Boys track: Dayton’s Ply wins 3 events, Carson’s Wallace 2nd in high jump

J.J. Ply capped off an impressive weekend with two more victories at the NIAA Northern 3A Track and Field Championships Saturday afternoon at the Jim Frank Track & Field Complex.

Ply, who won the 300 hurdles on Friday, won the 110 hurdles in a meet-record time of 14.89, and then captured the high jump with a 6-foot 10-inch effort.

He’s considered one of the early favorites in all three events at next weekend’s state meet at Foothill High in Henderson.

The only event Ply didn’t move on in was the pole vault. He cleared 12 feet, but that was only good for fourth place, and only the top three qualified for state. His 12-foot effort is No. 5 in the state for 3A this year. Most of the vaulting leaders are from Northern Nevada.

Ply easily knocked off Fernley’s Sam Wright (14.89-15.40) in the hurdles. Ply also beat Wright in the 300. In both races he broke meet records set last year by Sparks’ Nick Van Patten. In both hurdle races he has the best times in the state.

“It (the 110s) was a good race,” Ply said. “I got off to a little bit of a slow start. If I hit any hurdles, I didn’t notice. Somewhere in the middle of the race my technique got away from me a little bit, but I got it back.”

It was his effort in the high jump and his battle with Elko’s Kyrin Allen that got the crowd’s attention. Once it was announced both jumpers had cleared 6-10 (Ply on his first attempt and Allen on his second) the bar was moved up to 7-feet. Neither jumper had a good first attempt, hitting the bar on the way up. Both jumpers had their best effort at 7-feet on their last attempt.

“We (Allen and I) get along great,” Ply said. “We have a good relationship.”

Ply missed his first two attempts at 6-8 before clearing the height on his final try. He blamed it on form issues, and he admitted he was scared after the first two misses.

He does, however, believe he has a shot at 7-feet.

“For me to hit 7 feet, I have to hit my take-off just right,” he said.

“Everything has to be just right. The last attempt I almost made it.”

Carson Crosby moved on in the 400, running a PR of 51.09. He has the fifth-fastest time in the state. The Nevada leader is Donjae Lyons of Desert Pines, who has run a 49.83.

4A: Wallace makes state with 6-4 jump

Greg Wallace, who has been up and down in the high jump this year, cleared a season-best 6-4 on his last attempt to finish second in the high jump to Galena’s Kyle Kawada, who jumped 6-4 and won the event because of fewer misses. The jump by Kawada was a PR by nearly four inches.

Wallace made 5-10, 6 and 6-2 on his first attempts. He missed on his first two attempts at 6-4. The bar wobbled ever-so-slightly on his last attempt.

Wallace had surgery seven months ago for a torn meniscus, and then he had a second surgery.

The injury caused him to miss basketball season.

“The surgery slowed me down a lot,” Wallace said. “I spent a lot of time on the exercise bike (this spring).”

Wallace believes he can get up to 6-6 this week. The Las Vegas area has four jumpers who have cleared 6-6 or better, including Basic’s Frank Harris, who cleared 7-feet on March 18.

“I fully expected him to make it,” said Julie Reid, CHS assistant coach. “He made some adjustments (in his technique).”

Carson’s 800-meter relay quartet of Brandon Basa, Chance Smith, Ben Granados and Harry Meyer ran a PR of 1:32.02, but missed moving on by .01 as McQueen’s Elijah Pearson out-leaned Meyer at the finish line.

Douglas’ John Munyan, who was DQd in the 800 last week in the trials, ran a 4:21.26 to take second in the 1600. His time was the fourth-fastest in the state this year.

1A: Falcons chalk up 207 points

Jared Marchegger (1600, 4:49.26), Grant Goins (HJ, 5-10) and Jeremy Hellwinkel (discus, 123-5) all won individual titles and state berths.

Marchegger qualified in the 800, 1600 and 3200 as did Ricky McNeely. The two are usually joined at the hip in the three distance events.

Sierra Lutheran also won the 3200 relay, as Marchegger, McNeely, William Chappell and Caleb Contreras were timed in 8:58.17.

McNeely was second in the 1600 (4:54.08), Blake Ranalla was second in the long jump (18-9 1/2) and Peyton Hedwall was second in the discus at 119-8. The Falcons’ 800 relay squad of Luke Bonafede, Contreras, Rodriguez and Tyrale Luke ran a 1:37.98 to grab the fourth and final qualifying spot.

Virginia City’s Colton Hess set a new meet record in the 400 with a 50.3, breaking Nick DePaoli’s 2011 mark of 51.46.

The Muckers, moved on in the 800 and 1600 relay events.