PREVIOUS WINTER SPORTS WRAPS
• 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

Hope Christian Tournament

PICTURED: The Bulldog basketball team and their coaches pose with their Hope Christian Tournament first-place trophy, medals, and bracket.

After defeating Class 4A fourth-ranked Taos 61-45 in the final game of the North-South Shootout Jan. 10 in Belen, the 4A No. 1 Bulldogs knew they were in for a battle in the opening round of the Hope Christian Tournament. The Tigers were looking for redemption, and through one half of play, they had themselves in position to claim it. But after leading Taos by just a point at the half, the boys in orange rallied in the final quarters, outscoring the Tigers 18-8 in the third and 18-17 in the fourth to earn the 63-51 win in their tourney opener.

The bulk of the first quarter essentially saw Taos doing battle with Artesia senior Charlie Campbell, who put up 12 of the 'Dogs' 16 points in the period. With help from a pair of treys by Gene Padilla, the Tigers were able to take a one-point lead into the second, 17-16, and their advantage would hold until the final seconds of the half. Two more from beyond the arc by Tiger seniors Mario Rodriguez and Evan Salazar had Taos up by eight, 26-18, with just under a minute to go in the quarter, but a pair from the free-throw line by Cael Houghtaling, a Tootie McNeil offensive putback, and a fast-break layup and longball at the 35-second mark by Campbell helped the Bulldogs turn the tables going into the break, 27-26.

Artesia was able to hold the Tigers to single-digit scoring in the second and would do the same in the third while also kicking off the second half with a momentum-shifting 10-0 run. Braylon Vega got that started with a three and Campbell did the rest to make it 37-26 before Taos finally logged its first point on a Salazar free throw with 3:43 on the clock. A transition layup and four free throws by Vega restored Artesia's lead to double digits after six points by the Tigers, and McNeil would answer a Malakhai Ely layup with a jumper from the arc to keep the Bulldogs up 45-34 going into the fourth. There, the Tigers again leaned on their solid three-point game, with Salazar, Roman Quintana and Brandon Mirabal hitting from long, but the 'Dogs countered with 18 points -- including six more from Campbell and four apiece by Vega and Houghtaling -- to comfortably close out the contest, 63-51.

Campbell -- who also went 9-9 from the stripe on a day that saw the 'Dogs as a team finish 90% from the line -- led all scorers with a whopping 30, followed by Vega with 17. Quintana finished with 13 for Taos.

The semifinal round found Artesia squaring off with St. Pius in an essential home game for the Sartans, and the Pius crowd was feisty and vocal throughout. Senior Quinnlin Wilson set them off with a pair of three's in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs were able to keep their own healthy support system on their feet with a shot off the glass and a dunk by Trent Egeland and a jumper and a trey from Campbell. Still, the Sartans led late in the quarter until a bucket by Corbyn Dominguez off the dish from Jack Byers helped give the 'Dogs a one-shot boost going into the second, 14-12.

Vega and Pius' Zachary Lujan traded trifectas to kick off that period, and for the bulk of the final eight minutes of the first half, it was blow for blow between the two squads. With the Sartans up 27-26 with 1:15 on the clock, however, a three from Vega gave the Bulldogs back their lead, and a breakaway layup off the steal by McNeil, 1-2 from the line, and an old-fashioned three-point play by Campbell helped make it Artesia's largest of the game thus far at the break, 35-29.

The 'Dogs came out strong on both ends of the court for the second half, using eight points from Campbell and five from Vega to outscore St. Pius 17-12 in the third and expand their overall advantage to 11, 52-41, going into the fourth. There, Artesia's fast-paced defense forced five Sartan turnovers and limited Pius to just seven points while rounding out the 64-48 final with 12 of their own. Campbell again finished as high point with 22, followed closely by Vega with 21, and Wilson logged 17 for the Sartans.

Their fifth consecutive victory over a fellow Class 4A opponent sent the Runnin' 'Dogs into another same-class matchup in the tournament championship: this time against their 4A third-ranked hosts, Hope Christian. The Bulldogs and Huskies proceeded to duke it out through the first half, with Artesia leading by a shot at the break, 34-31. But the boys in orange turned on the jets in the final quarters, outscoring Hope 18-13 in the third and 27-14 in the fourth to take their second consecutive Hope Christian Tournament championship going away, 79-58.

The Huskies spent the first quarter showing off their young guns, as sophomores Landon Cochran and Colton Giron posted six points apiece. The 'Dogs countered with experience, however, with Vega posting eight points -- including a pair of and-ones -- Byers adding five, and Egeland posting four in the paint to give Artesia a 19-15 edge heading into the second. Nine more points from Cochran and Giron in that period helped answer another eight by Vega and five from Egeland to cut the Huskies' deficit to three at halftime, 34-31.

Hope Christian's Jayce Miera knocked down a pair of late three's for the Huskies in the third, but Campbell -- who accounted for just four points in the opening half -- had joined the fray with a vengeance in the meantime, racking up 12 to help propel the 'Dogs to an eight-point lead going into the fourth, 52-44. And there, the boys in orange went off. With Vega and Campbell putting up seven and six points, respectively, Artesia was able to add four from Egeland and Sawyer Whitehead and two each by Byers, Houghtaling and Dominguez to steamroll Hope in the final eight en route to the 79-58 win.

Vega was high point on the contest with 25, followed by Campbell, whose 22 took him to 74 points on the tournament as he joined Vega as the second Bulldog on the season to break the 1,000-point career threshold. Vega, meanwhile, totaled 63 in the tourney. The pair was subsequently named to the All-Tournament Team, along with Egeland and Byers.

Bulldog senior Charlie Campbell poses with his teammates as they celebrate his 1,000th career point following the Hope Christian Tournament in Albuquerque.

Campbell poses with Artesia head coach Michael Mondragon, left, and his father, assistant coach Charlie Campbell Sr.

STAT BOX

Artesia 63
Taos 51

Artesia (12-3): Charlie Campbell 10, 9-9 30; Braylon Vega 5, 6-7 17; Cael Houghtaling 1, 4-4 6; Jack Byers 2, 0-0 4; Tootie McNeil 2, 0-1 4; Corbyn Dominguez 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 21, 19-21 63

Taos (11-4): Roman Quintana 5, 2-4 13; Evan Salazar 2, 4-4 10; Malakhai Ely 4, 1-3 9; Gene Padilla 3, 0-0 8; Mario Rodriguez 2, 1-2 6; Brandon Mirabal 2, 0-0 5
Totals: 18, 8-13 51

Field Goals: Artesia 21; Taos 18
Three-Pointers: Artesia 2 (Campbell 1, Vega 1); Taos 7 (Padilla 2, Salazar 2, Mirabal 1, Quintana 1, Rodriguez 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 19-21 (90%); Taos 8-13 (62%)
Turnovers: Artesia 9; Taos 8
Fouls: Artesia 12; Taos 21
Fouled Out: Artesia 0; Taos 1 (Roberto Trujillo, 1:59-4Q)

Artesia 64
St. Pius 48

Artesia (13-3): Charlie Campbell 8, 4-5 22; Braylon Vega 8, 2-3 21; Trent Egeland 5, 2-2 12; Corbyn Dominguez 2, 1-2 5; Tootie McNeil 0, 2-4 2; Jack Byers 0, 1-2 1; Cael Houghtaling 0, 1-2 1
Totals: 23, 13-20 64

St. Pius (6-9): Quinnlin Wilson 6, 3-5 17; Isaiah Carpenter 4, 2-5 10; Zachary Lujan 4, 0-0 10; Marcos Chavez 3, 3-4 9; Christopher Justus 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 18, 8-14 48

Field Goals: Artesia 23; St. Pius 18
Three-Pointers: Artesia 5 (Vega 3, Campbell 2); St. Pius 4 (Lujan 2, Wilson 2)
Free Throws: Artesia 13-20 (65%); St. Pius 8-14 (57%)
Turnovers: Artesia 14; St. Pius 18
Fouls: Artesia 12; St. Pius 14
Fouled Out: None

Artesia 79
Hope Christian 58

Artesia (14-3): Braylon Vega 9, 5-5 25; Charlie Campbell 7, 7-9 22; Trent Egeland 7, 1-2 15; Jack Byers 4, 1-6 9; Sawyer Whitehead 1, 1-2 4; Corbyn Dominguez 0, 2-2 2; Cael Houghtaling 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 29, 17-26 79

Hope Christian (10-6): Colton Giron 8, 0-0 17; Landon Cochran 6, 0-0 13; Ben Koenigsberg 3, 1-2 8; Jayce Miera 2, 0-0 6; Conor Dwyer 2, 1-2 5; Isaac Aaron 1, 1-4 3; Paul Neis 1, 0-0 2; Santonio Ortega 1, 0-1 2; Patrick Peabody 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 25, 3-9 58

Field Goals: Artesia 29; Hope Christian 25
Three-Pointers: Artesia 4 (Vega 2, Campbell 1, Whitehead 1); Hope Christian 5 (Miera 2, Cochran 1, Giron 1, Koenigsberg 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 17-26 (65%); Hope Christian 3-9 (33%)
Turnovers: Artesia 9; Hope Christian 14
Fouls: Artesia 16; Hope Christian 18
Fouled Out: Artesia 0; Hope Christian 1 (Cochran, 3:03-4Q)

LADY BULLDOG BASKETBALL

Hope Christian Tournament

PICTURED: The 2025-26 Lady Bulldog seniors pose for a photo at Bulldog Pit. They are, from left, Zaleigh Greer, Jenna Whitmire, Ashton Craft, Kailee Padilla, Peyton Barela, Desiray Savoie and Jordan Rone.
(Photo by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The Lady Bulldog basketball team may have opened its Hope Christian Tournament run on a bit of an offensive roller-coaster, but in their first game against Class 3A West Las Vegas, they compensated by keeping the Lady Dons on the down slope. The Artesia girls used solid, aggressive defense to limit WLV to single-digit scoring in three of the four quarters played Jan. 15 in Albuquerque, and the result was a 52-28 win that kept the girls in orange in the winners' bracket for the weekend.

The entirety of West Las Vegas' scoring in the opening period came via a pair of three-pointers from senior guard Tyra Horner. But with Artesia's scoring limited as well to a pair of buckets and two from the free-throw line by Gracen Kuykendall and a pair from the stripe by Jenna Whitmire, the Lady 'Dogs led by just two, 8-6, going into the second. There, however, Artesia again held the Lady Dons to a pair of field goals while their own shooting hands went under the defroster. A trey and a baskets by both Whitmire and Peyton Barela were accompanied by a bucket each from Ashton Craft, Brooklyn Fuentes, Desiray Savoie and Avery Frederick to help Artesia outscore Las Vegas 20-6 and carry a swiftly expanded lead, 28-12, into the break.

That 16-point margin would remain after three, with both squads posting 10 points -- eight of Artesia's coming from Whitmire and the remaining two from Kuykendall -- in the third. And with Whitmire going on a solo 9-2 run on the Dons through the early goings of the fourth, all that remained as to close out the win -- which Kuykendall did with a trey in the final moments of the 52-28 win. Whitmire finished with 25 to lead all scorers and Kuykendall 11 in the game, with Horner posting 14 for the Lady Dons.

While the victory was a good one for the Artesia girls, they ultimately signed on for the Hope tourney to test themselves against northern opponents. They got that challenge in the semifinal round, where they came up against Class 5A fifth-ranked Los Lunas. The Lady Tigers' physical play on both ends of the court, coupled with a big first half offensively, turned out to be too much for the Lady Bulldogs to overcome as they fell by a lopsided margin, 58-17.

By the time Artesia recorded its first field goal -- courtesy of a Whitmire jumper out of a time-out -- at the five-minute mark, Los Lunas had already compiled an 8-1 advantage in the opening quarter. A long two by Savoie and a Zaleigh Greer bucket off the long pass from Whitmire countered four points from Lady Tiger sophomore standout Kayle Finley, and Artesia's deficit heading into the second was a reasonable eight, 15-7. Unfortunately, however, the Lady 'Dogs would go scoreless in the final eight minutes of the first half, leaving the door open for a devastating 23-0 run by Los Lunas. Down 38-7 going into the third, the Lady Tigers were able to set the 35-point mercy-rule clock ticking early, leaving Artesia no time for damage control. Whitmire accounted for the Lady Bulldogs' lone field goal of the third, and the Tigers were able to cruise from there to the 58-17 final.

The loss sent the Lady Bulldogs to the tournament's third-place game, where they came up against yet another staunch opponent in 4A 10th-ranked St. Pius. And in the Artesia girls' best all-around game to date, they gave the Lady Sartans all they could handle for 30 minutes before ultimately coming up short in the final 120 seconds of the game.

The Lady 'Dogs matched Pius point for point in the opening quarter, getting treys from Craft and Savoie on their way to a 15-all deadlock. But despite holding the Sartans to just nine in the second, Artesia was unfortunately unable to charge through the open door, managing just five of their own to trail by four, 24-20, at the break. That margin would stand after three, as the girls in orange again went blow for blow with the Lady Sartans but missed out on another crucial opportunity that would come back to haunt them in the end: Artesia made a whopping 17 trips to the stripe in the period but converted on just six.

It was a bitter pill to swallow considering how close the Lady 'Dogs came to upending Pius. The final eight minutes would play out predominantly from the line for both teams, which, of course, came with another tricky side effect: foul trouble en masse.

But with a furious effort in the paint midway through by Kuykendall -- who logged four buckets amidst a single-handed 8-2 run -- Artesia was down by just two, 41-39, with three-and-a-half minutes to go. Two from the stripe by Pius' Amiyah Cunningham were answered in kind by Greer to make it 43-41 with 3:02 on the clock, but from there, turnovers began to play a role. Artesia committed a costly three in a row, putting the ball in the hands of Sartan standout Jaelyn Olloway each time. The freshman phenom converted one into a layup and the others into a trio of free throws to quickly bump St. Pius' lead to nine, 50-41, with a minute remaining. And that was enough to help the Lady Sartans hold on for the 52-44 win and third place overall. Pius was 11-17 from the charity stripe in the fourth to Artesia's 4-12. Olloway narrowly edged Kuykendall for high point, 18 to 17.

STAT BOX

Artesia 52
West Las Vegas 28

Artesia (10-5): Jenna Whitmire 8, 7-11 25; Gracen Kuykendall 4, 2-6 11; Peyton Barela 2, 0-0 5; Ashton Craft 2, 0-0 4; Avery Frederick 1, 0-0 2; Brooklyn Fuentes 1, 0-0 2; Desiray Savoie 1, 0-0 2; Zaleigh Greer 0, 1-2 1
Totals: 19, 10-19 52

West Las Vegas (7-8): Tyra Horner 5, 1-2 14; Kristi Martinez 1, 2-4 5; Kara Morgan 1, 2-6 4; Lysondrah Encinas 1, 0-0 3; Raylynn Sanchez 0, 1-2 1; Annabelle Ulibarri 0, 1-4 1; Shannon Jake 0, 0-2 0
Totals: 8, 7-20 28

Field Goals: Artesia 19; West Las Vegas 8
Three-Pointers: Artesia 4 (Whitmire 2, Barela 1, Kuykendall 1); West Las Vegas 5 (Horner 3, Encinas 1, Martinez 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 10-19 (53%); West Las Vegas 7-20 (35%)
Turnovers: Artesia 13; West Las Vegas 11
Fouls: Artesia 18; West Las Vegas 16
Fouled Out: None

Los Lunas 58
Artesia 17

Artesia (10-6): Jenna Whitmire 3, 0-0 6; Avery Frederick 2, 0-0 4; Ashton Craft 0, 2-3 2; Zaleigh Greer 1, 0-0 2; Desiray Savoie 1, 0-0 2; Gracen Kuykendall 0, 1-2 1
Totals: 7, 3-5 17

Los Lunas (15-2): Kayla Finley 9, 6-7 25; Jalexa Ornelas 4, 0-0 9; Mckenzie Brookins 2, 3-6 7; Brooklyn Hanks 2, 0-0 6; Grace Baca 2, 0-0 4; Sienna Flores 1, 1-2 3; Alia Carrasco 1, 0-0 2; Ayva Salazar 0, 2-2 2
Totals: 21, 12-17 58

Field Goals: Artesia 7; Los Lunas 21
Three-Pointers: Artesia 0; Los Lunas 4 (Hanks 2, Finley 1, Ornelas 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 3-5 (60%); Los Lunas 12-17 (71%)
Turnovers: Artesia 26; Los Lunas 13
Fouls: Artesia 12; Los Lunas 8
Fouled Out: None

St. Pius 52
Artesia 44

Artesia (10-7): Gracen Kuykendall 4, 9-20 17; Ashton Craft 3, 0-1 7; Jenna Whitmire 3, 1-5 7; Zaleigh Greer 1, 2-4 4; Avery Frederick 1, 1-4 3; Desiray Savoie 1, 0-0 3; Brooklyn Fuentes 1, 0-4 2; Peyton Barela 0, 1-2 1
Totals: 14, 14-40 44

St. Pius (8-8): Jaelyn Olloway 7, 3-4 18; Amiyah Cunningham 4, 6-9 15; Addison Love 4, 0-3 9; Gnilane Thiam 2, 0-0 4; Marizia Valdez 0, 4-8 4; Milanah Sanchez 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 18, 13-24 52

Field Goals: Artesia 14; St. Pius 18
Three-Pointers: Artesia 2 (Craft 1, Savoie 1); St. Pius 3 (Cunningham 1, Love 1, Olloway 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 14-40 (35%); St. Pius 13-24 (54%)
Turnovers: Artesia 21; St. Pius 13
Fouls: Artesia 20; St. Pius 19
Fouled Out: Artesia 2 (Craft, 2:51-4Q; Savoie, :07-4Q); St. Pius 4 (Madeline Warren, 7:40-4Q; Cunningham, 3:02-4Q; Love, :59-4Q; Olloway, :03-4Q)

AHS WRESTLING

Clovis Dual

The Artesia wrestlers headed northeast to Clovis Jan. 13 to test their mettle in yet another dual against a Class 5A program. The Bulldogs, who fell 62-17 to the Wildcats, had some solid success in the mid- to higher weight classes. Senior Briggs Beavers took the 285-pound match by fall at 1:35 over Clovis' Mario Salgado, as did sophomore Jaedon Smith over Blake Ambrus at 1:22 in the 150-pound class. Senior Edel Villa, meanwhile, got a technical fall at 3:31, 20-3, over Dylan Valles in the 175-pound match. Eighth-grader Tristan Shannon also won an exhibition match in the 144-pound class over Kelby Williams (:51), and sophomore Coby Roark, wrestling up 10 pounds, pinned Nolan Rodriguez at :45.

In the girls' dual, the Lady Wildcats got 42 of their 78 points in a 78-6 win via forfeit, with Artesia's lone win coming courtesy of freshman Leila Irvin in the 145-pound weight class. Irvin pinned Clovis' Peyton Parker at 1:45. Sophomore Anna Lee Sorrells also took an exhibition match at 110 pounds over Sophia Alcaz at 4:32.

Boys' Results vs. Clovis
• 106 Pounds
- Trenton Southerland, 8th
fell to Landon Ochoa, TF 18-1
• 113 Pounds
- Jayce Herron, fr.
fell to Ethan McDonald, 2:45
• 120 Pounds
forfeit
• 126 Pounds
- Jonathan Corza, fr.
fell to Antonio Pena, :44
• 132 Pounds
forfeit
• 138 Pounds
- Colton Hesser, fr.
fell to Shawn Pierce, TF 21-4
• 144 Pounds
- Tristan Shannon, 8th
fell to Ryan Alegria, TF 17-1
• 150 Pounds
- Jaedon Smith, so.
def. Blake Ambrus, 1:22
• 157 Pounds
- Braxton Norman, fr.
fell to Joaquin Gutierrez, :35
• 165 Pounds
- Coby Roark, so.
fell to Erick Lujan, 2:59
• 175 Pounds
- Edel Villa, sr.
def. Dylan Valles, TF 20-3
• 190 Pounds
- Miles Love, jr.
fell to John Royal, :49
• 215 Pounds
- Ethan Valencia, so.
fell to Kaleb King, TF 15-0
• 285 Pounds
- Briggs Beavers, sr.
def. Mario Salgado, 1:35
• Exhibition: 144 Pounds
- Tristan Shannon, 8th
def. Kelby Williams, :51
• Exhibition: 175 Pounds
- Coby Roark, so.
def. Nolan Rodriguez, :45
• Exhibition: 285 Pounds
- Briggs Beavers, sr.
fell to Devin Henderson, 1:19

Girls' Results vs. Clovis
• 100 Pounds
forfeit
• 105 Pounds
forfeit
• 110 Pounds
- Anna Lee Sorrells, so.
fell to Jarelly Navarret, 1:50
• 115 Pounds
- Alayna Petersen, so.
fell to Zulehiny Mendoza, :13
• 120 Pounds
- Anevay Chavez, 8th
fell to Hazel Rodriguez, :22
• 125 Pounds
- Kylie Rodriguez, fr.
fell to Alison Lopez, :18
• 130 Pounds
forfeit
• 135 Pounds
forfeit
• 140 Pounds
forfeit
• 145 Pounds
- Leila Irvin, fr.
def. Peyton Parker, 1:45
• 155 Pounds
- Katie Dowell, fr.
fell to Nya Carbajal, 2:42
• 170 Pounds
- Anastacia Bishop, so.
fell to Sunnay Ward, :25
• 190 Pounds
forfeit
• 235 Pounds
forfeit
• Exhibition: 110 Pounds
- Anna Lee Sorrells, so.
def. Sophia Alcaz, 4:32
• Exhibition: 115 Pounds
- Alayna Petersen, so.
fell to Evalett Salinas, 3:48
• Exhibition: 120 Pounds
- Anevay Chavez, 8th
fell to Emma Nicolas, TF 17-0
• Exhibition: 125 Pounds
- Kylie Rodriguez, fr.
fell to Winter Park, TF 15-0

Dog Fight Invite

PICTURED: The Bulldog and Lady Bulldog wresting teams pose for a photo following the Dog Fight Invite at Bulldog Pit.

Jan. 17 was a momentous occasion for the Artesia wrestling program: their first home tournament, the Dog Fight Invite. Wrestling fans and competitors from Roswell High, Goddard, Hobbs, Clovis, Mayfield, Centennial, Moriarty and Cobre packed Bulldog Pit for a day of takedowns and teamwork that saw the Bulldogs place fifth overall and the Lady Bulldogs sixth. The tournament was also a reminder that wrestling in New Mexico is a community effort, with parents, boosters and donors coming together to run a stellar event and tailgate that allowed every athlete attending to enjoy a meal.

In the boys' tournament, the Bulldogs got a runner-up finish from sophomore Jaedon Smith in the 144-pound weight class. Smith went 4-1 through five rounds, defeating wrestlers from Clovis, Roswell High, Hobbs and Centennial, before falling in the championship match to Clovis' Ryan Alegria at 3:13. Senior Daniel Madrid and junior Colt Moziejko both took the bronze on their home mats in the 165-pound and 132-pound divisions, respectively. Madrid fell in the quarterfinals but came back with consolation round wins over Moriarty and teammate Coby Roark before defeating another fellow Bulldog -- Luke Woolsey -- in the third-place match at :39. Moziejko, meanwhile, defeated Roswell High's Collin Surgett in the quarterfinals before coming up short of another Coyote, Nathaniel Lujan, in the semis. He then bested Alejandro Garcia of Centennial in a consolation semi (1:13) before defeating Lane Neeley of Mayfield in the third-place match at :31. The 'Dogs got five fourth-place finishes from juniors Evan Heald (190 pounds) and Luke Woolsey (165 pounds) and freshmen Braxton Norman (157 pounds), Jonathan Corza (126 pounds) and Ayden Carnero (106 pounds).

For the Lady Bulldogs, freshman Leila Irvin again dominated in the 145-pound weight class, pinning Clovis' Chloe Murphy at 1:08 and Centennial's Emily Mendez at 3:26 to win the Dog Fight. Coming in third was sophomore Anna Lee Sorrells in the 110-pound class, going 3-2 through five rounds, and sophomore Anastacia Bishop finished fourth in the 170-pound division, going 2-0 with a bye through three rounds before falling in the semifinals and to Centennial's Nalani Chavez in the third-place match at 1:49.

(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Dog Fight Invite Boys' Results
• 106 Pounds
- Ayden Carnero, fr.
Round One: def. Dominic Lopez (Moriarty), 2:54
Round Two: fell to Landon Ochoa (Clovis), :44
Round Three: def. Aaron Sanchez (Mayfield), 2:32
Semifinals: fell to Gabriel Moreno (Centennial), :50
Third-Place Match: fell to Luis Molina (Cobre), TF 17-1
Finish: Fourth
- Trenton Southerland, 8th
Round One: fell to Adam Tarin (Roswell High), 4:27
Round Two: fell to Luis Molina (Cobre), TF 15-0
Round Three: fell to Gabriel Moreno (Centennial), TF 20-4
Consolation Semifinals: def. Aaron Sanchez (Mayfield), MD 18-6
Fifth-Place Match: def. Dominic Lopez (Moriarty), DEC 8-3
Finish: Fifth
• 113 Pounds
- Jayce Herron, fr.
Round One: def. Arturo Adame (Mayfield), 3:46
Round Two: fell to Hunter Berry (Roswell High), TF 17-2
Round Three: fell to Domicio Brito (Moriarty), :32
Consolation Semifinals: def. Almeron Saxton (Moriarty), 2:03
Fifth-Place Match: fell to Santiago Solis (Centennial), 4:05
Finish: Sixth
• 126 Pounds
- Jonathan Corza, fr.
Quarterfinals: def. Aiden Lucero (Goddard), :40
Semifinals: fell to Angel Gaxiola (Cobre), TF 16-1
Consolation Semifinals: def. Anthony Hawkins (Hobbs), :25
Third-Place Match: fell to Gavin Everett (Moriarty), 1:33
Finish: Fourth
• 132 Pounds
- Colt Moziejko, jr.
Round One: def. Atley Starnes (Artesia), :29
Quarterfinals: def. Collin Surgett (Roswell High), :27
Semifinals: fell to Nathaniel Lujan (Roswell High), 2:34
Consolation Semifinals: def. Alejandro Garcia (Centennial), 1:13
Third-Place Match: def. Lane Neeley (Mayfield), :31
Finish: Third
- Atley Starnes, fr.
Round One: fell to Colt Moziejko (Artesia), :29
Consolation Round One: def. Aden Ingram (Roswell High), 1:45
Consolation Round Two: fell to Alejandro Garcia (Centennial), :45
• 138 Pounds
- Tristan Shannon, 8th
Round One: bye
Quarterfinals: def. Ayden Losoya (Artesia), 3:30
Semifinals: fell to Tristan Barrera (Centennial), TF 16-1
Consolation Semifinals: fell to Julian Pollard (Clovis), 2:44
- Ayden Losoya, so.
Quarterfinals: fell to Tristan Shannon (Artesia), 3:30
Consolation Quarterfinals: def. David Montoya (Roswell High), 3:54
Consolation Semifinals: fell to Lucas Lozoya (Moriarty), :43
- Colton Hesser, fr.
Quarterfinals: fell to Tristan Barrera (Centennial), :48
Consolation Round One: fell to David Montoya (Roswell High), 1:46
• 144 Pounds
- Jaedon Smith, so.
Round One: def. Cooper Smith (Clovis), :52
Round Two: def. Austin Taylor (Roswell High), :25
Round Three: fell to Ryan Alegria (Clovis), 3:13
Round Four: def. Miguel Gonzalez (Hobbs), 5:16
Round Five: def. Gavin Kellogg (Centennial), 2:32
Finish: Second
• 150 Pounds
- Anthony Fuentes, 8th
Round One: fell to Bryce Carrillo (Centennial), 1:37
Round Two: fell to Nathaniel Bernal (Roswell High), :22
Round Three: fell to Josiah Arriaga (Mayfield), 2:33
Semifinals: fell to Blake Ambrus (Clovis), :30
Seventh-Place Match: bye
Finish: Seventh
• 157 Pounds
- Braxton Norman, fr.
Round One: def. Jaybree Alcala (Hobbs), :44
Round Two: def. Victor Rochall (Artesia), 1:06
Round Three: fell to Daniel Guevara (Roswell High), :59
Semifinals: fell to Joaquin Gutierrez (Clovis), :21
Third-Place Match: fell to Atticus Morrow (Centennial), 1:00
Finish: Fourth
- Victor Rochall, so.
Round One: fell to Daniel Guevara (Roswell High), :36
Round Two: fell to Braxton Norman (Artesia), 1:06
Round Three: fell to Jaybree Alcala (Hobbs), 1:27
Semifinals: fell to Martin Flores (Hobbs), :21
Seventh-Place Match: def. Juan Garcia (Roswell High), Medical Forfeit
Finish: Seventh
• 165 Pounds
- Daniel Madrid, sr.
Round One: def. Austin Rodriguez (Roswell High), :23
Quarterfinals: fell to Erick Lujan (Clovis), DEC 6-5
Consolation Quarterfinals: def. Fabian Silva (Moriarty), 1:33
Consolation Semifinals: def. Coby Roark (Artesia), 1:37
Third-Place Match: def. Luke Woolsey (Artesia), :39
Finish: Third
- Luke Woolsey, jr.
Quarterfinals: def. Bryan Molina (Artesia), DEC 9-8
Semifinals: fell to Erick Lujan (Clovis), 4:00
Consolation Semifinals: def. Austin Rodriguez (Roswell High), 2:16
Third-Place Match: fell to Daniel Madrid (Artesia), :39
Finish: Fourth
- Coby Roark, so.
Round One: def. Fabian Silva (Moriarty), :22
Quarterfinals: def. Aiden Ramirez (Roswell High), Medical Forfeit
Semifinals: fell to Johnathon Valenzuela (Centennial), 4:14
Consolation Semifinals: fell to Daniel Madrid (Artesia), 1:37
- Antonio Aguilar, fr.
Quarterfinals: fell to Johnathon Valenzuela (Centennial), :23
Consolation Round One: fell to Austin Rodriguez (Roswell High), 1:24
- Bryan Molina, fr.
Quarterfinals: fell to Luke Woolsey (Artesia), DEC 9-8
Consolation Round One: fell to Fabian Silva (Moriarty), 2:38
• 175 Pounds
- Isaac Huskey, fr.
Quarterfinals: def. Colin Strand (Centennial), DEC 14-7
Semifinals: fell to Davian Gonzalez (Roswell High), MD 15-3
Consolation Semifinals: fell to Dylan Valles (Clovis), :49
• 190 Pounds
- Evan Heald, jr.
Round One: fell to Jonathan Ellis (Roswell High), 1:36
Round Two: bye
Round Three: def. Benjamin White (Clovis), TF 21-6
Semifinals: fell to John Royal (Clovis), 1:56
Third-Place Match: fell to Jack Rosenbluth (Centennial), :35
Finish: Fourth
• 215 Pounds
- Ethan Valencia, so.
Round One: fell to Brian Santillan (Goddard), 5:10
Consolation Round One: def. Christian McBride (Cobre), 2:23
Consolation Round Two: def. Dominic Carrasco (Centennial), 2:22
Consolation Round Three: fell to Candido Andazola (Roswell High), 2:01
• 285 Pounds
- Briggs Beavers, sr.
Round One: bye
Quarterfinals: fell to Raes Nunez (Goddard), 1:03
Consolation Round One: bye
Consolation Quarterfinals: def. Joseph Pacheco (Moriarty), :51
Consolation Semifinals: fell to Ethan Lopez (Roswell High), :29

Boys' Team Results
1. Clovis
2. Centennial
3. Roswell High
4. Moriarty
5. ARTESIA
6. Cobre
7. Mayfield
8. Hobbs
9. Goddard

Dog Fight Invite Girls' Results
• 105 Pounds
- Caylee Shockey, so.
Round One: fell to Lilyana Ramirez (Mayfield), :48
Round Two: fell to Liberty Ochoa (Clovis), :36
Round Three: fell to Ylianna Duarte (Cobre), :47
Finish: Fourth
• 110 Pounds
- Anna Lee Sorrells, so.
Round One: def. Alysandra Williams (Artesia), :49
Round Two: fell to Jarelly Navarret (Clovis), :41
Round Three: def. Amber Lavery (Moriarty), 1:20
Round Four: fell to Alyssa Chavez (Roswell High), :59
Round Five: def. Sophia Alcaz (Clovis), 3:01
Finish: Third
- Alysandra Williams, 8th
Round One: fell to Anna Lee Sorrells (Artesia), :49
Round Two: fell to Alyssa Chavez (Roswell High), :44
Round Three: fell to Jarelly Navarret (Clovis), :10
Round Four: fell to Sophia Alcaz (Clovis), :46
Round Five: fell to Amber Lavery (Moriarty), :45
Finish: Sixth
• 115 Pounds
- Alayna Petersen, so.
Round One: fell to Ayla Hernandez (Centennial), TF 17-1
Round Two: fell to Zulehiny Mendoza (Clovis), :27
Round Three: fell to Yalexi Valdez (Cobre), :35
Consolation Semifinals: def. Saphia Gutierrez (Artesia), 1:54
Fifth-Place Match: fell to Hernandez (Centennial), :27
Finish: Sixth
- Saphia Gutierrez, fr.
Round One: fell to Grayce Forsyth (Mayfield), :19
Round Two: fell to Evalett Salinas (Clovis), :25
Round Three: bye
Consolation Semifinals: fell to Alayna Petersen (Artesia), 1:54
Seventh-Place Match: bye
Finish: Seventh
• 120 Pounds
- Anevay Chavez, 8th
Round One: fell to Kristina Means (Moriarty), :32
Round Two: fell to Sara Flores (Mayfield), :49
Round Three: fell to Hazel Rodriguez (Clovis), :36
Round Four: fell to Amanda Skipper (Roswell High), :42
Round Five: def. Lyla Woolsey (Artesia), 2:46
Finish: Fifth
- Lyla Woolsey, fr.
Round One: fell to Amanda Skipper (Roswell High), 2:41
Round Two: fell to Kristina Means (Moriarty), :30
Round Three: fell to Sara Flores (Mayfield), 3:18
Round Four: fell to Hazel Rodriguez (Clovis), :19
Round Five: fell to Anevay Chavez (Artesia), 2:46
Finish: Sixth
• 125 Pounds
- Kylie Rodriguez, fr.
Round One: fell to McKayla Miller (Moriarty), :21
Round Two: fell to Alison Lopez (Clovis), :22
Round Three: def. Winter Park (Clovis), :34
Consolation Semifinals: fell to Makenzie Hoover (Roswell High), 1:42
Seventh-Place Match: fell to Park (Clovis), 1:54
Finish: Eighth
• 145 Pounds
- Leila Irvin, fr.
Round Two: def. Chloe Murphy (Clovis), 1:08
Round Three: def. Emily Mendez (Centennial), 3:26
Finish: First
• 155 Pounds
- Katie Dowell, fr.
Round One: def. Navelia Aguilar (Artesia), 1:29
Round Two: fell to Lily Medley (Cobre), DEC 5-4
Round Three: fell to Nya Carbajal (Clovis), 1:14
Consolation Semifinals: bye
Fifth-Place Match: fell to Kora Weisse (Mayfield), DEC 9-5
Finish: Sixth
- Navelia Aguilar, fr.
Round One: fell to Katie Dowell (Artesia), 1:29
Round Two: fell to Nya Carbajal (Clovis), :23
Round Three: fell to Lily Medley (Cobre), 1:29
Consolation Semifinals: fell to Kora Weisse (Mayfield), Medical Forfeit (Loss)
Seventh-Place Match: bye
Finish: Seventh
• 170 Pounds
- Anastacia Bishop, so.
Round One: def. Melody Sowell (Artesia), :41
Round Two: bye
Round Three: def. Nalani Chavez (Centennial), 2:55
Semifinals: fell to Lexi Silva (Cobre), 2:46
Third-Place Match: fell to Chavez (Centennial), 1:49
Finish: Fourth
- Fatima Alonso, jr.
Round One: fell to Lexi Silva (Cobre), 4:35
Round Two: def. Jaylynn Wardrip (Clovis), 1:25
Round Three: fell to Sunnay Ward (Clovis), 1:40
Consolation Semifinals: bye
Fifth-Place Match: def. Wardrip (Clovis), :21
Finish: Fifth
- Melody Sowell, fr.
Round One: fell to Anastacia Bishop (Artesia), :41
Round Two: fell to Nalani Chavez (Centennial), :28
Round Three: bye
Consolation Semifinals: fell to Jaylynn Wardrip (Clovis), :48
Seventh-Place Match: bye
Finish: Seventh

Girls' Team Results
1. Clovis
2. Cobre
3. Roswell High
4. Centennial
5. Moriarty
6. ARTESIA
7. Mayfield
8. Hobbs

AHS BOWLING

Artesia Invitational

PICTURED: Artesia 1 kept their unbeaten streak rolling Jan. 17 at Artesia Lanes, winning the Advanced division with a pair of school-record scores.

Artesia Lanes once again played host to the bowling extravaganza that is Artesia Invitational weekend Jan. 17, with more than 100 bowlers from 32 teams representing 13 schools from throughout the state descended on the City of Champions. In the Advanced division, they came to test themselves against the undefeated Bulldogs, who had just one thing to say: You shall not pass.

Before the full high school action kicked off, however, the Bulldogs hosted their annual Dan Harvey Memorial Tournament on Friday evening, with a pair of local bowlers topping the Scratch results. Jace Miles, below left, and Ayden Gomez finished first and second, respectively, in Scratch play, followed by Eldorado's Nicco Bococcini in third. Taking first through third Handicap were Alex Blair of Volcano Vista, Payton Smith of Cleveland, and Chamberlain Thayer of Bernalillo.

Once things got rolling Saturday, meanwhile, there was no stopping the bowlers in orange, as the Bulldogs swept the Advanced, Intermediate and Novice divisions while also taking the runner-up spots in the Advanced and Intermediate tournaments.

In the Advanced competition, Artesia 1 continued its unblemished run while Artesia 2 made it another one-two sweep. Artesia 1 finished 370 pins ahead of their teammates, 3,657-3,287, setting school records for both their total pin fall and Baker score (1,545). Placing third was Rio Rancho (2,978), while Bernalillo came in fourth (2,816). Artesia 1 had three bowlers average in the 200s on the tournament: Ayden Gomez, who led the squad with games of 246 and 235 for a combined 481; Payton DeMerritt (222-236=458); and Jace Miles (203-212=415). Brenden Depew rolled a combined 391 and Ayden Dean a 367 to round out the 'Dogs' winning day. For Artesia 2, Damian Lopez bowled games of 202 and 233 to finish with a 435, followed by Chase Collins (420), Jurijah Gonzales (393), Ashlyn McIntire (376) and Brent McIntire (368).

The 'Dogs delivered another one-two punch in the Intermediate division, with Artesia 3 topping the 10-team field with a total pin fall of 3,080 for another school division record, followed by Artesia 4 in second with 2,876. Espanola Valley came in third (2,759). Leading the way for Artesia 3 was Talyn Pacheco, who followed a 183 game with a 256 for a combined 439. Diego Molina bowled a 362, Garyn Usherwood a 336, Destiny Powell a 322, and Adam Longoria a 308. Artesia 4 was led by two big games from Ezekiel Sanchez (203-218=421), followed by Kathrine Lewis (326), Jack Erbacher (325), Alejandro Bahena (317) and Edwin Villarreal (309).

Artesia 5 then completed the Bulldogs' three-division sweep with a win in the Novice competition, finishing 147 pins ahead of second-place Rio Rancho. Artesia 5 got a combined 317 from Justin Rodriguez, followed by Mia Duran (308), Ethan Longoria (291), Exaviar Corza (288) and Colton Sandmann (257). Artesia 6 came in fourth in the Novice division, with Drake Thurman bowling a combined 383, Peyton Troost a 297, Daniel Alcocer a 254, Sophie Kitchen a 238, and Kenzlee Cabezuela a 165. Competing with just four bowlers, Artesia 7 came in third in the Rookie division: Dexter Crosby, 251; JC Apodaca, 237; Kylie Mendoza, 235; and Jade Marquez, 202.

PICTURED: Artesia 2 were the Advanced division runners-up.

PICTURED: Artesia 3 topped the podium in the Intermediate division.

PICTURED: Artesia 4 finished second overall in the Intermediate division.

PICTURED: Artesia 5 came out on top of the Novice division.

Advanced Division Results
• Artesia 1, 1st / Total Pins: 3,657 / Baker Game Pins: 1,545
- Ayden Gomez, 246-235=481 (240 avg)
- Payton DeMerritt, 222-236=458 (229)
- Jace Miles, 203-212=415 (207)
- Brenden Depew, 188-203=391 (195)
- Ayden Dean, 184-183=367 (183)
• Artesia 2, 2nd / Total Pins: 3,287 / Baker Game Pins: 1,295
- Damian Lopez, 202-233=435 (217)
- Chase Collins, 230-190=420 (210)
- Jurijah Gonzales, 212-181=393 (196)
- Ashlyn McIntire, 172-204=376 (188)
- Brent McIntire, 199-169=368 (184)

Intermediate Division Results
• Artesia 3, 1st / Total Pins: 3,080 / Baker Game Pins: 1,313
- Talyn Pacheco, 183-256=439 (219)
- Diego Molina, 188-174=362 (181)
- Garyn Usherwood, 142-194=336 (168)
- Destiny Powell, 151-171=322 (161)
- Adam Longoria, 171-137=308 (154)
• Artesia 4, 2nd / Total Pins: 2,876 / Baker Game Pins: 1,178
- Ezekiel Sanchez, 203-218=421 (210)
- Kathrine Lewis, 156-170=326 (163)
- Jack Erbacher, 191-134=325 (162)
- Alejandro Bahena, 146-171=317 (158)
- Edwin Villarreal, 160-149=309 (154)

Novice Division Results
• Artesia 5, 1st / Total Pins: 2,481 / Baker Game Pins: 1,020
- Justin Rodriguez, 160-157=317 (158)
- Mia Duran, 168-140=308 (154)
- Ethan Longoria, 151-140=291 (145)
- Exaviar Corza, 162-126=288 (144)
- Colton Sandmann, 100-157=257 (128)
• Artesia 6, 4th / Total Pins: 2,255 / Baker Game Pins: 918
- Drake Thurman, 186-197=383 (191)
- Peyton Troost, 158-139=297 (148)
- Daniel Alcocer, 118-136=254 (127)
- Sophie Kitchen, 91-147=238 (119)
- Kenzlee Cabezuela, 93-72=165 (82)

Rookie Division Results
• Artesia 7, 3rd / Total Pins: 1,463 / Baker Game Pins: 538
- Dexter Crosby, 111-140=251 (125)
- JC Apodaca, 130-107=237 (118)
- Kylie Mendoza, 118-117=235 (117)
- Jade Marquez, 110-92=202 (101)

(Photos by Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Senior Day

The Artesia bowling program also took the opportunity to honor its Class of 2026 senior bowlers during its home tournament. The seniors were recognized for their many accomplishments and contributions to the program over the course of their careers and were celebrated by their fans and coaches as they also honored their families for their support and encouragement.

PICTURED: From left, with coaches Ken Clayton, far left, and Laura Weddige, far right, are Bulldog senior bowlers Talyn Pacheco, Brenden Depew, Payton DeMerritt, Brent McIntire, Ayden Gomez and Damian Lopez.