fell to Jacky Castille (Las Cruces High), 2:06
Consolation Semifinals: def. Aaliha Rodriguez (West Mesa), :31
Third-Place Match: def. Maria Ruiz-Jaquez (Socorro), 4:49
Finish: Third
• 155 Pounds
- Katie Dowell, fr.
Round One: fell to Reagan Palmer (Grants), 3:49
Consolation Round One: fell to Annika Glass-Saiz (Ruidoso), 2:54
• 190 Pounds
- Fatima Alonso, jr.
Round One: fell to Guadalupe Guzman (Clovis), :53
Consolation Round One: def. Leilani Orosco (Roswell High), 1:26
Consolation Round Two: fell to Arianna Campos (Carlsbad), 4:16

AHS CHEER

The Artesia High School cheerleaders had heart eyes for hardware Feb. 14 at the Lea County Spirit Classic in Lovington, bringing home four trophies that added up to a clean sweep for the girls in orange. With the Lovington event also serving as District 4-AAAA's head-to-head competition, the AHS cheer squad, above, took the 2026 All-Girl District Cheer Championship Saturday, while also adding first place in Game Day Cheer, first place in Cheer with Music, and the Grand Champions award to their haul. Meanwhile, the Park Junior High School cheerleaders, pictured below, debuted their Cheer with Music routine at the Spirit Classic, earning third place in the Middle School/Junior High Division.