Rancho sprinters obliterate state records, compete nationally

Former Rancho track and field coach David Eldridge attended Rams practice Monday afternoon, and shared tales of local lore as the school’s sprinters circled the artificial infield.

Those sprinters will soon be part of that same legacy. That is, if they’re not part of it already.

Rancho runners Gizelle Reid, Teleda Williams, Jordan Davis and Amir’a Edmond form one of the fastest quartets in the country and have spent the spring establishing state records at track meets near and far.

A Rams sprinter has posted fastest the time in Nevada this season in the 100, 200, and 400-meter dashes. Their 400-, 800- and 1,600-meter relay teams are the best in the state, too, with times that challenge the best in the country.

“This is a different group of girls. When I say humble — humble,” Jackson emphasized. “I teach them ‘You stay ready to keep from getting ready.’ They’re prepared all the way around.”

Academically and athletically.

The preparation Jackson speaks of dates back several years for the four, who began running club track in elementary school. The group arrived at Rancho ready to run for former Jamaican sprinter turned Rams assistant Fredrick Morrison, who fraternizes regularly with the some of the best sprinters in the world.

He implemented a college-caliber program for his athletes that includes weight training, pool work, hill and stair sprints and weighted runs.

The results were more or less an expectation.

“I knew this was going to happen,” Morrison said. “They’re running very fast, almost college times. If you want to develop the right way like pros, or semis, you have to put in the same time.”

Morrison’s vision helped yield Class 4A state championships for the Rams in the 400-, 800- and 1,600-meter relays last season, and additional success in 2018.

Williams, a senior 100-meter specialist nearing a commitment to Texas Christian, has posted the fastest 100-meter time in the state. Reid, a senior UNLV pledge, has the top times in the 200 and 400 meters.

Davis, a senior headed for Hawaii, and Edmond, a junior, join them on the relay teams, which traveled last month to Philadelphia for the prestigious Penn Relays — the oldest track and field competition in the country — alongside world’s the fastest high school runners.

They won the national race in 46.64 seconds.

“It’s like a dream come true to me, to be on one of the fastest teams,” Williams said. “I’m living my dream. I’m living my best life.”

Rams sprinters are ready to compete in the Sunset Region track meet on Saturday and will almost certainly collect more state championships

Then they’ll go their separate ways.

But Jackson hopes their legacies will live on at Rancho and in Las Vegas.

Or, at least in Eldridge’s library of lore.

“We didn’t start from the top,” Reid said. “We kept working to get where we are. It feels good to get what we’ve accomplished, or to get what we’re looking for.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.