Basic junior, Legacy senior among standouts at region track
Basic junior Raquel Chavez was recruited by the school’s coaches to run cross country and track and field as a freshman after running a mile in 6 minutes, 30 seconds during gym class.
She’s a lot faster now.
Chavez won the 1,600-meter run in 5:26.16 on Saturday in the Sunset Region preliminaries Saturday at Basic High. She also clinched a trip to the Class 4A state track meet by winning the 3,200 meter run — which completed its finals — in 11:41.05.
A two-time state qualifier and the fastest area distance runner this season, Chavez will look to cement her spot at state in the 1,600 in the region finals next Saturday.
She says she still has room for improvement.
“I wish I could have gotten better,” Chavez said. “I want to (get a personal record) and medal (at state). I want to finish in the top four.”
Chavez hadn’t ran competitively until her ninth-grade year and surprised her coaches by qualifying for state.
She improved as a sophomore, reaching state again, and set the standard for Southern distances runners this season by logging the fastest times in the 1,600 and 3,200.
“She really puts her heart and soul into this,” Wolves distance coach Jennifer Sneed said. “She’s improved tremendously … I think she just found that she had a natural talent for it and she developed a love for it. It’s just been wonderful to watch her grow and develop as a runner.”
Legacy sprinter eyes state
Legacy senior sprinter Jeriel Thomas tweaked his left hamstring at the Class 4A state meet last season and has spent the past year training and treating the injury.
All for Saturday. All for state.
Thomas, Nevada’s fastest 400-meter runner, won his heat in 48.73 seconds and finished second in the Sunset Region preliminaries. Centennial’s Tre Harley won in 48.66.
“I’ve been trying to work to get back where I started,” said Thomas, who ran 47.83 in the 400 this season and 47.67 last season. “It’s starting to progress back. I’ve just got to keep my mind focused and worry about winning state.”
Thomas sustained the initial injury during his junior football season and worked to return to the track in 2017. The hamstring nagged, though, and he struggled to a third-place finish at the Class 4A state meet.
He didn’t play football last season, worked diligently with team trainers and strength coaches and rebuilt his speed with an eye on that elusive state championship.
Thomas built a lead during the first 200 meters Saturday before easing up down the stretch. He still won his heat by several meters.
“He knows he the fastest, but he has to prove it out here,” Legacy coach Tyrone Armstrong. “We know it’s going to be an uphill battle … He’s come a long way.”
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Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.