SMALL SCHOOLS: Eagles’ Morgan springs to record with 3A shot put title

Boulder City’s James Morgan saw this year’s state track meet as a springboard into next year.

The junior made quite the splash in the shot put Saturday at Del Sol.

Morgan set a Class 3A state meet record in the shot put with a heave of 59 feet, 1½ inches. His mark broke the old standard of 58-6, set by Lowry’s Pat McDade in 1985.

“It’s a good end to the year, a good end to the season, and a good start for next year,” Morgan said.

And a historic one.

Morgan not only won the 3A state title, but his 59-1½ on his second attempt was more than three feet better than the top 4A mark of 55-6¾.

“I take pride in it,” Morgan said of having the state’s top mark. “It feels pretty good. It felt right when I let it go.”

Morgan also placed fifth in the discus at 128-11 to help the Eagles finish third in 3A boys team scoring with 98 points, behind Churchill County (133½) and Elko (107).

Moapa Valley senior Chase Witter took the 400-meter run in 49.99 seconds and the 800 in 1:57.23.

Whittell won the 2A boys title with 90 points, led by senior John Robinson’s victories in the 400 in 50.5, the 800 in a state meet record 1:57.42, the 1,600 in 4:39.8 and the 3,200 in 10:11.9.

Spring Mountain’s John Pamplin won Saturday’s 1A boys 100 title in 11.16 after taking Friday’s 200 in 22.58. The junior also was third in the 400 in 51.57.

Pamplin helped the Eagles finish second in 1A team scoring with 140 points, behind Sierra Lutheran’s 162½.

“This is special,” said Pamplin, who plans to run at Canyon Springs next year. “I’d never won state before in track, so it’s been good for me.”

Junior Ricky Finley added titles in the 110 hurdles in 16.32 and the 300 hurdles in 42.09 for Spring Mountain.

Beatty senior Anthony Turner won the 1A boys 800 in 2:00.22, was second in the 400 in 50.17 and fourth in the 200 in 23.63.

The Meadows junior Lauren Henry won individual titles in the 100 (12.84), 200 (26.42) and 400 (1:00.46) in the 2A girls meet.

Henry helped The Meadows to fifth place with 64 points. Incline won the team title with 121.

Elko took the 3A girls title with 148 points, with the top four teams all coming from Northern Nevada.

Wells won the 1A girls title with 95 points, and Beatty was second with 83.

Trinity senior Andrea Martinez took 1A titles in the 200 (26.94) and 400 (1:01.13).

Pahranagat Valley senior Alyssa Higbee won 1A championships in the 100 hurdles in 16.62 and the long jump at 16-5½.