Track & field: Fernley athletes in contention for State Meet berths

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

Three Fernley athletes are headed into this week’s 3A Northern Region Championships with the fastest qualifying times, and several others should be in contention to finish in the top three and qualify for the State Meet next week in Las Vegas.

Coach Todd Wright said the Vaqueros performed well at the regional trials last Saturday in Fallon, and have a host of runners and jumpers and throwers qualified for the regional meet this weekend.

Events begin at 3 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday at Carson City.

The top 3 finishers in each event advance to the State Championship Meet next weekend at Foothill High School in Henderson.

“It’s hard to say any relay team or individual is a sure thing but we will have many athletes and relay teams in the fight for the top 3,” Wright said. “Both boys and girls 4×4 and 4×8 teams have a real shot at advancing. On the girls side we have a decent chance in the hurdles, distance races, and high jump on advancing.”

Jadan Rotton qualified with the fastest time in the boys 400 meters, while Sam Wright has the second fastest seed time in the boys 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles and the boys 4×400 relay team has the second fastest qualifying time.

All 10 entrants in the boys pole vault, including Rotton and Justin Turner, have qualifying marks of 10 feet.

For the girls, Grace DeLeon has the fastest qualifying time among runners in the 3200, the girls 4×800 relay team has the fastest qualifying time. Piper Crook has the second fastest qualifying time in the girls 800, and Stephanie Perez is one of eight jumpers qualified at 4-10 in the high jump.

Photos by Thomas Ranson, Lahontan Valley News