RichardLewisInvitationalTrackMeet-04-15-16-01: Bulldog Abi Barnum shows perfect form as she clears the last hurdle to take first place in the 300 meter hurdles at Moapa Valley High School Friday, April 15. Photo by Lou Martin.

RichardLewisInvitationalTrackMeet-04-15-16-01: Bulldog Abi Barnum shows perfect form as she clears the last hurdle to take first place in the 300 meter hurdles at Moapa Valley High School Friday, April 15. Photo by Lou Martin.

The Virgin Valley High School track teams competed well against tough competition Friday afternoon, April 15 in the Richard Lewis Invitational at Moapa Valley High School. “I was very pleased with the way our kids competed,” said Bulldog coach Gary Hartman.

The Bulldogs placed fourth out of 13 schools in the women’s side with 64 points and the men’s squad finished sixth out of 14 schools with 59 points. If the invitational was limited to Division 1-A schools only, the Dawgs would have finished second behind Division 1-A powerhouse Faith Lutheran. Division 1 Arbor View swept both sides of the meet easily with 198.5 in men’s competition and 175 points in women’s.

Leading the way for the girls was Abi Barnum in the 300 meter hurdles with a first place finish. Barnum nipped Legacy High School runner Alexys Saiz by three one hundredths of a second with a lunge at the finish line. Barnum’s time of 48.84 was a personal best.

Emma Barnum placed second in the 100 meter hurdles behind two Arbor View runners and took a fourth in the high jump. The Bulldog 4X100 meter relay squad composed of Emily Teerlink, Kaydee Bingham and the Barnums did well placing third behind the swift Arbor View and Legacy teams. Mikayla Brotherson garnered third place in the triple jump and Bernice Fiso took fourth place with a personal best in the discus throw. Bulldog freshman Macee Bundy led her teammates Julia Ramirez, Ana Tehuitzil and Cassie Powers to a third place in the 4X400 meter relays. 

RichardLewisInvitationalTrackMeet-04-15-16-02: Bulldog all-around athlete Nick Cox pushes himself to a fourth place finish in the 400 meter dash Friday, April 15 at the Richard Lewis Invitational Track Meet. Cox also led the Dawgs 4X400 meter relay team to a second place finish. Photo by Lou Martin.

RichardLewisInvitationalTrackMeet-04-15-16-02: Bulldog all-around athlete Nick Cox pushes himself to a fourth place finish in the 400 meter dash Friday, April 15 at the Richard Lewis Invitational Track Meet. Cox also led the Dawgs 4X400 meter relay team to a second place finish. Photo by Lou Martin.

On the boy’s side the Bulldog 4X800 meter relay squad got them rolling early with a third place finish behind Arbor View and Legacy. Bulldog freshman Vicente Pinto flew by three competitors in the last 100 meters giving the Dawgs their best outing of the year. Also running for the Dawgs were Ryan Rushton, Jacob Zinsky and Justin Cazares.

Bulldog 300 meter hurdler Kai Mitchell faced his toughest competition of the year placing third behind hurdlers from Legacy and Cimarron-Memorial high schools. Nick Cox had a good day with a fourth in the 400 meter dash and a gutsy anchor leg in the 4X400 meter relay leading his teammates to a second place finish. Pedro Osuna ran the opening leg followed by Mitchell and Pinto. Bulldog weight-man Reid Jensen had a third in the shot and a sixth place in the discus. Dallen Wolfe and Brogan Bingham added points with fourth place finishes in the high jump and pole-vault respectively.