SMALL SCHOOL STATE TRACK: Musio Jimenez-Vazquez breaks 27-year-old record in state-title run

There comes a point when a record has stood for so long, people just assume it won’t be broken.

Musio Jimenez-Vazquez clearly is not one of.

The senior from Sunrise Mountain broke a 27-year-old record in the 3,200-meter run on Friday during the Class 3A state track and field meet at Foothill, winning in a time of 9 minutes, 35.32 seconds.

He also won the state title in the 800 with a time of 1:55.47.

“My goal was to get the record for our division,” Jimenez-Vazquez said. “After the first mile, I realized I had a chance to break it.”

Jimenez-Vazquez broke the record of 9:36.62 set in 1990 by Brad Meyer of Bishop Manogue. The record in the 800 run was set by Spring Creek’s Brady Dupea last season at 1:53.89.

“I was wishing I got the 800 record, too, but sadly I didn’t,” Jimenez-Vazquez said.

It was clear from early on in 3,200 the race it was Jimenez-Vazquez’s to lose. He won it by more than 14 seconds, allowing him to celebrate his championship alone.

Sunrise Mountain distance coach Katrina Sandigo said she expects record-setting performances every time Jimenez-Vazquez takes the track.

“It’s always exciting to see Musio race, but especially in state, where he’s got extra competition, is extra exciting for me as a coach,” Sandigo said. “I always have the pit in the bottom of my stomach, waiting and watching him run.”

Jimenez-Vazquez’s performance helped the Miners to the top of the team leaderboard after Day 1. Sunrise Mountain leads with 38 points, followed by a tie for second place between Mojave and Fernley with 32.

Jimenez-Vazquez is scheduled for two more events on Day 2: the 1,600 run and the 3,200 relay.

Of the two, Jimenez-Vazquez is most excited for the relay. The other members of his team also are teammates on the Miners’ boys soccer team that went undefeated in the regular season.

The group is the top seed, and Jimenez-Vazquez hopes the camaraderie manifests itself into a state title.

“We’re like family basically, always seeing each other every day,” Jimenez-Vazquez said. “We’ve been together a long time.”

On the girls side, a victory by Cheyenne’s 800 relay team of Germanie White, Marisha Harden, Ejanae Coopwood and Angela Hammond was the only state championship from a Southern Nevada school on Day 1. The quartet won with a time 1:44.28.

The Desert Shields have 38 team points, tied for second place with South Tahoe and Virgin Valley. Truckee leads with 47 points.

Small schools

Lincoln County’s Landen Smith won the 100 in 11.18 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 41.44 in Class 2A. The Lynx are in second place with 62 points, trailing first-place White Pine (66).

Ellen Hirsberg won two Class 2A state girls titles for The Meadows, winning the 400 in 58.91 seconds and the 1,600 in 5:14.84. Pershing County leads the Class 2A girls with 61 points, followed by North Tahoe (60) and White Pine (51). The top Southern Nevada team is The Meadows in fourth place with 38 points.

Greggory Gilbert won the Class 1A state title in the boys 100-meter dash for Word of Life, finishing in 11.11 seconds. Karon Shomo won the triple jump tfor Spring Mountain with a distance of 43 feet, 3¾ inches.The Golden Eagles lead with 109 points, followed by Sierra Lutheran (67) and Virginia City (24).

Sierra Lutheran leads the Class 1A girls with 41 points. Wells is second with 44, and Tonopah is third with 43.