DHS track teams struggle at Douglas Invitational

The Bulldogs youth and inexperience showed Saturday at the 78th Annual Ted James Douglas Invitational track meet.

The Bulldogs scored just four points Saturday finishing well behind the leaders while the Lady Bulldogs managed to score just half a point.

Thirteen schools competed in the day long meet.

In the boys meet Sabino came in first finishing with 100 points, Sahuaro was second with 83, Rincon third with 76, Buena fourth with 62 and Salpointe fifth 48.

Sahauro won the girls meet finishing with 139 points, Sabino was second, Nogales third and Buena fourth.

The Bulldogs lone points came in the 300 intermediate hurdles where Robert Coronado placed fourth finishing with a time of 43.71 seconds.

Ali Andrade and Fernando Dominguez finished just out of the points tying for seventh in the pole vault with a vault of 11-feet.

Douglas’ track coach Ron Ellsworth said his overall numbers are up but the experienced returners he was expecting back didn’t come out this year and he has a lot of new faces.

The coach said one bright spot came when freshman Alfonso Mejia won his heat in the 300 intermediates.

The meet was Douglas’ first of the season. The Bulldogs were supposed to start their season last Wednesday in Sierra Vista but that meet was postponed at the last minute to March 18.

The coach said not having that season opener helped his young team prepare more for Saturday.

“We were able to get some things finalized,” he said. “It’s been a while since we finished this low at our invitational. I’m not discouraged. We’ll get better.”

The Bulldogs were scheduled to have a home meet this Wednesday but due to spring break that meet too, has been postponed. No make up date has yet been announced.

In the girls meet Douglas’ coach Donna Savill said she had some good performances Saturday from Jeanette Valencia who turned in a time of 15.19 in the 100-meters; Joanna Urquijo who ran a 2:58 in the 800 and Patty Countryman who ran a 55.47 in the 300-meter low hurdles.

“This is the youngest team I’ve ever had,” Savill said. “When you have young runners you’re not going to see a lot to start the season but should see more at the end of the season. … We’re looking forward to see how they perform at regionals.”