Sanchez to compete in Golden West

The honors continue for the Carson High boys and girls track teams, with Kayla Sanchez being chosen for an elite high school meet on the national level.

Sanchez has been chosen to compete in the Golden West Invitational to be held on June 11 in Folsom, Calif. Top high school track stars from across the nation are chosen for the meet.

In addition, it's possible that Josh Heilman will be chosen for the meet. Sanchez is the first Carson athlete to be chosen for the meet in the last 10 years.

Five Carson athletes have also been chosen to compete in the Great Southwest Invitational to be held June 3, 4 and 5 in Albuquerque, N.M. Sanchez is scheduled to compete in the 100 and 200 and the 300 hurdles and Heilman is scheduled to run in the 100 and 200.

Scheduled to join them are Matt Moore, who plans to compete in the decathlon, Sandra McAlman in the heptathlon and Alex McAlman in the shot put and discus. Top high school athletes from New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Oklahoma and Nevada will compete in the meet.

While Carson track coach Todd Ackerman said he doesn't know, yet, which events Sanchez will run in at the Golden West meet, it's likely that she'll run in the 300 hurdles. Sanchez has the nation's sixth fastest time in the event on the high school level at 42.62 seconds.

Sanchez was a three-time champion at last week's NIAA 4A State Track Championships, winning the 100, 200 and 300 hurdles. Heilman won the state title in the 100.

Heilman and Sanchez were also chosen as the Northern 4A's track athletes of the year. Sanchez was the co-winner of the award along with Reno High's Mel Lawrence.

For Carson's boys, Heilman was named to the All-Northern 4A first team in the 100 and 200, Moore made the first team in the 300 hurdles and the second team in the 110 hurdles, Tilor Smith made the first team in the long jump, Jeremy Gray was second team in the 400 and Stephen Waicul was second team in the discus.

Carson's Northern 4A winning relays in the 4x100 (Heilman, Sam Pincock, Gray and Smith), the 4x200 (Heilman, Seth Carter, Moore and Smith) and the 4x400 (Gray, Carter, Smith and Moore) were all named to the first team.

For the girls, Sanchez was named to the first team in the 100, 200 and 300 hurdles, Amanda Benson was first team and Christy Works was second team in the 400, Andrea Kierstead was second team in the 100 hurdles, Sanchez, Lindsay Ford, Sinead McSweeney and Benson were first team in the 4x200, Works, Ford, Sandra McAlman and Benson were first team in the 4x400, Amber Whitworth was first team in the pole vault and Alex McAlman was first team in the shot put and discus. Shane Quilling was also named as the region's assistant coach of the year for all divisions.

Manogue had three Carson City athletes who were honored. Brooke Clemmensen was second team in the girls 300 hurdles and for the boys, Rafe Tackes ran on Manogue's second team 4x800 relay and Jimmy Seals was second team in the pole vault.

PINCOCK IN NCAA REGIONALS

George Pincock will try to qualify for the NCAA Championships when he competes in the NCAA Midwest Regionals in Norman, Okla. Pincock, a 2003 Carson graduate, will be running on the University of Colorado's 4x400 relay on Saturday.

The top three relays will qualify for the NCAA Championships to be held in Sacramento June 8-11. The fourth through sixth finishing relays will also have a chance to receive at-large bids to the NCAA meet.