Douglas girls take second as team at Class 5A regional meet

Douglas High girls track and field will be sending a bus load of athletes to the Class 5A state meet at Liberty High School this Friday and Saturday.

Bliss Moody continued to show how dominant of an athlete she can be at any sport, qualifying for state in all four events – the 200-meter dash, 4x100, long jump and high jump.

In the 200, Moody was fourth in 26.38 while in the long jump she won the event with a leap of 17-0.75.

In the high jump, Moody was second with a clearance of five feet even.

“It’s more of a mental thing for me. I know I can jump,” said Moody. “I think we just wanted to have fun and we wanted to qualify for state (in the relay). I’m really happy.”

Ava Coons qualified in three different events, starting with a third-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.78.

Coons will join Moody and Logan Karwoski as all three qualified for state in the high jump.

Her sister, Katelyn Coons, will be at her first state meet as a freshman after taking second in the 300-meter hurdles in 48.01.

The 4x200 team consisted of the two Coons’, Grace Strabala and Elizabeth Gneiting for a fourth-place finish and a state qualification.

In the 4x1, Kaylee Bradford, Strabala, Gneiting and Moody took second in 50.19 to make it to state.

Gneiting, a junior in her first year of track, also qualified as an individual in the triple jump, smashing her old personal record with a marking of 34-8.

“I just had to calm myself down and go and send it. It was my last jump so I knew I had to get out there,” said Gneiting. “I’m so excited. I’m just really grateful to get to go and have the experience.”

(Doglas High junior Elizabeth Gneiting hits the sand, during the triple jump event at the Class 5A North regional track and field meet Saturday. Gneiting destroyed her previous personal record in the event, qualifying for state with a leap of 34-8, finishing third. Carter Eckl / Nevada Appeal)

In the shot put, Sophie Marchut won the regional crown with a throw of 35-6.5 while Megan Strand was third with a mark of 32-6.5.

At the discus, Strand also qualified for state in third with a throw of 96-9.

Overall, Douglas finished second in team points with 109, finishing only behind regional champ Galena (141).

Tiger boys

Dylan Spear-Holub was able to punch his ticket to the state meet in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing third in 15.9 seconds.

Spear-Holub also qualified for the state meet in the 300-meter hurdles, taking third in 41.59.

Douglas High’s 4x200 relay team ­of Kevin O’Connell, Connor Jackson, Joshua Nelson and AJ Thurston took second in 1:31.04 and will compete at state in Las Vegas.

The 4x8 squad, consisting of Zakery Waddell, Jackson Davis, Luke Davis and Joel Nord won the regional title in 8:26.38 and will look to go for a state placing this coming weekend.

Douglas’ 62 team points put the Tigers in seventh overall.