Carson track has outstanding day

It was a banner day for the Carson High girls track team at the Meet of Champions on Saturday at Sacramento State.

Every girl who competed in the meet came away with a medal. In addition, Carson's Mike Arnold cleared 16 feet in the pole vault for the second time this season, breaking his own school record by clearing 16-1 at the inaugural Big George Invitational at Douglas High.

Carson's Kayla Sanchez had an outstanding performance at the Meet of Champions, winning the elite division of the 300-meter hurdles, finishing in a season best 43.37 seconds.

Sanchez is beginning to come on after battling illness for much of the season. "For being sick for a couple weeks that was a real good race for her," Carson track coach Robert Maw said. "She's starting to get her legs under her."

Carson athletes competed in the varsity division in all their other events, with the exception of Evan Pearson, who competed in the frosh-soph boys division.

Sanchez also won the long jump and the 100. She jumped 17 feet, 5 1/2 inches in the long jump. Last week Sanchez went 17-9 in the long jump at McQueen, but that was wind-aided.

Maw said that Sanchez should eventually eclipse 18 feet.In the 100, Sanchez finished in 12.46 into a head wind.

Christy Works and Gloria Sosa also had outstanding meets. Works took sixth in the 400 in a season best 59.5 and sixth in the 800, coming close to her season best in 2:24.29. Sosa also ran a season best in the 800, running a season best 2:25.29.

Carson's girls 4x400 relay team of Works, Sosa, Julianne King and Kelsey Chicuarara also had an outstanding effort, finishing third in 4:08. "Kelsey and Julianne are dropping their times down which is nice," Maw said.

For Carson's boys, Caleb Carter just eclipsed his personal best of 42-8 by leaping 42-8 1/2 take seventh in the triple jump and he took seventh in the long jump at 20-5. Richard Shroy took 11th in the 3,200 with an outstanding time of 9:54.25. Pearson took eighth in the triple jump at 40-11.

After Arnold cleared 16-1, he came close twice to clearing 16-6, but the wind knocked the bar off. Arnold is only one of several high school athletes in Nevada history to clear 16-0. Maw said Arnold gives much of the credit for his success to working out with teammate Chris Moore.