LOVELOCK - After participating in a small gathering at Lowry on April 17, the Pershing County High School track & field squads competed last weekend among 12 teams (1A - 3A) at the annual Dayton Invitational.
On Saturday, Samantha Dennler turned in her fastest times of the season at both 400 (61.74 seconds) and 800 meters (2:26.40), running away from the field in each event. The nimble junior further impressed by winning both the high jump (5 feet, 0 inches) and triple jump (32-0).
"Sam's really coming along, despite not having had much to push her yet this season," stated head coach Dave McLean.
The Lady Mustangs' 4 x 800 meter relay team of seniors Claudia Dennler,
Cassie Schneider and Leti Jimenez and junior Carmen Rosas took fourth with a time of 11:23.10, the fastest among the 2A entries.
Rosas ran her leg in 2:39, more than seven seconds faster than her personal best in the open 800. In the pole vault, she cleared 7-0 to tie for third with Jimenez and a third athlete. Schneider finished in a tie for eighth, clearing the bar at a personal-best height of 6-0.
Additional highlights from the field included Claudia Dennler's third-place result in the high jump (4-8) and sixth-place finish in the long jump (13-3½), as well as Abby Bake's toss of 26-7½ in the shot put (4 kg) and throw of 77½ feet in the discus (1 kg). In each event, she took seventh and was tops among the 2A frosh.
Alexis Rodriguez also continued a promising freshman campaign, leaping 13-4½ to place fifth in the long jump, the farthest among all 2A entries. (She flew 13-11 at Lowry.) At 100 meters, she finished 18th (15.24).
Also competing at 100 meters, sophomore Ashley Montes placed 20th (15.44) and senior Libby Rodriguez 22nd (15.74).
The sisters Rodriguez teamed with Montes and Rosas to take sixth in the 4 x 100 meter relay (61.14), while the quartet of Alexis Rodriguez, Montes, Rosas and Claudia Dennler ran the 4 x 200 in 2:06.80.
On the boys' side, Dolph McLean threw as well as ever, setting personal records in both the discus (1.6 kg) and shot put (12 lb). His throw of 133-11 in the former event put him in second, while his distance of 42-5 in the latter placed him fourth. In the triple jump, the sophomore finished eighth (35-9½), though, at Lowry, he soared a season-best 36-6.
Lucas Diarte set a personal record in the shot put; his distance of 39-1½ earned him ninth place. In the discus, the senior took sixth (110-8).
Freshman Jesus Cruz improved on his best throw in the discus, taking 16th with a heave of 81-4. He also put the shot 29-9.
Sophomore speedster Jacob Flores tied his personal best at 100 meters (11.74) to place eighth, then set a new personal record at 200 meters (24.24) to finish 10th. His long jump of 18-1 at Lowry eclipsed his previous best of the spring; at Dayton, he leaped 16-6 to take ninth.
Sophomore Andrew Dickerman continues to make strides as a hurdler, posting a personal-best 110-meter (39-inch) time of 19.14 at Lowry, then running 19.74 at Dayton to finish 14th. His time of 48.64 at 300 meters (36-inch) on Saturday earned him 11th place.
Nick Daigneault also set a personal record at Lowry, running 1,600 meters in 5:48.00. At Dayton, the sophomore leaped 14-6 in the long jump.
Sophomore Allen Brinkerhoff ran a season-best 2:14.90 at 800 meters to take third, then cleared 9-6 in the pole vault to tie his season best, as well as tie for seventh.
Freshman Travis Gentry ran the 100 meters in a personal-best time of 13.64 and covered 200 meters in 28.04.
Two relay outfits made their debut, though will be the object of some experimentation in coming weeks. The 4 x 100 meter team of Flores, McLean, Brinkerhoff and Dickerman rounded the oval in 48.24, while the 4 x 200 quartet of Daigneault, Gentry, Brinkerhoff and Dickerman finished in 1:46.60.
Remarking on the squads' continuing progress overall, McLean said, "It's hard not to take into account that the weather was much improved at Dayton, but the athletes are certainly getting more fit."
Junior Sarita Jo Condie, sophomores Morgus Cross and Sitini Kauvaka and frosh Lindsay Dennler, Camaron Scholl and Eric Plimpton did not compete at Dayton.
However, three of the six performed at Lowry, where Condie turned in her best triple jump of the spring (30-4½), Kauvaka set a personal record in the shot put with a toss of 41-7 and Scholl ran his best-ever 1,600 meters (6:24).
Of Scholl, McLean remarked, "He's learning to compete, and we're really proud of him."
This Saturday, April 28, the squads move on to the Yerington Relays. Track and field events are both slated to begin at 9 a.m.
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