By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Track and Field teams hosted their final track meet of the season last week. It was the fourth meet in a four week period that Moapa Valley had hosted a meet.
In the meet, Del Sol and Sierra Vista were to travel to Moapa Valley. However, Del Sol didn’t make it because they forgot to schedule a bus. Sierra Vista did make it and the meet became a dual in a wind storm.
Sierra Vista won both the boys and girls meet. In the boys’ meet the final point tally was 91-55 Sierra Vista. The girls tally was 73-60.
Times were slow due to the high winds which prevailed that day.
For the boys, RJ Hubert took first place in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles and High Jump, Hunter Soderquist won the meet for the shotput and discus. Caleb Witsken took first place in the pole vault.
On the girls side Signe Berg won the 800 and the high jump. Matilda Thompson took the 1600 meter event. Natalie Mills won the 100 hurdles and the 300 hurdles. The 400 and 800 relay teams won their events. And Rachle Lee took first place for the girls in the Pole Vault.
The week ended with the Pirates travelling to Las Vegas for the Arbor View Invitational.
There RJ Hubert placed in four events. He placed fourth in the long jump with a distance of 21 feet 2.25 inches. In the 300 meter hurdles he finished second with a time of 41.58. He placed first in two events, the High Jump with a jump of 6 foot 4 inches and the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.96.
In that last event, Hubert has the fifth best time in the entire state and the best time in the Division IA. He is also third in the High Jump in the State and tied for the top height in the IA with Dayton’s Benji Ply a senior. In addition, he is third in the IA in the 300 hurdles and fourth in the Long Jump.
Caleb Witsken finished third in the Pole Vault, clearing 14 feet. There was a three way tie but he took third because it took him more attempts to clear the bar than the other two. He attempted the height of 14 feet 3 inches and cleared the bar by about a foot. But he clipped the bar on the way down on the other side knocking the bar off.
He is on a heavier pole as his weight varies around 170. He needs to get used to a 180 pound pole so there are some adjustments he needs to work through.
He has the highest Vault in the state of any league. His competition comes from Nathan Heck of Fallon who beat him last year. Heck has cleared a height of 15 feet 1 inch.
On the girls side no Pirates placed in the Arbor View meet.
Moapa Valley placed eighth in a tie with Desert Pines at 41 points.
