INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The Incline Highlanders tracksters are making the most of a COVID-shortened season.

Fresh off taking down a pair of 42-year old records a week, another set of athletes set two new standards Saturday, May 15, at a five-team meet in Truckee that was canceled part way through due to lightning.

Senior Niklas Pietzke, with help from his younger brother, Brendan, broke a 25-year-old record in the 1,600-meter run. Pietzke finished his four laps in 4 minutes, 23.7 seconds, breaking the old mark set by Andy Bradley in 1996 (4:24.2) by a half second.

Pietzke’s sophomore brother spent all his energy pushing the senior to be faster before dropping off the pace and eventually finishing third, about 30 seconds behind.

Niklas Pietzke cruised to an easy victory by about 26 seconds over North Tahoe’s Phoenix Sanchez.

Pietke’s record comes a week after his senior teammate Dylan Cleary set new records in the 100-meter dash and the 200 on the same day.

Pietzke’s previous best was set just a week before, Saturday, May 8, at Damonte Ranch in Reno. He finished that race about 3 seconds slower than his new record.

Two more seniors combined with a pair of juniors to break a 28-year old record in the 4×200 relay.

Seniors Millie Jenkins and Jada Moore teamed with juniors Emily Manship and Rebecca Noble to break the record by over 2 seconds. They finished the relay in 1 minute, 50 seconds, bettering the mark of 1:52.15 set in 1993. The speedy North Tahoe team finished less than 5 second behind in second place.

The Incline quartet also won the 4×100 relay by over 3 seconds.

“We can say what ifs with this COVID-shortened season, but this senior class is special and always showing their true mettle,” said Incline Athletic Director Thomas Reymer.

Other top results for the Highlander girls included Jenkins earning a pair of firsts, in high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and in the 100-meter hurdles (16.09) and Manship won the pole vault (8 feet) with a personal best.

For the boys, Cleary didn’t set records at this meet, but he took first in the 100- and 400-meter runs, Brayden Snearly set a personal best in long jump (20 feet, 5 inches) to finish first and also earned third in the 100, and sophomore Marco Resendiz recorded a PR (40-01.25) in the shot put to finish second.

As teams, the boys and girls each finished in second place. The boy finished behind North Valleys while the girls were behind Tahoe-Truckee.

The Highlanders next head to the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Northern 2A Regional Championships at noon Saturday, May 22, at Battle Mountain.