The Incline High School boy’s 4x800 meter team was issued a tall order from coach Bill Devine: Shed 11 seconds off your splits to do well at the state meet.

That means the foursome of sophomores Mike Sunseri and Sterling Vinson, and freshmen Eric Baron and Keith Cuadros have their work cut out for them, but Devine said he’s confident.

“It is a lot of time to take off, but I’m pretty sure they can do it,” Devine said.
The Highlander quartet ran a 9 minute, 50 second circuit at the Saturday, April 26, meet at Tahoe-Douglas High School.

Sunseri, who leads off the race, said it’s exasperating.
“Basically it’s a really long sprint,” Sunseri said. “It’s a weird race, it’s long but you have to sprint the whole time.”

Sunseri, Baron and Vinson were all members of the Highlander cross country team and Baron said sprinting is a different animal.

“We haven’t practiced sprinting much but I think we’re getting pretty good,” Baron said. The natural distance runner said the best way to cut time off the race is to improve their hand-offs, which he said are easy once practiced.

After Sunseri’s lead leg, he hands off to Cuadros, who Devine said has already cut eight seconds off his 800 time, leaving him with three to go before the state meet May 16. Cuadros ran a 2 minute, 22 second 800 in the individual race at the Douglas meet. He is followed by Baron, who in turn hands off to Vinson for the final leg.

Vinson said the toughest part about the race’s final leg is not knowing where your opponents are, as in a previous race where he was caught and passed by another runner he didn’t know was approaching.

The boys had a chance for a final tune-up before the May 9 divisional at Saturday’s meet at Yerington High School.

Results weren’t available by press time.

Also expected to make an impact in the divisionals and state meet on the boy’s side is senior Nick Francis in the triple jump, Devine side.

A surprise on the girl’s team from the Douglas meet was the performance of the 4x200 meter relay team, Devine said.

Comprised of three sophomores, Shanna Murray, Erin Canino, Sarah Scott and freshman Emily Hannah, the team turned in a time of 2 minutes flat at Douglas.
“That team looked really good, and I think I’ll stay with the same runners, they may have a shot at state,” Devine said.

He also pointed to the 4x400 relay team of Scott, Holly O’Connor, Charlene O’Connor and Katelyn Wright as a possible state meet contender, as well as the 4x100 team of Canino, Wright and both O’Connors.