Chaparral surges to win

The final event was so close, so dramatic, that coach Leon Soares wasn't sure if his Chaparral boys track team had won the Sunrise Regional on Friday.

Then the announcement was made to the Del Sol High stadium, and Soares jumped and yelled.

Thanks to a final lunge by Malcolm McMurray in the 1,600-meter relay for a second-place finish, the Cowboys snagged the title from Silverado, winning 107-1051/2.

"Right at about 200 (meters), I thought we had it," Soares said.

Canyon Springs dominated the girls side, scoring 171 points to outdistance second-place Rancho's 801/2.

The top two finishers in each event, as well as some who came in third, advance to the state Class 4A meet next Friday and Saturday in Reno.

In the boys regional, Chaparral led for much of the day, only to watch the defending regional champion Skyhawks take over as the afternoon became evening.

"All the coaches knew" the score, Soares said. "We were freaking out pretty bad, but we didn't tell any of the kids what we had to do until the (1,600 relay)."

The meet came down to that event, and Silverado led 991/2-99. The Skyhawks also led Chaparral nearly the entire relay until McMurray ran down Silverado's Ronnie Brakes, busting through at the finish line and knocking down both athletes.

"My team was depending on me," said McMurray, who slightly injured his right thigh. "We needed this real bad."

The girls side had much less suspense, but it would've been an upset if another team had made a run at Canyon Springs.

The defending regional champion Pioneers entered the day leading by 20 points over the next-closest team, Green Valley, and they weren't concerned with the competition.

"We're really looking past the regionals and into state championships for the girls," Canyon Springs coach Nicole Branham said while enjoying a 67-point lead. "Just qualifying kids for state, that's what we're focusing on right now."

The Pioneers followed last year's regionals title with a fifth-place finish at state. They won't be satisfied with a similar showing next week.

Canyon Springs, though, is taking a slightly different team back to state, despite returning just about the entire squad. The Pioneers can thank an influx of freshmen and sophomores, who did more than just fill out the otherwise veteran roster.

Having veterans "makes a difference," said Branham, the Sunrise Division Coach of the Year, "but some of our freshmen and sophomores, they really make an impact. Those freshmen and sophomores are really coming up and helping our team out, too."

One is freshman Jamila Pullum, a sprinter and relay member who is an integral part of Canyon Springs' success. She helped pick up points by participating on the winning 1,600 relay (4:00.68) and finishing third in the 200 (26.71) and 800 relay (1:45.43).

The 1,600 relay set the regional record.

"Even though our juniors and seniors did build this team, I think our freshmen and sophomores really made this team," Pullum said.

Coronado's Michaelanne Laurent set two records. She established the zone record in the 800 with a 2:17.83 and the regional mark in the 1,600 with a 5:17.48.

On the boys side, Chaparral's Joeal Hotchkins set a regional record in the 200 with a 21.68.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.