By Vern Hee

Never mind that Pahrump has been the reigning league champ in its division for some time now, or the fact the Clark Chargers have some of the best distance runners in the IA division.

Coach Jerry Adcox tells his kids, Jerry’s kids “To be the best you have to run with the best.”

So, Adcox welcomes the challenge and his team says just one thing, “Bring it, and add some mustard to spice it up.”

Division IV schools usually shy away from competing with the division I and IA schools. They just do not have the students to compete. The bigger schools are packed with so much more talent, but the Beatty Hornets under Coach Jerry Adcox have never shied away from a challenge. This is something he teaches his kids on the track field.

Adcox was like a kid in the candy store on Wednesday. He was just happy to be at Pahrump and he was even more happy for his kids.

“It has been tough at Beatty. The track fund to send kids to invitationals is exhausted, and normally my wife and I can afford to send the kids out of our own pocket at $200 for some of the less expensive meets to start, but this year we can’t. So, coming to run in track meets with Pahrump has been the only other alternative, and I am so grateful to Coach Ed Kirkwood of Pahrump for allowing us to come,” said Adcox.

How could he be happy? His kids were getting slaughtered. The boys team only managed 5 points to Pahrump’s 118. The girls had 30 to the Trojans 123 points.

Coach Ed Kirkwood of Pahrump track said this about Adcox.

“He was excited and he thanked us so many times. He said it was good for his team. He told me, ‘I don’t mind making a trip. I just want to compete. I don’t want them to be intimidated.’”

Obviously, Adcox was not there to beat Pahrump or Clark. His kids were there to compete and better their own personal best records, and this they did.

The amazing thing was the kids were just as happy to be there too.

After every event, they flocked to Adcox to turn in their results.

“Coach, I PRed in this event,” said one enthusiastic member of the team. This meant he had a personal best in the event.

Other teams would have been demoralized, but not the Hornets.

The Beatty girls were in celebration mode. Against Pahrump and Clark, they managed 30 points. The Hornets were led by high jumpers, Melynda Gross and Carey Johnson.

Adcox said he also had some pleasant surprises from the boys field events. “Nick Soto did well in the shot put and tied with his competition in his division, which is a shot putter from Indian Springs. Then some girls distance runners, the Pimentel sisters, ran the 3200-meter and tried to better their times.

This is after Laughlin where they were both disqualified for holding hands crossing the finish line. To them it was about competing together so today they will be going all-out for a good time.”

The Pimentel sisters were just excited to be running against quality schools. They both run the 4×800-meter relay, the 1600-meter and the 3200-meter. “This year my sister was pushing me. She has been my inspiration all through track and I told her we are going to finish this together at Laughlin and that is why we held hands,” said Ruth Pimentel. “I think coming here worked because, she has improved and I am sure I have too. Our coach always says ‘compete with the best to be the best.’ If you compete with the bigger schools, they are going to push you.”

Adcox said his team broke two school records and tied two. After the Pahrump meet, his girls are leading the division in state in five events.

Two girls, Melynda Gross and Carey Johnson, tied the high jump record at 4′-10.

Christina Thompson broke the long jump record by two inches and now she is leading the state by six inches, 15′-3. “That is a record that has been there for ten years,” explained Adcox.