LAS VEGAS " Carson High's 3,200-meter relay squad went to Sin City with the hopes of a state championship and a state record.
The Senators' quartet of David McMasters, Richard Shroy, Nick Schlager and Robby Barlow ran a solid race, but were out-kicked on the final lap and finished fourth in 8:05.37 at the NIAA 4A Track & Field Championships at Del Sol High School.
Elko won the race in 8:02 followed by Reno, Green Valley and Carson.
"They ran really, really well," said Jeanne Stelzer, CHS assistant coach. "They are obviously disappointed, though.
"It was hot out there; probably 100 degrees. They had wet towels (on their bodies) until they went out on the track. It was burning out there."
Schlager agreed.
"It was at least 95 out there," he said. "If we had run what we did last week, we would have won."
Both David McMasters and Robby Barlow ran under 2 minutes on their legs while Richard Shroy and Nick Schlager were in the high 2:01s.
Carson, in fact, led the race going into the final lap. Despite running a 1:59 anchor leg, Barlow was out-kicked by Reno's Russell Smithson and Elko's Eric Sandall. Stelzer thought Smithson ran a 1:56 anchor leg.
"It's disappointing," said Barlow. "Nick gave me about a 10-meter lead. Smithson passed me and then Sandall passed me, and right at the end, the guy from Green Valley passed me. I ran out of gas."
"Eric Sandall and Smithson are extremely fast," McMasters said. "We didn't run a slow time. We ran hard."
The Carson girls shave nearly five seconds off their zone time, but still finsihed sixth in 4:01. Krista Baumgartner ran a 59.99 relay split and Julianne King ran a 58 to get thigs started.
"It was a good time for them," Stelzer said.
3A TRACK
The Dayton boys fell short in their quest for a state title. The Dust Devils finished third with 90 points. Faith Lutheran won it with 95 and Boulder City was second with 94.
"it was a rough day," coach Mike Paul said. "We didn't perform very well. A lot of our weren't quite up to expectations."
Logan Ingersoll won the high jump with a leap of 6-4, tying his season best. Kage Walker was second in the high jump at 6-feet, Ruben Torrez was third in the 400 at 52.28. Torrez, Marti Espinoza, Kyle Swann and Julian Ballatore-South teamed for a fourth-place finish in the 800 relay with a 1:35.46.
On the girls' side, Tegan Volberding and Kathie Arias brought home state titles on the second day of the meet. Volberding won the triple jump with a school-rec ord mark of 36-1. Arias won the shot put with a heave of 37-11 3/4.
Erika Garcia was fourth in the 100 at 13.19.