Cavemen Cross Country Team Eyes District Crown

By Don Eskins

Carlsbad High’s Cavemen cross country team, District 45A champions in 2022 and 2023, closed out 2024 with a third-place finish. The Clovis Wildcats claimed last year’s title, while the Hobbs Eagles placed second.

Expectations for this year’s CHS harriers, by second-year head coach Michael Sims, are much higher.

“Last year, we lost the services of a few kids who were top-point scorers for us in 2023. As a result, overall, we were pretty young,” said Sims. “Although our kids battled, Clovis and Hobbs were both loaded with talent, which made the district tournament a very difficult one for our kids.

“This year, no team has really been tabbed as a pre-district favorite. It looks like this season’s race for the District 4/5A crown is wide open,” he said. “Clovis lost their top three runners from 2024 to graduation, while Hobbs and Roswell each lost two.”

And what about the Cavemen?

“As for us, we’ve returned the corps of last year’s team. With a lot of hard work, and if we can avoid major injuries, I think our kids will have an excellent shot at bringing the District 4/5A title back to Carlsbad,” said Sims.”

Cavemen’s 2025 Corps

Junior Dany Hernandez, who placed fourth at last year’s conference tournament to earn All-District 4/5A honors, is expected to occupy this season’s top spot on the Cavemen squad.

However, Sims said Hernandez could be pushed for the spot by sophomore Rex Reynolds.

“Both ran well for us last year, and both have worked hard during our summer workouts,” he said. “They also have great work ethics and are eager to bring back this year’s conference title to Carlsbad.”

Also expected to compete well are returnees Kaleb Vasquez, a junior, and Judah Wittmayer, a senior, along with newcomers Javion Scott and Caisen Smith, both sophomores, and freshman Josiah Waddle. (Waddle, who ran JV last season, did compete in the district meet as an eighth grader.)

Kicking Off the New Season

Practice officially gets underway for the Cavemen on Monday, August 11.

“We’ve had a few athletes unable to make our summer workouts; we hope to see them, along with a crop of newcomers, on our first day of practice,” said the CHS coach. “The first day is always exciting. New faces, as we’ve experienced before, can sometimes be very talented.”

The Cavemen will open up the new season on August 29 in Cloudcroft. Races are set to begin at 4 p.m.