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2017 Boys Track and Field Team Capsules

ARBOR VIEW

Head coach: Tyrel Cooper, 10th season

Returning lettermen: Twelve

Top athletes: Nick Sandoval (Sr.), Ryan Finnegan (Sr.), Phenix Calinao (Sr.), Gavin Corsi (Sr.), Ian Jackson (Jr.), Noah Ayala (So.), Tim Myers (Sr.), Keith Williams (Jr.)

Outlook: Cooper, who coached at the college level last season, returns to guide the Aggies.

“We will be led by our sprint and distance athletes, but will need our field event athletes to step up if our team is going to be competitive at the region or state level,” Cooper said.

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BISHOP GORMAN

Head coach: Scott Cooley, sixth season

Returning letter winners: Fifteen

Top athletes: Trevor Henry (Sr.), Nik Bracken (Sr.), Pierson Mook (Sr.), Jake Phillips (Jr.)

Outlook: Henry finished fourth in the 800 in last year’s Division I state meet.

Bracken (100, 200, long jump), Mook (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles) and Phillips (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles) all were region finalists in multiple events last season.

They headline a group of 15 returning lettermen who hope to help the Gaels to a successful season.

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BONANZA

Head coach: Chad Robertus, 20th season

Top athletes: Brandon Adams (Sr.), Moises Castillo (Sr.), R.J. McCarter (Sr.), Joey Fox (Jr.), Christian Hemsley (Sr.)

Outlook: Adams (distance), Castillo (distance), McCarter (hurdles, jumps), Fox (sprints) and Hemsley (pole vault) were Sunset Region meet qualifiers last year and should be among the leaders on a young team.

“The boys team will have a few experienced athletes,” Robertus said. “Otherwise, they will be young and limited on experience.”

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BOULDER CITY

Head coach: Staci Selinger, first season

Returning lettermen: Eleven

Top athletes: Buddy Boggs (Jr.), Briggs Huxford (Jr.), Stephen Taylor Hatchel (Sr.), Alex Krausman (Jr.), John Krausman (Jr.), Tyler Campbell (Sr.), Zachary Trone (Jr.), Chase Cowley (Sr.)

Outlook: Selinger takes over a program that welcomes back 11 lettermen and has plenty of potential.

“We are small in numbers, but excited about the talent returning,” Selinger said. “We should have a lot of regional and state qualifiers, and we’re looking forward to a great season.”

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CENTENNIAL

Head coach: Roy Session, eighth season

Top athletes: Donavan Joseph (So.), Elysha Jackson (Jr.), Erick Scott (Jr.), Jalen Gourrier (Fr.), James Johnson (Sr.), Marvin Perkins (Sr.), Randall Jubilee (Jr.), Savon Scarver (Sr.), Try Harley (Jr.)

Outlook: Traditionally one of the top teams in the state, the Bulldogs have a star-studded roster again this season.

Scarver was the 300-meter hurdle champion at last year’s state meet and placed second in both the 110 hurdles and as a member of the 800 relay team.

Johnson (long jump), Perkins (relays), Jubilee (middle distance) and Harley (relays) all placed in the top two in events in the state meet last year.

“Our boys team is heavy with seniors with very promising underclassmen, as well,” Session said. “We hope to win the state championship and go undefeated during the season.”

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CHAPARRAL

Head coach: Jeff Carter, third season

Top athletes: Samuel Porras (Sr.)

Outlook: The Cowboys are hoping to show improvement during the season and be at their best as the postseason arrives.

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CHEYENNE

Head coach: Scott Thrasher, 15th season

Returning lettermen: Six

Top athletes: Deriontae Green (Sr.), Cajuin Jackson (Sr.)

Outlook: Green ran on a pair of relay teams that finished in the top four in last year’s Division I-A state meet. Jackson placed sixth in the shot put at state.

“The team will be young and trying to find depth,” Thrasher said. “The team’s biggest strength will be in the throws. Green hopes to factor in the state title mix in the 400.”

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DEL SOL

Head coach: Jennifer Powell, fifth season

Returning lettermen: Fifteen

Top athletes: Jonathan Spearman (Sr.), Taariq Flowers (Jr.), Jaylen Flenaugh (Jr.), Jarett McBrayer (Jr.)

Outlook: Spearman was the Division I-A state champion in the triple jump last season and took second in the long jump and third in the high jump. He leads a group of promising returnees.

“We are looking forward to the new season,” Powell said. “We are excited about our returning athletes and their determination to succeed this season. In addition to our returners, we have a great group of new athletes that have joined our team that will fill in spots that we need.”

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DESERT OASIS

Head coach: Richard Ward, fourth season

Returning lettermen: Fourteen

Top athletes: Nick Benham (Sr.), Prophet Brown (Sr.), Brien Hosier (Jr.), Tyler Stott (Sr.), Tyler McClendon (Sr.), Isaiah Scoville (Jr.)

Outlook: Benham placed fifth in the shot put in last year’s Division I state meet and is the school record holder in the discus.

Brown (sprints), Stott (pole vault), McClendon (high jump) and Scoville (sprints) all were regional qualifiers last year.

“I think the team could improve on our ninth-place finish at state,” Ward said. “We could possibly have our first state champion in individual events.”

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DURANGO

Head coach: Doug Anderson, fourth season

Returning lettermen: Thirteen

Top athletes: Frankie Bisacky (Sr.), Jayson Johnson (Sr.), Justice Smith (Sr.), Jacob Bourgault (Sr.)

Outlook: Bisacky finished fifth in the 3,200 in last year’s Division I state meet. Johnson (sprints), Smith (sprints) and Bourgault (hurdles) all were Sunset Region meet qualifiers.

They lead a group of 13 returnees for the Trailblazers.

“We have some strong returning seniors, and the rest of the underclassmen need to be ready to fill in around them and improve each week as we move through the season,” Anderson said.

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ELDORADO

Head coach: Devin Mecham, second season

Returning lettermen: Twenty-four

Top athletes: Luis Rivera (Sr.), Anthony Silva (Sr.)

Outlook: The Sundevils are continuing to build under Mecham, who is optimistic about this season.

“We have a young team looking to build experience and confidence,” Mecham said. “We have several newcomers we expect to be able to contribute. We are excited to build on our program’s improvements from last year.”

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FAITH LUTHERAN

Head coach: Dan Kober, fourth season

Top athletes: Austin Hunter (Jr.), Dalton Leonard (Sr.), Bryce Raymond (Sr.)

Outlook: Raymond finished third in the pole vault in last year’s Division I-A state meet.

Leonard took sixth in the 300 hurdles in the Southern Region meet, and Hunter had top 10 Division I-A times in both the 100 and 200 last year.

“Bringing in a young team, led by a few key returners, we are looking to compete right away in Class 4A while building for the future with a lot of talented underclassmen,” Kober said. “We will be looking to find points in the sprints and jumps.”

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FOOTHILL

Head coach: Kevin Soares, second season

Returning lettermen: Fifteen

Top athletes: Kai Gamett (Sr.), Brian Coon (Jr.)

Outlook: Coon was a regional qualifier in the 800, and Gamett qualified for the region meet in the 1,600 last year.

“We’re looking to improve on last year’s finish,” Soares said.

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GREEN VALLEY

Head coach: Vanessa Pike, second season

Top athletes: Lenny Rubi (Sr.)

Outlook: Rubi won the 1,600-meter run in last year’s Sunrise Region meet and leads a group that should be very competitive.

“I am very excited to start the track season,” Pike said. “Our freshmen group is the largest I have seen the last eight years at Green Valley. Great experience on our senior side will help our younger group.

“The boys team should be very strong this year, especially on the distance side.”

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LAS VEGAS

Head coach: Greg Sellers, seventh season

Returning lettermen: Thirteen

Top athletes: Eric Williams (Sr.), Cody Kludasch (Sr.), T.J. McGary (Sr.), Cameron Fullow (Jr.), Aaron Johnson (Jr.), Marlon Harrison (Jr.), Andrew Rivera (Jr.)

Outlook: The Wildcats bring back 13 returning lettermen and are primed for a successful season.

“The Wildcats should have a good crew of kids in position to qualify for state by early May,” Sellers said.

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LIBERTY

Head coach: Geoff Walker, third season

Returning lettermen: Sixteen

Top athletes: David Washington (Sr.), Livingston Dennis (Sr.), Dahmany Whittle (Sr.), Corey Moore (So.)

Outlook: Washington was the Division I state champion in the 110 hurdles last year and competed in the 300 hurdles and the 1,600 relay at the state meet.

Moore also went to state in the discus. Whittle (shot put) and Dennis (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles) were Sunrise Region finalists.

“The team looks to compete for the Sunrise Region championship,” Walker said.

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THE MEADOWS

Head coach: Elbert Gray, first season

Returning lettermen: Nine

Top athletes: Conner Bucknam (Sr.), Robert Huang (Sr.), Dominic Palares (Sr.), Hirsh Makhija (Sr.), Ryan Chen (Sr.), Sam Mason (Sr.), Ian Cook (So.), Chris Tsuchiyama (So.)

Outlook: Gray takes over a squad that returns nine lettermen and hopes to be competitive in Class 2A.

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MOJAVE

Head coach: Shenoa Davis, sixth season

Returning lettermen: Eighteen

Top athletes: Jeremy Sorensen (Sr.), Nick Kline (Sr.), Don Phillips (Sr.), Jordan McRae (Jr.), James Fincher (Jr.)

Outlook: Sorensen (sprints), Kline (sprints, pole vault), Phillips (throws), McRae (hurdles, sprints) and Fincher (middle distance) all competed in last year’s state meet and lead a group of 18 returning lettermen for the Rattlers.

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PALO VERDE

Head coach: Frank Messina, sixth season

Top athletes: Daniel Ziems (Sr.)

Outlook: Ziems is one of the better distance runners in the Sunset Region and leads a big group of returnees for the Panthers.

“We intend to feed off the energy from these returners to turn in some top performances as the season unfolds and as it approaches the postseason,” Messina said. “Even with the loss of some key seniors, the Palo Verde Panthers will still compete and provide quality competition to our local rivals.”

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SIERRA VISTA

Head coach: Ryan Quinn, fifth season

Returning lettermen: Ten

Top athletes: Greg Billingsley (Sr.), Devin Brice (Jr.), Devon Faison (Jr.), Erik Killgore (Sr.), Kevin Pineda (Sr.), Ronald Stephenson (So.), Miles Wilhite (Sr.)

Outlook: Killgore (throws) was a Division I-A state meet qualifier last season.

Billingsley (distance), Brice (high jump), Faison (throws), Pineda (hurdles), Stephenson (sprints) and Wilhite (jumps) all were region meet qualifiers.

“We are looking to build upon our success last year and send more competing athletes to the state track meet,” Quinn said.

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SILVERADO

Head coach: Jerry Oliver, 13th season

Returning lettermen: Fifteen

Top athletes: Elijah Toussaint (Sr.), Michael Guzman (Sr.), Daniel Kneale (Sr.), Omar Aguilar (Jr.), Adam Brewer (Sr.)

Outlook: Toussaint finished second in the high jump in the Division I state meet last year, helping Silverado win the team championship.

He’s one of 15 returnees for the Skyhawks, who also look for good seasons from Guzman (sprints, hurdles, jumps), Kneale (hurdles), Aguilar (distance) and Brewer (pole vault).

“Silverado lost 10 seniors to graduation from last year’s state championship team,” Oliver said. “We are looking to our current seniors to lead a young team to compete for a region title.”

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SOMERSET-LOSEE

Head coach: Anthony Brown, first season

Top athletes: Taje Woody (Jr.), Liam Baird (Fr.)

Outlook: The Lions will compete for the first time this season, though they’re hopeful to have a state qualifier in the triple jump in Woody.

“For our first year as a program, I believe we will improve dramatically throughout the season,” Brown said. “We have a very young team, but should compete well against the smaller Class 1A schools and charter school programs.”

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SUNRISE MOUNTAIN

Head coach: Maurice Senters, second season

Top athletes: Musio Jimenez (Sr.), Cristian Cruz (Sr.), Caesar Ortiz (Sr.), James Jones (Sr.), Lashawn Tith (Sr.)

Outlook: Jimenez placed second in the 1,600 and third in both the 800 and 3,200 in last year’s Division I-A state meet. He should again be one of the top distance runners in the state.

“We are excited about this season’s potential to finish strong,” Senters said. “Our focus is on attitude and effort, which we believe will carry us all the way to state.”

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VALLEY

Head coach: Sergio Segura, first season

Returning lettermen: Twelve

Top athletes: Josh Nyberg (Sr.), Trayvon Mack (Jr.), Elijah Henderson (Sr.)

Outlook: Nyberg, Mack and Henderson all were Sunrise Region meet qualifiers last season and should be among the team’s leaders this season.

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VIRGIN VALLEY

Head coach: Gary Hartman, fifth season

Returning lettermen: Nine

Top athletes: Reid Jensen (Sr.), Jaden Dalton (Sr.), Tyson Wilson (Sr.), Ryan Rushton (Sr.), Pedro Osuna (Sr.), Christian Martinez (Sr.), Brogan Bingham (Jr.)

Outlook: The Bulldogs bring back nine lettermen and hope to improve during the season.

“The boys team will be young but has some potential,” Hartman said.

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