The Moapa Valley High School track and field teams took to the road for the Dave Butler Memorial Las Vegas Open on Saturday, March 7, and the Virgin Valley Weekday Meet on Tuesday, March 3.

On Saturday in Las Vegas, the Moapa Valley boys finished 11th overall out of 25 teams, led by the third-place finish of the 4×800-meter relay team consisting of Hal Thompson, BJ Robison, Ashton Hickman and Grant Conger. The Pirate relay team was the best of the small school relay teams, running the 3,200 meters in 8:33.2.

MVHS senior Eric Lee provided the top individual performance, with a third-place pole vault of 14 feet. Classmate Steele Meeks was fifth in the discus with a personal best throw of 43.86 meters, and fellow senior Tony Carillo was eighth.

Junior Ryker Katich was fourth in the 110-meter hurdles, and classmate Brenden Van Vliet took fifth in the 400-meter race, 10th in the 200 meters and 15th in the 100 meters.

The Lady Pirates were 15th out of 27 teams, led by a fifth-place finish by junior Abby Palmer in the shot put. Moapa Valley also had the top 4×200-meter, small-school relay team in Taylee Bunch, Aerie Pulsipher, Phoebe Leavitt and Paisley Nelson.

On Tuesday at VVHS, Van Vliet won the 400-meter race, Thompson won the 800 meters and Robison won the 1,600-meter race. Robison was also second in the 800 meters, followed by Conger in third and sophomore Jayden George in fifth. Conger was also second in the mile, and Hickman was fifth in the 400-meters.

MVHS junior Jeremiah Dominguez ran a personal best 200 meters in 23.14 seconds to finish second overall. He was fourth in the 100-meters with a personal best time of 11.5 seconds.

“Lots of kids are already hitting personal bests early this season. We are also dealing with a lot of sore legs,” informed MVHS head coach Shane Hickman. “Kids get worried that their legs are going to fall off — soreness is all a part of the plan. I tell them to celebrate; it’s because they’re actually getting some work done. ”

Lee and Redd won the pole vault and long jump, respectively, with Lee posting a personal best vault of 14 feet, three inches. Jack Wheeler and Joshua Burt tied for third in the high jump, clearing five feet, two inches. Carillo was second in the discus and the shot put with personal best throws in both events.

The Lady Pirates were led by first-place finishing throwers Palmer and Janet Werner. Freshman Lillian Cox was fifth in both events. Sophomore Ana Freeman was second in the pole vault, and classmate Sadie Nelson was sixth.

Sophomores Irelynn Lewis and Phoebe Leavitt, along with juniors Addison Leavitt and Kelie Wakasky, took first in the 4×400-meter relay. MVHS also dominated the mile, with sophomores Charlotte Kynaston and Madilyn Thompson taking second and third, respectively. Lewis was fourth in the 1,600 meters and third in the 800 meters, running a personal best 2:43.18. Kynaston was right behind her in the 800-meter race.

In the high jump, sophomore Jenna Dixon was third and freshman Megan Matheson was fifth, recording a personal best jump of four feet, four inches.

MVHS will host a meet at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11. Next up for the Pirate track and field teams is another visit to Virgin Valley High School for the Ken Jensen Invitational on Friday, March 13. Events begin at 2:30 p.m. Also on the schedule for Friday and Saturday is the O’Dea Elite Relays at Palo Verde High School.