Lake Mead Invitational highlights weekend cross country schedule

With no mid-week cross country meets on the schedule this week, most teams are fresh heading into action this weekend.

A number of teams will travel to Southern California for either the Pepperdine Invitational in Malibu or the Central Park Invitational in Huntington Beach, but most are heading to Veterans Memorial Park — the site of this year’s Class 4A regional and state meets — for the Lake Mead Invitational.

Fifteen teams will compete on the 5K course, said Johan Ringen, Boulder City coach and meet director. The meet begins at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Leading the entries in the boys large school race will be Centennial, fresh off its successful trip to Portland, Ore., where it was seventh among 22 teams in the Division I race.

Nathan Williams and Nick Hartle lead the Bulldogs, ranked No. 1 in the most recent area coaches’ poll.

Green Valley, led by Julius Kim, is the only other only other ranked large school on the boys side.

The large school girls race features one ranked team — Green Valley. Centennial’s girls will race in Malibu.

The individual favorite in the large school girls race is Canyon Springs’ Heather Hollinger, but Green Valley’s Renee Moser and Las Vegas’ Shelby Nelson could give her a run for the trophy.

Competition should be tight in the small school boys race, Ringen said.

Teams to watch include Johnny Olenick-led Faith Lutheran, Matt Lundgren-led Boulder City and Josh Thompson-led Moapa Valley.
The small school girls race features the top teams in No. 1 Faith Lutheran and No. 2 Laughlin.

Faith Lutheran’s Keely Bakken is coming off a runner-up finish at the Roadrunner Invitational on Saturday and a win at the Laughlin Invitational, and Laughlin counters with Jessica Gnadt and Alexandra Condray, who finished second and third, respectively, at the Laughlin meet.

Other teams entered in the Lake Mead Invitational include Eldorado, Las Vegas, Rancho, Sierra Vista, Bonanza, The Meadows and Henderson International.