Track: Big George Invite Saturday

For the second year in a row, many of the top track & field programs from around Northern Nevada will descend on Douglas High School for the Big George Invitational on Saturday.

The meet will serve as the last big invitational in the area before the championship season starts.

Douglas coach Jim Abbott said over 700 athletes representing 16 teams are coming to the meet, including regional powerhouses Damonte Ranch, Reno, McQueen and Carson, as well as smaller schools like Sierra Lutheran, Lowry, Dayton, Whittell, Truckee and North Tahoe.

"You look on the girls side and it'll be a real shootout," Abbott said. "Those are some of the top teams comign in, so it'll be a good showing. You'll be seeing a lot of lineups similar to what they'll use at the regional meet in a couple of weeks."

Adding to the upper-eschelon turnout is that Douglas will be hosting both the regional trials (May 9) and regional championships (May 16).

"Some of the 4A schools, like Damonte Ranch, are coming this weekend just to get a better feel of the facility and the track," Abbott said.

Abbott said the meet is nearly set for volunteers, but having a few more won't hurt.

"We're looking pretty good, but we are always looking for extra people who can help rake a pit, pull out a tape measure or relieve someone who is doing the timing," he said. "Carson and Sierra Lutheran are bringing some volunteers over, so it's good."

He said anyone interested in volunteering can contact girls' coach Kim Tretton at 781-5136.

Events begin at 8 a.m. with the 110 and 100 hurdle trials. The finals of the distance medley relay will be at 8:45, followed by the 100 trials at 9:15, the 4x800 finals at 10 a.m., the 200 trials at 10:45 a.m. and the 3,200 finals at 11:30.

Most of the finals will be in the afternoon, starting with the 110 and 100 hurdles at 12:15 p.m. and wrapping up with the 4x400 relays at 5:30 p.m.

The afternoon order goes as follows: 110 hurdles, 110 hurdles, open 100, 4x200 relay, open 1,600, 4x100 relay, open 400, 300 hurdles, open 800, open 200, open 3,200 and 4x400 relay.

The field events begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue throughout the day.

Douglas competed in its final conference meet of the year on Wednesday at South Tahoe.

"We played around with the lineup and let the kids have some fun," Abbott said. "We had sprinters running distance and distance runners trying sprints."

One highlight from the meet was freshman Amanda Brazeau breaking the school record in the pol vault with a jump of 8 feet, 6 inches.

"That's a great sign," Abbott said. "Our pole vaulters are really coming around. (Vaulting coach) Lane Maestretti is building a good crew of pole vaulters."

The 4x800 girls team of Tia Lyons, Taylor Biaggi, Natalie Freitas and Cara Dunkelman clocked a time of 10:02 for Douglas' other top performance of the day.