SMALL-SCHOOL TRACK: Nikodemus, Maxey lead Crusaders to girls team title

Faith Lutheran’s Cayla Nikodemus came off the curve in the girls 200-meter dash Saturday and was exactly where she wanted to be.

Trailing.

“The smaller girls are better on the curve, and I know that,” Nikodemus said. “As long as I can keep myself at least even or a little bit behind so I can see them, getting to the straight I know I can use my long strides and my stamina to beat them at the end.”

Nikodemus came from behind to set a meet record in the 200 and added a first-place finish in the long jump to help Faith Lutheran win the girls team title at the Division I-A state track and field meet at Del Sol.

Clarissa Maxey tied the meet record in the girls 400 for the Crusaders, who scored 125 points to take home their third straight championship.

Nikodemus, who is headed to Louisiana State in the fall, was in third place behind Maxey and Pahrump Valley’s Kelbie Middleton with about 75 meters remaining. But Nikodemus was able to reel in her teammate and crossed in 24.75 seconds.

Maxey held on for second in 24.8, which also was faster than the previous meet record of 24.86 set by Nikodemus last year.

“Me and my teammate Clarissa knew that our team scores were close, and so we knew we had to go get as many points as we possibly could,” Nikodemus said. “This is my last time wearing a Faith uniform, so just to (leave) on a high note, win or lose, but to put it all out there is exactly what I wanted to do.”

Nikodemus won the long jump in 16 feet, 11¼ inches, while Maxey’s record-tying time in the 400 was 55.19.

Sierra Vista set a meet record in the girls 800 relay (1:44.93) Saturday to go along with the Mountain Lions’ victory in the 400 relay Friday.

Faith Lutheran also claimed the Division I-A boys team title as Chase Wood and Mark Rubalcaba led the way for the Crusaders, who finished with 95½ points. Wood was first in the 3,200 (9:46.27), and Rubalcaba had a mark of 48-6½ to win the triple jump for the third straight year.

Western’s Kenric Davis beat Rubalcaba in the boys 100 (10.94 to 10.95) in one of the day’s most exciting races. Davis won the 200 and 400 on Friday.

Moapa Valley’s Caleb Witsken was one of the stars of the meet as he won the Division I-A boys pole vault. Witsken cleared 16-0¼ to set a meet record, and it is the No. 3 mark in state history.

“I started my freshman year and I’ve been working as hard as I can the last four years. This is what I’ve been training for,” Witsken said.

Abdirahman Mohamad of Desert Pines set a meet record in the boys 800 (1:55.84) and ran a leg on the Jaguars’ 1,600 relay that won in a meet-record time of 3:23.21.

In Division III, Jeneke Heerema of The Meadows pulled away on the final lap to win her fourth state title in the girls 1,600 (5:21.21). Heerema’s father, an Air Force medic stationed in Turkey, was in attendance.

The Meadows’ Delaney Gosse set a meet record in the girls high jump with an impressive mark of 5-8. Dani Chami set a meet record in the girls pole vault (10-3½) and also won the girls long jump as The Meadows finished second to White Pine, 151-147, for the girls team title.

Agassi Prep’s Kobe Williams won the boys 200 and ran a leg on the winning 400 relay team as the Stars finished third overall in Division III.

Spring Mountain won its second Division IV boys team title in the past three seasons.