Senators’ distance runners dominating meets

Much like the cross country season, the Carson High girls track distance group is showing truth to the phrase, “strength in numbers.”

In the 3,200, the Senators have six of the top 14 runners in Northern Nevada Class 5A.

Leading the way are Hannah Budd and Jinnie Ponczoch, who both found out Wednesday evening they have qualified for the Sacramento Meet of Champions based on their times this season.

“I was really happy with that and I was proud of that because I likely won’t make it to state in a race like the two mile,” said Budd. “So, that was my big race.”

It’s the 40th year the meet of champions is being held and it will feature qualifiers from California, Oregon and Northern Nevada.

Budd, a freshman, is now fifth in the Class 5A North with a PR of 11:50.92, which she set at Carson’s home meet in late March.

Ponczoch, a sophomore, was just off of Budd’s pace with a time of 11:53.56 at the Carson meet, setting a PR.

“At the beginning of the season when I heard some of the times (to qualify), I was not super confident,” said Ponczoch. “As the season progressed, it was ‘oh, that might be something I can do.’ It was really exciting to find out that I had qualified.”

Though they were the only two girls from the Senators’ team to qualify for the Sacramento meet, Carson has other young runners helping to push the pace.

Vea Miner was just off the qualifying time, but boasts the seventh quickest two-mile (12:08.06) in the Northern 5A this spring. Miner is eighth in the one-mile event as well (5:36.81).

“I’ve felt pretty good,” said Miner. “I want to break 12 minutes in the two mile and to get into the lower five’s in the one mile. It’s just staying focused and not stopping when I’m tired.”

Brianna Rodriguez-Nunez, Madison Hager and Eleanor Romeo are all inside of the top 15 quickest times in the North in the two-mile.

“This year, I’ve been running with them during races and we will push each other,” said Ponczoch. “It’s been really helpful.”

(Hannah Budd, left, and Vea Miner get started during the 3,200-meter run at Carson High in late March. Budd and Miner are both top 10 in the one mile and two mile races this season. / Carter Eckl / Nevada Appeal)

Macy running strong on boys side

Carson High sophomore Sawyer Macy will be competing in Sacramento as well.

Macy’s 9:59.95 at the Reed Sparks Rotary Invite was his quickest two-mile to date, ranking him fifth in the Northern 5A.

In the one-mile Macy is still a top 10 runner, sitting in seventh with a 4:36.21, which he set this past weekend at the Galena Invitational.

Punching his ticket to the Sacramento Meet of Champions has been a goal since the onset of the season.

“They announced the qualifying times right around when the season started,” said Macy. “My goal has been to get that mark. … I was really excited because it’s my first qualified invitational that I’ve ever been to.”

Macy added that his time was actually two seconds behind the line of demarcation, but elevation conversion from running in Northern Nevada pushed his time low enough to make it into the meet.

The Senator sophomore hopes to get his one-mile time down to be as consistent as he is in the two-mile.

Fighting off exhaustion can be the name of the game in the distance races and keeping his arms, upper body and core strong has been Sawyer’s focus of late.

(Carson High’s Sawyer Macy gets off to a quick start at Carson’s home meet in late March. Macy, a sophomore distance runner, has been working his way up the leaderboard for the top times in the North for the Senators’ this season. / Carter Eckl / Nevada Appeal)

Cross country or track

All of the top Senator runners said they preferred cross country to track and field, in large part due to the changing scenery for cross country.

That may not be too surprising given the girls are coming off a cross country state championship this past fall – the first 5A state title in program history.

“It’s a new course every time. It’s also a lot less pressure,” said Budd. “Track is all about numbers, times and splits. In cross country, there are still those things, but they’re not as prevalent.”

The group of girls distance runners will trade off in results, too, if someone is having a better day.

“We go from 90 percent of our runs being out in the mountains to 90 percent of our runs being here (the track),” said Macy. “Personally, I like running on the trails more because there is a lot more diversity. You have to get used to running track. There’s less variables that go into it.”

The Northern 5A regional meet will be May 6, 12 and 13 at Reed High School, giving all of the Senators’ distance runners another month to continue shaving off their times.