Today's Sports

For the second straight year, Robertson High's Estevan Vigil stood tall on the awards podium in the aftermath of the state track and field championship meet, having claimed the Class 3A boys' high-point athlete distinction.

Vigil's 31 points were in fact the second highest total among the six high-point honorees, Classes 3A through 5A. The Cardinal junior reclaimed the state titles in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash and added a title in the long jump.

Snuffing out an eighth-inning rally just in time, the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys nipped Mesa State 11-10 on Sunday to secure a split of their four-game weekend series.

As close as it was, it was a quality win for the Cowboys (33-16, 23-10 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference). Mesa State is ranked second in NCAA Division II baseball, first in the Central region, and is the heavy favorite to win the RMAC. And the Mavericks had beaten NMHU five straight games before the Cowboys split a Saturday doubleheader.

Mesa State College, the top dog in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference baseball standings, held off host New Mexico Highlands on Friday in a 10-7 win.

The nine-inning game was the first in a three-day, four-game series that continues through Sunday at Brandt Park. The Cowboys, the No. 2 team in the RMAC going into the weekend, and Mavericks play a doubleheader beginning at noon Saturday, then have a nine-inning contest on Sunday.

###

Two West Las Vegas track and field standouts got a jump start on much of their competition Monday afternoon in Albuquerque.

Chris Ellis-Phillips cleared 6 feet, 2 inches, in the high jump to place fourth in the annual Marilyn Sepulveda Invitational. Linda Esquibel went 34-2 in the triple jump to place sixth of nine entrants.

The Marilyn Sepulveda Invite is limited to elite high school track and field competitors, who must achieve meet standards by April 4 and be invited to enter the meet. As a result, the competitive field is mightier than the average meet’s.