Almost too much of a good thing for ATC track star

Apr. 18—Academy for Technology and the Classics sophomore Charli Koseoglu is going to have a good problem — she has too many events to choose from for the Class 2A state meet next month. Koseoglu has the best time or distance in the classification in five events — the 100 meters, 200, both hurdles (100 and 300) and the javelin.

She set a personal record and recorded the fastest time in 2A in the 100 with a time of 12.91 seconds at Saturday's Capital City Invitational. She also improved upon her already fastest 100 hurdle effort with a 17.04 time at the meet and won the 300 hurdles, to boot.

Koseoglu surely will be the favorite to take home the high-point honor, and the Phoenix will be a contender for a podium finish.

u u u

The New Mexico Highlands baseball team managed to split its weekend series against Colorado School of Mines, holding onto seventh place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference by mere percentage points.

At 14-26 overall and 10-14 in the RMAC, the Cowboys get their stiffest test of the season this week when nationally ranked Colorado Mesa visits Las Vegas, N.M., for a four-game series starting Friday. Mesa is No. 10 in the most recent NCAA Division II poll.

With eight games left, NMHU needs to finish at least sixth to qualify for the RMAC Tournament.

u u u

Speaking of Highlands, its former coach reached a milestone last week. Steve Jones, who left NMHU after 17 seasons to become head coach at NAIA Texas A&M-Texarkana seven years ago, reached the 200-win plateau on April 15.

He has led the Eagles to a 27-18 record, 17-10 in the Red River Athletic Conference. They still have nine games left in the regular season but have already clinched a spot in the RRAC Tournament next month.

u u u

St. Michael's freshman golfer Elijah Salazar continues to make a case for being one of the favorites in the Class 1A/3A State Championships in three weeks.

At the St. Michael's Invitational on April 11 at the Santa Fe Country Club, Salazar shot a 1-under 71 to win the tournament. The Horsemen had four golfers finish in the top 11.

Salazar finished fifth at last summer's 1A/3A tournament, and gets to preview the course for this year's event on Monday. St. Michael's heads to Albuquerque and the Canyon Club at Four Hills for the Albuquerque Sandia Prep State Preview tournament.

u u u

New Mexico State's baseball team unveiled its new covered batting facility at Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces over the weekend. The cages cover 4,500 square feet, with four mounds and hitting areas.

The sides are open and the roof comes with lighting, large fans for ventilation, a sound system and flat-screen TVs. The project was made possible through a $900,000 donation from NMSU baseball boosters Mike and Judy Johnson.

The facility was essentially complete a few months ago, but the official opening came Saturday against UT-Rio Grande Valley.

u u u

Don't look now, but the Pecos League season is right around the corner. The Santa Fe Fuego opener is scheduled for June 1 at home against Roswell at Fort Marcy Ballpark.

The league kicks off May 22 when the teams from the Pacific Conference get a jump start. The league is home to 16 teams split between the Pacific and Mountain, with the Fuego aligned with Trinidad, Garden City and Colorado Springs in the Mountain North Division.

Santa Fe will play 29 of their 47 regular season games at home between June 1 and the end of July. The playoffs will start in early August while spring training begins May 22 at Fort Marcy.

Advertisement