Cavegirls 2nd, Cavemen 3rd at District Tourney

By Don Eskins

The Carlsbad Cavegirls placed second, and the Cavemen third, at the District 4/5A Golf Tournament in Clovis on Monday, May 4.

The Cavegirls, behind Averee Padilla, who placed third overall with an 82, carded a 359. Hobbs, with a 347, claimed this year’s girls’ conference title.

Also contributing to the Cavegirl effort were Haddi May, 89; Madisyn Beavers, 92; Cecilia Mascarenas, 96; and Hailey Carter, 108.

In boys’ competition, the Cavemen, paced by Chevy Thompson’s 76 and Bryce Mashaw’s 79, recorded a team score of 334 en route to finishing third.

Thompson’s effort earned him a third-place finish at the conference tournament, while Mashaw finished fourth.

Collecting the 2026 conference title was Clovis with a 316. Finishing second, with a 327, were the Hobbs Eagles.

Closing out the Cavemen’s team scorecard were Becker Barnes with an 88, Dallas Cabezuela with a 91, and Jaxon Berry with a 97.

As District 4/5A top five finishers, Cavemen Chevy Thompson and Bryce Mashaw, along with Cavegirl Averee Padilla, earned All-District Honors.

“We couldn’t be more proud of Averee, Chevy, and Bryce,” said CHS head golf coach Bryan Jones. “Finishing among the top five in such a tough field was quite a feat.”

But, said Jones, the field wasn’t the only tough thing his kids had to compete against in Clovis.

“The golf course there is really tough, especially on the back nine, where there’s lots of trees and water,” said Jones. “But our kids battled, and that’s all we could have asked of them.”

Only the District 4/5A champions—team and individual—received automatic berths to the state tournament.

However, based on computer stats, the top three teams and top eight individuals from around the state who did not receive automatic berths would be eligible to compete in this year’s Big Dance.

Cavegirls Headed to State

Update: The Carlsbad Cavegirls, who placed second in this year’s race for the District 4/5A title, have been invited to compete in the 2026 Class 5A New Mexico State Golf Tournament.

The tournament will take place at the New Mexico State University Golf Course in Las Cruces on May 11-12.

“We’re all excited about being invited to participate in the state tournament,” said coach Jones. “Being selected to compete in this year’s event is really quite an honor for our kids.”

While coach Jones received word about the Cavegirls’ inclusion into the New Mexico Big Dance on Wednesday, May 6, he had not received any word on whether any of the Cavemen or Cavegirls had been selected to compete in the individual tournament.

“We feel like Chevy and possibly Averee have a good shot at getting in,” he said. “But, as hopeful as we are, we probably won’t find out until Thursday, May 7.”

District 4/5A Results

Girls’ Scoreboard: 1. Hobbs, 347; 2. Carlsbad, 359; 3. Clovis, 360; and 4. Roswell, 394.

Cavegirl Scorecards: 3. Jr. Averee Padilla, 82; 9. Soph. Haddi May, 89; 12. Fr. Madisyn Beavers, 92; 15. Soph. Cecilia Mascarenas, 96; and 21. Jr. Haile Carter, 108. (Alt. Soph. Grace Thompson, 94)

Boys’ Scoreboard: 1. Clovis, 316; 2. Hobbs, 327; 3. Carlsbad, 334; and 4. Roswell, 370.

Cavemen Scorecards: 3. Sr. Chevy Thompson, 76; 4. Jr. Bryce Mashaw, 79; 13. Fr. Becker Barnes, 88; 17. Sr. Dallas Cabezuela, 91; and 21. 8th Jaxon Berry, 97. (Alt. Sr. Daesen Urquidez, 92)