Abby Pradere on her way to winning the 4A girls 800-meter event last year at the NIAA Regional Championships. Pradere also won the 1600-meter run.
It’s top three or go home.
That’s what’s facing track and field standouts from Carson and Dayton high schools as they prepare for this weekend’s regional finals. The top three in each event advance to the State Meet May 18-19 at Carson High.
Carson is the host of the 4A regional finals on Saturday, while Dayton athletes head to Yerington High in a combined meet with 1A and 2A athletes. Action gets under way Friday afternoon in the 3A meet.
The Senators’ boys squad is led by Ben Granados, who has a chance to move on in the 100 and 200. He’s currently ranked fifth in the 100 at 11.27, a scant .17 out of third place. The CHS junior zipped off a 22.81 in the 200 last week, and he should move on in that event. Junior Hunter Rauh is currently the second-best Sierra League runner in the 800 and fifth in Nevada 4A. He may have to shave 2-3 seconds off his PR of 2:01.91 to make state.
Carson’s 800 relay team of Chance Smith, Chance Hannah, Tucker Nichols and Granados are ranked third at 1:32.50 and only need to run around that same time to advance. The quartet of Rauh, Darryll Heyward, Smith and Dominic Martinez are ranked fifth at 3:34.06, and will have to shave at least two seconds off that time to move on.
Gabe Gabica has a 13-6 vault and is tied for sixth going into the weekend. He’s a foot off Jeremy Uithoven’s (Galena) best of 14-7, and it will take a PR to even have a chance to move on. Tanner Kalicki, who came out for track for the first time this year, is ranked No. 2 in the triple jump at 44-0 1/2. If he can jump 43 or 44 he should move on.
Abigail Pradere is ranked No. 2 in Northern 4A in both the 800 and 1600. She has run a 2:14.64 in the 800 compared to Manogue’s Rosie Linkus’ 2:13.93. Linkus ran that at Arcadia. In the 1600, Manogue’s Hannah Covington is the only runner in the field under 5-minutes (4:59.16 at Stanford). Pradere also is expected to run a leg on Carson’s fifth-ranked 1600-meter relay.
Rheanna Jackson is coming off a PR of 12:03.02, and she’s going to need another PR to even have a chance at the top 3. Spanish Springs’ Alexis Melendez leads the pack with a 10:46.53 (at Sacramento Meet of Champions). Ashley Britt is ranked sixth in the 300 hurdles, and she figures to battle Douglas’ Megan Veil, Mackenzie Miller of Wooster and Damonte’s Kayla Burnham for the third qualifying spot. McQueen’s duo of Destiny Tolliver and Ashlyn Hedrick figure to dominate the race.
The quartet of Annika Wick, Pradere, Jackson and Britt ran a 4:10.53 in the 1600 relay, and that time needs to be shaved by more than a second to advance. Carson’s quartet of Blanca Sosa, Hannah Kaiser, Gabi Fernandez and Jackson are currently ranked third in the 3200 at 10:05.45. If the group can run under 10, it’s a good bet they’ll move on.
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David Palmer has high hopes for his Dayton squad, especially the girls.
Ashley Mason is the favorite in the long jump (17-4 3/4) and triple jump (35-11 1/4), and twin sister Rebecca has a good opportunity in the high jump (5-0) and 400. She’s ranked in the top five in both of her specialties. The Masons are key members of the 800 and 1600 relay squads. The 800 group, which also includes Macie Callan and Sydney Strickler, leads the field at 1:46.28. The same group is No. 2 in the 1600 relay, 2.77 seconds behind Lowry. Strickler will contend in the 100 and 200. She’s ranked fifth in the 100 and ninth in 200. Callan is eighth in the 200. Palmer is hoping Grace Wells can post another PR in the 100 hurdles and move on. She needs to shave two seconds to have a chance.
Jeffrey Walker is the top pole vaulter at 12-6, and he’s seeded fourth in the 300 hurdles at 44.21. If he can shave .50 or even a full second, he can move on in both events. David Delfin, with a PR of 142-6 in the discus, currently sits No. 2. He has a best of 39-4 in the shot. Teammate Austin Lunz has thrown 39-11 in the shot, and he’s currently ranked No. 3.
“We’re working with Jeffrey’s grip, and I think he can get up to 13 feet,” Palmer said. “David is making progress in the discus. He is strong and getting better every week. I wish we’d had Austin before this year.”