Roundup: Girls steal show with huge performances at Las Vegas Track Classic

The girls stole the show at the Blaine Thompson-Las Vegas Track Classic on Saturday at Desert Oasis.

From the opening event, when Centennial junior Quincy Bonds ran away from the field in the 100-meter hurdles to win in 14.68 seconds, girls performers posted big times and throws.

Bonds’ teammate, Kennedy Brace, posted the best times in the state so far this spring in winning both the 200 (24.62) and 400 (55.51).

Brace, who was named the girls track athlete of the meet, wasn’t the only double winner.

Rancho sprinter Amir’a Edmond won the 100 (11.86) and ran a leg on the victorious 400 relay (49.47). Edmond’s time in the 100 was the fastest in the state this spring and No. 22 in the nation.

Then there was Desert Pines junior Jazmin Felix, who easily won the 1,600 meters in 5:21.48 to complete an impressive double. Felix won the 5,000 meters on Friday evening in 18:31.22. The 5,000 is run only at invitational events at the high school level, and is not run at state.

“I didn’t even know I was going to be running the 5K until late this week,” Felix said, a grin on her face.

She knew she was scheduled to run the 1,600 and 800, two of her three regular events. And she still ran both of those races on Saturday, though by the time the 800 rolled around she said she was pretty tired.

“My legs are sore,” Felix said. “I like the mid-distance. A lot of times, I am in the mood for more of a sprint. Not today.”

Not after already logging 6,600 total meters in those two victories. But she still was fifth in the 800 at 2:31.32, with Raquel Chavez-Velazquez of Basic winning the event in 2:24.09.

“My coach had already put me in it,” Felix said of the 800. “They asked us for volunteers this week to do the 5,000. I was like, ‘What’s a 5,000?’ Was it like 10 laps? Oh no. I was shocked. But I got through it.”

The good marks were not limited to the track.

Liberty’s Aaliyah Soa already had thrown one of the nation’s top 10 distances in the discus. She bettered her 147-foot distance, though, with a massive throw of 164 feet to win on Saturday.

That was the second-best throw in the country this spring, and Soa’s effort earned her co-field athlete of the meet honors, sharing the distinction with Centennial’s Ashley Moore. Moore won the long jump (18-10½) and triple jump (40-3¼).

The boys did have a few moments.

Valley’s Christian Franklin, like Felix, pulled off the 5,000 and 1,600 double win. His 1,600 time of 4:26.27 was a personal best and is the second best in the state so far this spring.

Franklin, who was named the boys track athlete of the meet, also took a crack at the 400. He was eighth (52.23) behind winner Ronald Stephenson of Sierra Vista (50.25).

Late in the meet, Cervontes White of Liberty ran the 200 in 21.61 to take over the top spot on the state leaderboard. White coupled that with bettering his state-leading time in the 100 earlier in the day, when he won in 10.73.

But White was looking for even more.

“It could have been better,” White said. “It’s starting to heat up. But I’ve been doing a lot of hard training, getting ready for Arcadia and regionals.”

The boys field athlete of the meet went to Corey Moore from Liberty. Moore, the state leader in both the shot put and discus, won both events Saturday with a mark of 54-0 in the shot put and a throw of 184-9 in the discus.

No team scores were kept in the meet.

Gorman’s Kyu Kelly, Massimiliano Swenson set state bests

At Palo Alto, California, Bishop Gorman’s Kyu Kelly and Massimiliano Swenson each set state-best marks for the season on Saturday.

Kelly finished fourth in the long jump with a Nevada-best effort of 22-6½.

Swenson was 11th in the 1,600 in a Nevada-best 4:19.63.