Pirate long-distance runners finding their form

Moapa Valley High School long-distance runners Hal Thompson, Grant Conger, BJ Robison, Irelynn Lewis, Charlotte Kynaston and Madilyn Thompson all posted personal best times in the mile or two-mile races at the 5th Annual Red Rock Running Invitational on Saturday, April 4. The cooler weather seemed to help the long-distance runners most.

“Temperatures can always play a pivotal role. We didn’t quite load the kids up in events this weekend so they could focus on getting a personal best in one particular event, but it was definitely a day for our distance kids. More than a few PR’d by five seconds or more,” informed MVHS head coach Shane Hickman.

Hal Thompson was the top finisher for the Pirates, taking third in the 3,200-meter race (9:56.28) and fifth in the 1,600-meter race (4:25.3). He posted personal best times in both events.

MVHS junior BJ Robison ran the two miles in 10:45.18 to take 13th, and senior Grant Conger was 12th in the mile with a personal best time of 4:43.33. He also ran a personal best 2:07.5 in the 800-meter race, taking 22nd. Junior Colton Morgan finished just ahead of his teammate in 18th place with a personal best time of 2:06.89.

The Lady Pirates were led by a pair of 13th-place finishes by Lewis in the 800- and 1,600-meter races. She ran a personal best 5:45.9 in the mile. Fellow sophomores Kynaston and Madilyn Thompson both had personal best times in the mile to take 16th and 17th, respectively.

Senior Taylee Bunch took seventh in the high jump, 11th in the 100-meter hurdles and 18th in the 300-meter hurdles. Classmates Evelyn Reid took 12th, and Rylee Newson was 17th in the two-mile race.

On Thursday, April 2, at Silverado High School, the Moapa Valley track and field teams took second behind Centennial. The boys were led by the one-two-three finish of Hal Thompson, Ashton Hickman and Robison in the 800 meters. Thompson and Robison each ran personal bests.

“[F]or one reason or another, most all of our 800-meter kids PR’d that day — both girls and boys. Kinda bizarre,” Coach Hickman commented.

The girls had five runners post personal bests in the 800-meter race, with Lewis taking second with a time of 2:35.64. Kynaston was fourth (2:39.29), Madilyn Thompson finished a little over a second behind her in fifth, Reid was seventh (2:56.16) and Newsom was ninth (3:00.95). Reid was also second in the mile.

MVHS freshman Lillian Cox took second with a personal best shot put heave of 27 feet, 8.5 inches. Sophomore Phoebe Leavitt was third with a personal best long jump of 15 feet, two inches. She also won the 100-meter hurdles and ran a personal best of 18.41 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles to take third.

Junior Emma Kuipers was fourth in the 400 meters and fifth in the 100-meter dash with a personal best time of 14.54 seconds. Classmate Jack Wheeler had personal bests in the triple jump and long jump to finish second and seventh, respectively. Miles Wheeler also had personal bests to take fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump.

Moapa Valley hosts Eldorado, Lund and Sierra Vista on Tuesday, April 14 at 4:30 p.m. The Skyhawk Invitational at Silverado High School follows on April 17-18.