2016 Boys Track Capsule Previews
AGASSI PREP
Head coach: Didier Lino, first season
Returning lettermen: Five
Top athletes: Zeivaun Ned (Jr.), Xavier Hewing (Jr.)
Outlook: The Stars placed third in last year’s Division III state meet, but were hit hard by graduation.
Hewing, who anchored the two state-qualifying distance relay teams, and Ned, among the top sprinters in Division III, are among the returnees and will help lead the team.
Lino also expects sprinters D’Ontai McGee and Jonas Patterson, and middle distance/distance runners Kameron Eppenger and Luis Gonzalez to have an impact.
“We have several talented underclassmen that are ready to work and supplant last year’s third-place finish at state,” Lino said. “We plan on having strong short- and middle-distance programs along with a much improved long-distance unit.
“Since we’re a smaller group, if we’re able to avoid injuries, we should be very competitive in Division III at regionals and state.”
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BONANZA
Head coach: Chad Robertus, 19th season
Top athletes: Brandon Adams (Jr.), Jacob Perez (Sr.), Luis Gonzalez (Sr.)
Outlook: Perez (hurdles) was a state meet qualifier last year, and Adams (distance) and Gonzalez (sprints) were Sunset Region qualifiers.
“The boys team will be young and limited on experience,” Robertus said. “We will have to build depth throughout the team.”
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BOULDER CITY
Head coach: Joshua Fisher, fourth season
Top athletes: Sam Gomez (Sr.)
Outlook: Gomez is the defending Division I-A state champion in the discus.
“We will be a very young team, losing five high point getters to graduation,” Fisher said.
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CHAPARRAL
Head coach: Jeffrey Carter, first season
Top athletes: Richard Nelson (Sr.), Casey Acosta (Sr.), Michael Terranova (Sr.)
Outlook: Carter, who was an assistant coach with the Cowboys last season, takes over as head coach this year.
Nelson and Acosta both were members of the Cowboys’ state champion 400-meter relay team. Terranova should be one of the team’s top distance runners.
“We want to win as a team,” Carter said. “We will be working really hard to reach a goal, and our goal is to go to state with as many kids as we can get there.”
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DEL SOL
Head coach: Jennifer Powell, fourth season
Top athletes: Jonathan Spearman (Jr.), Jaylen Flenaugh (So.)
Outlook: Spearman (high jump) and Flenaugh (110-meter hurdles) both were Division I-A state meet qualifiers last season.
“We are excited to have so many returners this season as well as some talented new additions to the program,” Powell said.
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DESERT OASIS
Head coach: Jesi Colston, first season
Returning lettermen: Seventeen
Top athletes: Zach Wood (Sr.), Nick Benham (Jr.), Elliott Davis (Sr.), Demetrius Lewis (Sr.), Seth Scoville (Sr.)
Outlook: The Diamondbacks welcome back 17 lettermen, including a handful of Sunset Region meet qualifiers in Wood (middle distance), Benham (throws), Davis (sprints), Lewis (hurdles) and Scoville (jumps).
“Our team is becoming more and more competitive in all events,” Colston said. “We have some strong upperclassmen that we will depend on to win meets and break records.”
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DURANGO
Head coach: Doug Anderson, third season
Returning lettermen: Twenty
Top athletes: Leontre Austin (Sr.), Jayson Johnson (Jr.), Frankie Bisacky (Jr.)
Outlook: Austin qualified for the Division I state meet in the 200-meter dash last year.
Johnson, a region meet qualifier in the 200 and 400, joins him in leading the sprinters, with Bisacky among the leaders for the distance runners after qualifying for the state cross country meet in the fall.
“Our distance group is coming off a strong cross country season, and we expect them to score well,” Anderson said. “We will pick up some points in the sprints as well. Our field events are working hard to be competitive by season’s end.”
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FAITH LUTHERAN
Head coach: Dan Kober, third season
Returning lettermen: Twenty-six
Top athletes: Chase Wood (Sr.), Paul Stephens (Sr.), Daniel Breen (Sr.), Bryce Neagle (Sr.), Bryce Raymond (Jr.)
Outlook: Wood is the defending Division I-A state champion in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs and joined Stephens on the 3,200 relay team that won a state title.
Breen and Neagle were members of the state runner-up 1,600 relay team.
“Faith Lutheran returns a large number of athletes from the Division I-A state championship team last year and hopes to compete for the region and state titles again this year,” Kober said. “We expect to be carried by our middle distance and distance crew.
“We will need to find consistent point production in the sprints, relays and field events to be able to compete for the state championship again this year.”
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LAS VEGAS
Head coach: Greg Sellers, sixth season
Top athletes: Tre James (Sr.), Eric Williams (Jr.), John McDonald (Jr.), Elijah Hicks (So.), Andrew Rivera (Jr.), T.J. McGarry (Jr.), Cameron Fullow (So.), Miguel Ramirez (Sr.)
Outlook: James, who will run next season at Southern Utah, finished second in the state in the 100-meter dash last year.
Williams was a member of the 800 relay team that won state last year, and McDonald competed on the 400 relay team at state.
They lead a talented group of returnees for the Wildcats.
“We look to be competitive again in the sprints and sprint relays while improving in the hurdles and jumps with our younger athletes,” Sellers said.
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LIBERTY
Head coach: Geoff Walker, second season
Returning lettermen: Fifteen
Top athletes: Cyrius Vea (Sr.), Nick Tapuala (Sr.), Damien Nunez (Sr.), David Washington (Jr.), Devin Ecklund (Sr.), Nick Moniz (Sr.), Arie McQuaig (Sr.)
Outlook: Vea, the runner-up in the discus in last year’s state meet, and Nunez, who took third in the shot put lead a list of 15 returning lettermen for the Patriots, who also return region finalists in Tapuala (shot), Washington (hurdles and relays) and Moniz (triple jump).
“Our team will carry approximately 90 boys this season,” Walker said. “We look to qualify multiple individuals for the state championships, and hopefully we can find the personnel to make a run at a region title.
“As usual, depth in both throws will be the heart of our program.”
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THE MEADOWS
Head coach: Tony Stephens, third season
Returning lettermen: Seven
Top athletes: Sam Mason (Jr.), Antonio Gutierrez (Jr.), Hirsh Marhija (Jr.), Robert Huang (Jr.), Adam Cohen (So.), Ryan Chen (Jr.), Tucker Hansen (So.)
Outlook: The Mustangs bring back seven lettermen, including a handful of state qualifiers in Mason (sprint relays), Marhija (shot put), Huang (triple jump), Cohen (sprint relays), Chen (800, 1,600 and distance relays) and Hansen (3,200 and 3,200 relay)
“The team roster is young with some returning state qualifiers,” Stephens said. “Sam Mason will lead the 200 and 400, while Cohen will lead the 100 sprint crew. State qualifiers Ryan Chen and Tucker Hansen will lead the boys distance cadre.”
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MOAPA VALLEY
Head coach: Shane Hickman, ninth season
Returning lettermen: Thirteen
Top athletes: R.J. Hubert (Sr.), Sterling Simmons (Sr.), Jestyn Postma (Sr.), Hunter Soderquist (Sr.)
Outlook: Hubert was the Division I-A state champion in the 110-meter hurdles, finished second in the 300 hurdles and took third in the long jump and high jump last year.
Simmons (400), Postma (discus) and Soderquist (shot put) all placed in the Southern Region meet last year.
“The Pirates had their best season in the Division I-A last year, finishing fourth at regionals and seventh at state,” Hickman said. “We are looking to improve in both areas this season, led by a deep senior class.”
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MOJAVE
Head coach: Shenoa Davis, fifth season
Returning lettermen: Fifteen
Top athletes: Nick Kline (Jr.), Taiwan Braden (Sr.)
Outlook: Kline and Braden were Division I-A state meet qualifiers last year and return to lead the Rattlers.
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SIERRA VISTA
Head coach: Ryan Quinn, fourth season
Returning lettermen: Six
Top athletes: Kennedy Adams (Sr.), Dante Mack (Sr.), Ralph Perez (So.), Miles Wilhite (Jr.), Erick Kilgore (Jr.)
Outlook: Adams was a state qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles last year and returns along with Southern Region meet qualifiers Mack (sprints), Perez (distance) and Wilhite (jumps).
The Mountain Lions also will benefit from the return of Kilgore, a Sunset Region meet qualifier in the throwing events in 2014, who was injured last year.
“We are looking to build upon our success in the relays last year and qualify more athletes for the state meet,” Quinn said.
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SILVERADO
Head coach: Jerry Oliver, 12th season
Returning lettermen: Eight
Top athletes: Matthew Arnold (Sr.), Devion Clayton (Sr.), Vernon Jackson (Sr.), Brandon Miri (Jr.), Edward Bueso (Sr.), Brian Espino (Sr.), Andrew Pappas (Sr.), Evan Tafoya (Sr.), Elijah Toussaint (Jr.), Micah Weber (Sr.), Zakee Washington (Sr.)
Outlook: The Skyhawks bring back only eight lettermen, but appear to be deep and talented this year.
“We are looking to compete for the Sunrise Region title,” Oliver said.
