Kayla Sanchez and the Carson High girls track team sent a message in the first meet of the year that they're serious about another run at the NIAA 4A State title.
Sanchez already posted midseason times in winning the 300-meter hurdles and the 100 as the Senator girls won the South Tahoe Conference meet held at Fallon on Saturday. Among the other standouts for Carson was Andrea Kierstead.
Carson won the four-way meet with 110 points and was followed by Douglas (77), Fallon (55) and South Tahoe (21).
The Senator boys also won the meet, edging Douglas for the title 92-90. Fallon was third with 76 points and South Tahoe was fourth with eight points.
With most of its top performers back from last year's team that took second in the NIAA 4A State meet behind Galena, the Senator girls have high hopes of making another run at a state title.
Carson coach Todd Ackerman said if his team performs as well at this year's state meet as it did at last year's state event, "we're going to be very much in the hunt again.
"If we can be lucky, if we can stay healthy, I'm going to guess we're going to be one of the favorites to win."
Sanchez won the 300 hurdles in an excellent time of 44.9 seconds and the 100 in another outstanding time of 12.1. Carson went 1-2 in both events as Emily Field took second in the 100 and Kierstead was second in the 300 hurdles.
Carson also went 1-2-3 in the 110 hurdles as Kierstead and Sanchez both finished with excellent early season times. Kierstead won in 15.7 and Sanchez was second in 16. Freshman Yvonne Hollett was third. In the 300 hurdles, Caroline Montiel was fourth and Meredith Hutchins was fifth.
In addition, Kierstead led a 1-2-3 sweep in the 200 with an excellent early season time of 25.9. Brandi Vegas was second and Field was third. In the 400, Gloria Sosa was second and Haleigh Ward was third.
Hollett was second, Katarina VonRumpf was third and Laura Sosa was fourth. In the 1,600, Hollett was third.
Carson swept the relays as Montiel, Field, Yvette Hollett and Kierstead won the 4x100, Field, Julisa Gonzalez, Yvette Hollett and Vega won the 4x200, Gonzalez, Gloria Sosa, Yvonne Hollett and Sanchez won the 4x400 and Kristen Dockery, Jenny Mital, Yvonne Hollett and Gloria Sosa won the 4x800.
In the field events Stephanie Adamson led a 1-2 sweep in the pole vault, winning while Megan Moore was second. Megan Craig was fourth in the shot put and discus.
As if the Senators weren't fast enough, they have received another lift with the addition of sophomore Vega.
"We're still playing around with a couple," said Ackerman about where to place runners. "We will still play with our relays.
"We're going to run some different people. We'll put together the kids we want as soon as they run consistently together."
Carson was also without one of its top runners in Christy Works.
For the boys, Mike Arnold led a 1-2-3 sweep in the pole vault with a solid early season mark of 12 feet, 3 inches. Chris Moore was second and Bryan Byrne was third. Donald Foster was third in the discus (127-7), Caleb Carter was fourth in the long jump and Nick Peternell was fourth in the triple jump.
Matt Mattoon won the 300 hurdles while Carter was third. Carter also won the 1,600 in 5:03. In the 110 hurdles, Mattoon was second and James Simmons was third.
Cash Doty was second in the 200 while Ian Gentner was fourth. Robbie Barlow was fourth in the 1,600 and 800. Floyd Hernandez was second in the 100.
Carson also won the 4x100 relay with Doty, Hernandez, Ian Witter and Michael McSweeney (43.5), the 4x200 with Hernandez, Doty, McSweeney and Gentner (1:37.5), the 4x400 with Hernandez, Carter, Gentner and McSweeney (3:43.5) and took second in the 4x800 with Carter, Barlow, Tyler Davies and Adam Haney.
Carson was also without two if its top runners in reigning NIAA 4A State cross country champion Chad Shroy and his younger brother, freshman Richard Shroy.