The Moapa Valley High School boys track and field team ran away with the 3A State Track and Field Championship, nearly earning twice as many points as the runners-up from Tahoe-Truckee. South Tahoe took third by one point over Elko. It was the program’s fifth consecutive state championship.

“Our only first-place finish on the boys side was our 4×400 team, which broke the school record – again – with their state performance. We performed well across the board, but as a coach I am always looking at areas where we can improve,” said MVHS head coach Shane Hickman, citing five events in which the Pirates lost out on potential points. 

The Pirates might not have an individual champion, but the boys showed their depth, and the team of Jeremiah Dominguez, Ashton Hickman, Ryker Katich and Brenden Van Vliet won the 4×400-meter relay in 3:26.7. Van Vliet was also second in the 100-meter dash, third in the 400 and fourth in the 200 meters. Katich took third in the 110-meter hurdles, and Ashton Hickman was third in the 300-meter hurdles. Dominguez was fourth in the 100 and seventh in the 400.

Senior throwers Steele Meeks and Tony Carillo each took home silver, with Meeks throwing the discus a personal best 151.25 feet for second place, and Carillo taking second with a near-50-foot shot put throw.

Also earning a pair of silvers was senior Hal Thompson in the mile and two-mile races. He was also part of the second-place 4×800-meter relay team, along with Grant Conger, Colton Morgan and BJ Robison. Senior Eric Lee cleared 14 feet in the pole vault to take second, and classmate Dakota Bush took fourth in the event. 

The Lady Pirates finished third in front of Lowry and behind the champions from South Tahoe and runners-up from Tahoe-Truckee. They were paced by the second-place finishes of junior Abby Palmer in the shot put and sophomore Anna Winward in the 100-meter hurdles. Winward was also fourth in the 300-meter hurdles with her best time of the season (46.61).

Sophomore Gabriela Perkins had a personal best triple jump of 34 feet, two inches to take third. Junior Kelsie Wagasky took fourth with a personal best leap of 33 feet, five inches. 

Other notable finishes included sophomore Ana Freeman taking fourth in the pole vault, and freshman Lillian Cox taking fifth in the shot put. Senior Taylee Bunch finished fifth in the high jump, and sophomore Irelynn Lewis ran a personal best 2:29.16 in the 800 to take fifth. 

The youth of the girls track team is of note, as Bunch and eighth-place discus thrower Janet Werner are the only seniors to place at State lost to graduation. The Lady Pirates saw a dozen underclassmen finish top-10 in an event, so the team could contend for titles the next two years.