The Pahrump Valley High School track and field team turned in an impressive showing at the Ken Jensen Invitational, hosted by Virgin Valley High School on Friday, March 13, competing against a large and competitive field that included Boulder City, Eureka, Lincoln County, Lund, Moapa Valley, Page (Arizona), Pahranagat Valley, Spring Creek, Virgin Valley, Wells, West Wendover, White Pine and Pahrump Valley.
By the end of the meet, the Trojans had firmly established themselves as one of the top programs in attendance. The girls team captured the overall team title, finishing first ahead of Moapa Valley, while the boys team placed second overall behind Moapa Valley. With medals awarded to the top four finishers in each event and points scored through eighth place, the meet served as a strong early-season benchmark as teams begin looking ahead to regionals.
Pahrump’s distance crews set the tone early in the relays. The boys 4×800-meter relay team of Kris Trejo, Daniel Thompson, Josh Flores and Logan Tilley placed third with a time of 9:11.58. The girls 4×800 relay squad of Alexis Clouser, Addi Nelsen, Ava Bowers and Sophie Romero claimed first place in 11:09.07, continuing a strong trend for the Trojans in distance events.
In the hurdles, Diona Nixon led the way for the girls, winning the 100-meter hurdles in 18.16. Ella Odegard added a fourth-place finish in 19.19, while Kyndra Cardwell crossed in 21.12.
Sprint performances highlighted several key finishes. In the boys 100-meter dash, Ben De Santiago placed fourth in 11.55, while Ulisses Alvarez and Rene Gonzalez Valdez both clocked 12.53. Hunter Wydick followed with a 12.71. On the girls side, Ma’liyah Collins placed fourth in 13.91, and McKinsey Nottingham ran 14.96.
Relay success continued in the 4×200, where the boys team finished fourth in 1:40.96, while the girls team surged to a first-place finish in 1:54.25.
Distance runners delivered another wave of strong performances in the 1600 meters. Joaquin Flores led the boys with a fifth-place finish in 4:46.54, while Josh Gent (4:52.64), Logan Tilley (4:53.71) and Josh Flores (5:07.10) all recorded personal bests. For the girls, Jules Ondrisko placed second in 5:48.22, Ava Bowers finished seventh with a personal best of 6:06.24, Addi Nelsen ran 6:24.00 and Sophie Romero added another personal best at 6:30.05.
One of the standout moments of the meet came in the boys 400-meter dash, where Ben De Santiago not only claimed first place but also broke a long-standing Pahrump Valley High School record with a time of 50.34. The previous record, held by Devon Montgomery since 2014, was surpassed in a performance that energized the entire team. Jace Wulfenstein added a seventh-place finish in 54.42, while Josh Slusher ran 59.66.
The girls 400 also proved strong, with Aurora Bowers placing second in a personal best 1:04.78 and Jules Ondrisko finishing third in 1:05.12. McKinsey Nottingham and Cindal Monahan added solid efforts as well.
In the boys 300-meter hurdles, Jayden Crisler placed second with a time of 42.98. On the girls side, Diona Nixon finished second with a time of 52.22, while Ella Odegard added a fourth-place finish in 55.30. Kyndra Cardwell also turned in a strong performance, recording a personal best of 1:00.79.
Middle-distance races added to the Trojans’ scoring totals. Joaquin Flores placed second in the boys 800 with a personal best of 2:06.09, followed by Aydon Veloz in fifth (2:11.74), Daniel Thompson with a personal best of 2:20.58 and De Santiago at 2:21.91. On the girls side, Jules Ondrisko placed second in 2:38.80, Addi Nelsen finished third with a personal best of 2:40.00, Ava Bowers recorded another personal best at 2:45.75 and Rosie Miller placed eighth in 2:54.00.
In the 200-meter dash, Alvarez (25.49), Gonzalez Valdez (25.71) and Cade Wulfenstein (26.46, personal best) represented the boys, while Collins placed fifth for the girls with a personal best of 28.45 and Mary Miller added another personal best at 29.45.
Distance strength continued in the 3200 meters, where Joaquin Flores placed second in 10:27.23. Josh Gent (10:45.66), Logan Tilley (10:46.35) and Josh Flores (11:13.83) all recorded personal bests. For the girls, Sophie Romero finished seventh in a personal best 14:04.08, Alexis Clouser ran a season-best 14:17.12 and Kimberly Trejo posted a personal best of 14:59.76.
Relay performances closed out the track events on a high note. The boys 4×400 team of Josh Slusher, Aydon Veloz, Jace Wulfenstein and Ben De Santiago placed second in 3:36.02, while the girls 4×400 team of Aurora Bowers, Anjolina Mercado, McKinsey Nottingham and Ella Odegard secured first place in 4:32.58.
In the field events, Sonny Skinner delivered a dominant performance, winning both the shot put with a personal best throw of 43 feet, 5 inches and the discus with a season-best throw of 123 feet, 11 inches. Teammates Taysom Christensen and Chasen Hamann also contributed in the throws.
On the girls side, Nyomi Skinner led the way in both shot put and discus, supported by Cailyn Marsh and Kaylie Abrego, who each turned in solid efforts.
In the high jump, Aydon Veloz tied for first at 5 feet, 6 inches, while Kris Trejo placed fifth with a personal best at the same height. Rosie Miller led the girls with a third-place finish at 4 feet, 8 inches, while Aurora Bowers and Kimberly Trejo tied for fifth.
Jayden Crisler showcased his versatility with a first-place finish in the long jump at 19 feet, 2 inches and another first-place finish in the triple jump at 43 feet, 1.25 inches. Aydon Veloz added a fourth-place finish in the long jump with a personal best of 18 feet, 1.25 inches, while Daniel Thompson also recorded a personal best. For the girls, Aurora Bowers placed second in the long jump with a personal best of 15 feet, 3 inches, with additional contributions from Diona Nixon, Sedona Norton and Savannah Thompson.
Crisler also competed in the pole vault, placing seventh at 9 feet, 6 inches, while Kyndra Cardwell cleared 5 feet, 6 inches on the girls side.
Head Coach Dan Nagle praised the team’s effort and results following the meet.
“On Friday, we went in with a goal of winning—and that’s exactly what we did, with an added bonus,” Nagle said. “Ben De Santiago broke a long-standing 400m record, and we brought home more medals than we could count. All in all, it was an excellent day of track that showed we’re on the right path to achieving our goals.”
With strong finishes across nearly every event group, multiple personal bests and a record-breaking performance, the Trojans left the Ken Jensen Invitational with both confidence and momentum as they continue building toward the postseason.
