Bertucci wins state championship

Douglas High's Ryan Bertucci followed up an impressive runner-up finish at last week's Northern 4A Regional Track championships with an even more impressive state championship win over the weekend at Reno High School.

Bertucci claimed the state title in the boys' high jump with a leap of 6-6.

"It was great to see Ryan accomplish this," Douglas coach Rick Brown said. "He has worked so hard over the past four years and has experienced dissappointment in the past.

"He chose the right time to have his picture-perfect jumprs. To acheive this in his senior year was absolutely fantastic. It was great to see him on top of the awards stand with his medal."

On the girls' side, the intensity of the weekend was a little more than expected.

"The girls were in awe of their surroundings this week," Brown said. "I think the butterflies got the best of them."

Sarah Hartley finished the season with an eighth-place finish in the 200 (26.48) and a fifth-place in the triple jump (35-1) while Skylar Young finished seventh in the 400 (59.90).

Hartley and Young teamed up with Tina Dantin and Alicia Sturgess to place sixth in the 4x400 relay (4:03.97).

"Had they run the same time they had last week, we would have finished second, but that was last week," Brown said. "The coaches were not half as dissappointed as the girls were. They don't like to make excuses, which is a great attitude to have in this sport and we admire that about them.

"All of those girls will be back next year and they'll know what to expect."