More than 900 track and field athletes will compete Friday as the Boulder City boys and girls teams will host the 15th annual Ron Resler Invitational at the school’s stadium.
The Ron Resler Invitational has been one of the best early season track meets in Southern Nevada for several years and will feature 23 boys teams and 23 girls teams.
Admission is free, but seating is hard to find as the 46 teams set up camps and tents in the grandstands.
This season, boys track coach Josh Fisher chose quality over quantity, limiting the number of teams in the competition, fewer than past years when there were as many as 75 overall teams and 1,200 athletes.
“We did cut the field this year trying to get more quality teams to compete,” Fisher said. “We expect great weather and that should lead to several records being broken by both girls and boys competitors. Last year, we had five meet records set and several others tied.
“It will be a very competitive, exciting event and it is free, so we hope lots of people in Boulder City will bring out the family and enjoy the nice day and watch great young athletes compete.”
Both Boulder City teams prepared with dual meets Wednesday when they competed against Desert Pines, Western and Mojave at Mojave.
Leading Boulder City will be Jacorey Dixon. Dixon won the 300 high hurdles in 40.8 seconds and ran on the winning 800 and 1,600 relays March 28 to lead Boulder City to the team victory with 182½ points in the Grant Bushman Invitational at Moapa Valley.
Dixon also was second in the 110 hurdles. Garrett Meyer won the 1,600 (4:59.49) for Boulder City, and Chandler Harkins captured the 3,200 in 10:58.14.
Dixon edged out teammate Brooks Roe (41.87) in the 300 high hurdles and then was second in the 110 low hurdles in 16.22, while Roe was third in 16.91.
“We expect those same excellent performances from all our athletes in the Ron Resler meet,” Fisher said.
Meyer and Harkins also ran on the winning 3,200 relay team and make the Eagles Friday’s favorite. Samuel Gomez also is a favorite after winning at the Bushman in the discus with a throw of 133 feet, 1 inch.
In Overton, the Boulder City 4×800 meter relay team took first place with a time of 9:09.2 and won the 4×400 relay in 3:39.59. They also ran 1:37.43 to win the 4×200 relay. They will face tough competition in all three events Friday.
In the girls’ competition Friday, Virgin Valley and Boulder City will vie for the top spots.
Arianne Hess is among the favorites to win the triple jump. She leaped 30-6 at the Bushman to win the event. Whitney Barlow and teammate Katlyn Daly are among the best shot put throwers.
Boulder City’s 4×400 relay team and its 4×800 relay are expected to place high.
Barlow and Jana Williams are among the best in the 300 and 110 hurdles, with Emma Torgesen among the leaders in the 1,600 meters.