Facing one of the toughest fields of the season, the Pahrump Valley High School track and field team stepped up to the challenge at the 5th annual Red Rock Running Invitational, held Saturday, April 4 at Shadow Ridge High School.
With 24 teams competing on both the boys and girls sides—many of them from the 5A classification—the Trojans embraced the opportunity to test themselves against larger programs. By the end of the day, the Lady Trojans finished tied for 12th overall, while the boys team placed 14th, reflecting a strong and competitive showing across both squads.
The meet opened with a strong showing in the 4×800-meter relays. The boys team of Ben De Santiago, Joaquin Flores, Logan Tilley and Josh Gent worked together for a fourth-place finish, crossing the line in 8:44.28. The girls followed with another impressive performance, as Addi Nelsen, Ava Bowers, Avery Farruggia and Alexis Clouser secured fifth place with a time of 11:29.00.
In the boys 110-meter hurdles, Aeden Redditt led the Trojans with a personal best time of 20.38, with Ulisses Alvarez close behind at 20.48, also marking a personal best. Logan Whaley added a time of 22.57. On the girls side, Diona Nixon placed 13th overall in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 18.06, while Ella Odegard recorded a personal best of 18.97 and Kyndra Cardwell followed with a personal best of 20.81.
The sprint events highlighted the team’s depth. In the boys 100-meter dash, Redditt ran 12.30, Justin Byers finished just behind at 12.39, and Jace Wulfenstein crossed in 12.75. For the girls, Anjolina Mercado led with a personal best time of 13.55, followed by Ma’liyah Collins at 13.98 and Christine Williams at 14.81.
In the 4×200-meter relay, the boys team of Ulisses Alvarez, Justin Byers, Aeden Redditt and Rene Gonzalez Valdez combined for a time of 1:38.68. The Lady Trojans matched that effort with a time of 1:56.48, as Mercado, Cindal Monahan, Williams and Collins delivered a strong race.
Distance runners continued to make an impact in the 1600 meters. Logan Tilley led the boys with a personal best time of 4:52.95, while Josh Gent followed closely at 4:56.18. On the girls side, Jules Ondrisko earned a seventh-place finish overall with a personal best of 5:34.71. Ava Bowers also achieved a personal best with a time of 6:01.90, while Addi Nelsen finished in 6:35.02.
The 4×100-meter relay teams kept the momentum going, with the boys finishing in 48.10. The girls team of Mercado, Collins, Monahan and Farruggia crossed the line in 55.17.
In the 400-meter dash, Ben De Santiago led the boys with a time of 51.33. Justin Byers recorded a personal best of 58.18, while Josh Slusher followed with a personal best of 58.49. For the girls, Avery Farruggia ran 1:08.74 and Cindal Monahan finished in 1:10.84.
In the 300-meter hurdles, Jayden Crisler posted a time of 43.84 for the boys, while Ulisses Alvarez finished in 50.13. The girls were led by Jules Ondrisko, who recorded a season best time of 49.57. Diona Nixon followed at 51.59, and Ella Odegard finished in 55.68.
The 800-meter races brought another wave of strong performances. Joaquin Flores led the boys with a personal best time of 2:03.40. Josh Gent followed with a personal best of 2:13.15, while Logan Tilley ran 2:13.81. For the girls, Rosie Miller recorded a personal best time of 2:38.79.
In the 200-meter dash, Jace Wulfenstein ran a season best time of 24.31. Rene Gonzalez Valdez followed with a personal best of 25.25, and Joseph Scheer added a personal best time of 25.78. On the girls side, Mercado continued her strong day with a personal best of 27.76, while Collins finished in 30.64 and Monahan in 30.72.
In the 3200 meters, Flores led the boys with a time of 10:48.29, while Akim Khan recorded a season best of 14:30.82. For the girls, Sophie Romero ran a personal best of 13:28.06, and Alexis Clouser finished in 14:28.00.
The meet concluded with the 4×400-meter relays, where the boys team of De Santiago, Wulfenstein, Slusher and Flores combined for a time of 3:38.65. The girls team of Ondrisko, Aurora Bowers, Farruggia and Odegard finished in 4:37.00.
In the field events, the Trojans continued to build momentum. In the boys shot put, Sonny Skinner recorded a personal best throw of 45 feet, 3.5 inches, while Chasen Hamann followed with a personal best of 39 feet, 4 inches. In discus, Skinner added another personal best with a throw of 137 feet, 6 inches, while Hamann reached 117 feet, 3 inches and Juan Carlos Rodriguez threw 84 feet.
For the girls, Chanel Thorn threw 24 feet, 4 inches in shot put, with Julie Briggs close behind at 24 feet, 2.5 inches and Nyomi Skinner at 21 feet, 5 inches. In discus, Briggs led the group with a throw of 70 feet, 4 inches, followed by Thorn at 63 feet, 3 inches and Skinner at 62 feet, 6 inches.
In the jumps and vaults, Jayden Crisler had a standout day, clearing 9 feet in the pole vault. He also placed third overall in the triple jump with a mark of 43 feet, 3.5 inches and led the boys long jump with a distance of 18 feet, 5 inches. Kelan Sheppard added a jump of 14 feet, 11 inches.
On the girls side, Diona Nixon recorded a long jump of 14 feet, 10.5 inches, followed closely by Savannah Thompson at 14 feet, 7 inches and Sedona Norton at 11 feet, 11.5 inches. In the triple jump, Thompson placed eighth overall with a personal best mark of 32 feet, 5.5 inches, while Norton also achieved a personal best with a jump of 30 feet, 7.75 inches.
In the high jump, Evan Strain cleared a personal best height of 5 feet, 4 inches for the boys. Rosie Miller led the girls with a season best clearance of 5 feet, while Kimberly Trejo and Aurora Bowers both cleared 4 feet, 4 inches.
Across every event group, the Trojans demonstrated depth, resilience and steady improvement. With numerous personal bests, season bests and strong finishes against a highly competitive field, Pahrump Valley continues to build momentum as the season progresses.
