Nevada
Truckee Girls Defend 2024 Nevada 3A Title, Boulder City & Truckee Boys Teams Tie for Win
2024 NIAA 3A State Swimming and Diving Championships
The 2024 NIAA Nevada High School State Swimming and Diving Championships concluded on Saturday with swimming action happening at the Pavilion Center Pool in Las Vegas, NV. The series is split up into three classes: 3A (and under), 4A, and 5A, which did not begin until 2022 following two cancelled state meets in 2020 and 2021 from the COVID-19 pandemic. To qualify for each class’ respective state meet, the top four finishers from each individual/relay event move on from each class’ two regional championships. The 4A finals session concluded on Thursday, with Saturday evening having class 5A finals sound off.
Saturday morning was the class 3A swimming state finals, where the Truckee girls and Boulder City boys successfully defended their 2023 team titles. On the girls side, Truckee dominated by over 50 points while Coral (69) just nipped out Boulder City (66) and Virgin Valley (65) for the runner-up crown. Meanwhile on the boys side, Boulder City wound up sharing the team title with Boulder City, who placed second last year. The Coral boys comfortably came in third.
3A GIRLS TEAM SCORES
- Truckee, 121
- Coral, 69
- Boulder City, 66
- Virgin Valley, 65
- North Tahoe, 46
3A BOYS TEAM SCORES
- Truckee/Boulder City, 112
- –
- Coral, 83
- North Tahoe, 44
- Virgin Valley, 30
GIRLS FINALS HIGHLIGHTS
Boulder City’s Phoebe McClaren, committed to St. Bonaventure for fall 2024, became a 3-time 3A Nevada HS state champion in both the 200 free and 500 free. She first won the 200 free at 1:54.15, her fastest time to win a state title. Then, she destroyed the 500 free by over 34 seconds to nab the win at 4:53.11, taking down both her best time of 4:54.39 and the 2017 3A state record of 4:54.54. Finishing in second place in both races behind McClaren was Pinecrest Sloan Canyon’s Hailey Imasa, clocking 2:00.65 in the 200 free and 5:27.16 in the 500 free.
Peering at the 1-meter diving boards, Boulder City’s McKenna Morrow had also won her 3rd-straight 3A state title.
Virgin Valley’s Kyra Jensen, a freshman, also won two 3A titles on Saturday as well. She first won the 50 free at 25.73, a tenth ahead of runner-up South Tahoe’s Nicole Whisnant (25.83). Jensen then flipped over to win the 100 back at 1:04.45, ahead of North Tahoe’s Kayden Watts (1:05.11) and Truckee’s Addie Schaller (1:06.09).
Truckee’s Schaller had earlier won the 100 free at 57.06, tenths ahead of teammate Aspen Hall (57.39). Schaller and Hall then accompanied the winning 200 free relay for Truckee (1:46.43), the school’s 3rd-straight title in that relay. Schaller then anchored Truckee’s winning 400 free relay (4:01.41), narrowly holding off Boulder City (4:02.84) and McClaren’s blazing 53.02 anchor split.
Coral’s Jordan Clarke was also a double 3A state champion, defending both of her 2023 state titles. Clarke first won the 200 IM by over 7 seconds at 2:13.04, with Boulder City’s Zoey McClaren taking second at 2:20.60. After hitting 1:08.10 at regionals, Clarke then handily won the 100 breast at 1:08.28.
Another Coral swimmer, Momoka Utusmi, won her third-consecutive 100 fly 3A state title at 59.67. Both Clarke and Utusmi were featured in Coral’s winning 200 medley relay of 1:59.46, powered by Clarke’s 30.68 breast split and Utusmi’s 26.99 fly split. Meanwhile, Truckee’s Reese Hoffmann swam a quick 25.91 freestyle anchor to attempt chasing down Coral. Truckee wound up settling for a close second place finish at 2:00.01.
ALL GIRLS 2024 NIAA 3A SWIMMING CHAMPIONS
- Girls 200 Medley Relay: Coral, 1:59.46
- Girls 200 Free: Phoebe McClaren (Boulder City), 1:54.15
- Girls 200 IM: Jordan Clarke (Coral), 2:13.04
- Girls 50 Free: Kyra Jensen (Virgin Valley), 25.73
- Girls 1-Meter Diving: McKenna Morrow (Boulder City), 225.90 pts
- Girls 100 Fly: Momoka Utusmi (Coral), 59.67
- Girls 100 Free: Addie Schaller (Truckee), 57.06
- Girls 500 Free: Phoebe McClaren (Boulder City), 4:53.11
- Girls 200 Free Relay: Truckee, 1:44.83
- Girls 100 Back: Kyra Jensen (Virgin Valley), 1:04.45
- Girls 100 Breast: Jordan Clarke (Coral), 1:08.28
- Girls 400 Free Relay: Truckee, 4:01.41
BOYS FINALS HIGHLIGHTS
Coral’s Joseph Sirhan won arguably two of the toughest individual high school events, the 200 IM and 500 free. He first won the 200 IM at 1:53.60, upsetting defending champ Truckee’s Asher Kates (1:55.42) while Pinecrest Sloan Canyon’s Jacob Imasa took third (2:00.08). Sirhan then had defended his own 500 free title, for the second time, touching in at 4:41.23, finishing way ahead of Boulder City’s Duncan McClaren (4:49.86) and Pinecrest Sloan Canyon’s Nathaniel Stewart (5:01.69).
While Truckee’s Kates was denied a 200 IM title via Sirhan’s upset win, he was able to defend his 100 back title, winning the event at 52.13 ahead of Pinecrest Sloan Canyon’s Stewart (54.02). Earlier in the 200 free final, Boulder City’s McClaren won with the lone sub-1:50 swim of 1:48.55.
Churchill’s Zachary Koenig also matched Sirhan’s double 3A state wins. In the 100 free, Koenig won at 48.61, narrowly ahead of more sub-49s from Truckee’s Noah Erskine (48.82) and Boulder City’s Troy Higley (48.98). Koenig then crushed the 100 breast at 58.37, with Pinecrest Sloan Canyon’s Imasa taking second at 1:01.48.
Into the 50 free, Boulder City’s Higley defended his 3A title with a 22.07, with Truckee’s Erskine spotted again in second at 22.64. In the same title-defending fashion, Sage Ridge’s Zach Power won the 100 fly at 51.92.
The Truckee boys won two relays, the 200 medley relay (1:41.48) and their third-straight 400 free relay title (3:20.09). Erskine’s 26.17 back lead-off and Kates’ 26.56 breast split powered Truckee’s winning medley relay. In the 400 free relay, Erskine’s 48.83 lead-off and Kates’ 47.49 anchor powered Truckee’s second relay win of the meet.
The 200 free relay 3A title came down to a seven one-hundredths separation from the top two. Coral took out the narrow win at 1:32.01, anchored by Sirhan’s 21.53. Settling for the close second place at 1:32.09 was Boulder City, with Higley anchoring a 21.76.
ALL BOYS 2024 NIAA 3A SWIMMING CHAMPIONS
- Boys 200 Medley Relay: Truckee, 1:41.48
- Boys 200 Free: Duncan McClaren (Boulder City), 1:48.55
- Boys 200 IM: Joseph Sirhan (Coral), 1:53.60
- Boys 50 Free: Troy Higley (Boulder City), 22.07
- Boys 100 Fly: Zach Power (Sage Ridge), 51.92
- Boys 100 Free: Zachary Koenig (Churchill), 48.61
- Boys 500 Free: Joseph Sirhan (Coral), 4:41.23
- Boys 200 Free Relay: Coral, 1:32.01
- Boys 100 Back: Asher Kates (Truckee), 52.13
- Boys 100 Breast: Zachary Koenig (Churchill), 58.37
- Boys 400 Free Relay: Truckee, 3:20.09
3A Boys Swimming State Champs! Congratulations Eagles! #bchs41 #bchsswim pic.twitter.com/Ibi9imToQh
— Boulder City HS (@boulder_hs) May 18, 2024
Nevada
Earthquake swarm rattles central Nevada near Tonopah along newly identified fault
A swarm of earthquakes has been rattling a remote stretch of central Nevada near Tonopah, including a magnitude 4.0 quake that hit near Warm Springs Tuesday morning.
Seismologists said the activity is typical for Nevada, where clusters of earthquakes can flare up in a concentrated area. “This is a very Nevada-style earthquake sequence. We have these a lot where we just see an uptick in activity in a certain spot,” said Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Lab.
The latest magnitude 4.0 quake struck east of Tonopah near Warm Springs. The largest earthquake in the swarm so far has measured a 4.2.
What has stood out to researchers is the fault involved. Rowe said the earthquakes are occurring along a fault stretching along the southern edge of the Monitor and Antelope ranges — and that it was previously unknown to scientists. “We didn’t know this fault was there. It’s a new fault to us — not to the Earth, obviously — but it was previously unknown,” Rowe said.
For now, the earthquakes have remained moderate. Rowe said the lab would not deploy additional temporary sensors unless activity increases to around a magnitude 5 or greater.
Seismologists said they are continuing to watch the swarm closely as Nevada works to bring the ShakeAlert early warning system to the state. The program, already active in neighboring states, can send cellphone alerts seconds before shaking arrives. “For me, it’s a really high priority. That distance to the faults gives us enough time to warn people — and that can make a big difference in reducing injuries and damage,” Rowe said.
Seismologists encouraged anyone who feels shaking to report it through the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did You Feel It” system, saying even small quakes can help scientists better understand Nevada’s seismic activity.
Experts said the swarm is worth monitoring but is not cause for alarm. They noted that earthquakes like the 5.8 that hit near Yerington in December 2024 typically happen in Nevada about every eight to 10 years, and said they will continue monitoring the current activity closely.
Nevada
Kalshi Enforcement Action Belongs in Nevada Court, Judge Says
Nevada state court is the proper venue for reviewing whether KalshiEX LLC is improperly accepting sports wagers without a license, a federal district court said.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board showed that the state statutes under which it seeks relief don’t require interpreting federal law, Judge Miranda M. Du of the US District Court for the District of Nevada said in a Monday order. The board’s action is now remanded to the First Judicial District Court in Carson City, Nev., the order said.
The board in 2025 urged Kalshi, a financial services company, to get a gaming license, but the …
Nevada
EDITORIAL: Nevada still vulnerable as tourist downturn continues
Strip gaming executives can put their best spin on the numbers, but local tourism indicators remain a major concern. Casino operators seeking to draw more people through the door still have much work to do.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board released January gaming numbers Friday. The news was underwhelming. The state gaming win was down 6.6 percent from a year earlier. The Strip took the largest hit, an 11 percent drop. But the gloomy returns were spread throughout Clark County: Downtown Las Vegas was off 5.2 percent, Laughlin suffered a 3.3 percent decline and the Boulder Strip dipped by 7 percent.
For the current fiscal year, gaming tax collections are up a paltry
2.1 percent, below budget projections.
The red flags include more than gaming numbers. Recently released figures for 2025 reveal that visitation to Las Vegas fell nearly 8 percent from 2024, which represented the lowest total since the pandemic in 2021. Traffic at Reid International Airport fell more than 10 percent in December and was down 6 percent for the year. Strip occupancy rates fell 3 percent in 2025.
To be fair, this is not just a Las Vegas problem. International travel to the United States was down
4.8 percent in January, Forbes reported, the ninth straight month of decline. Travel from Europe fell 5.2 percent, and passenger counts from Asia fell 7.5 percent. Canadian tourism cratered by 22 percent.
No doubt that President Donald Trump’s blustery rhetoric has played a role in the decline, but there’s more at work. International tourism has been largely flat since Barack Obama’s last few years in office. But domestic travel has held relatively steady although it is “starting to cool,” according to the U.S. Travel Association. Las Vegas hasn’t been helped by high-profile complaints last year about exorbitant Strip prices for parking, bottled water and other staples. Casino operators responded by offering discounts, particularly for locals, and they’ll need to continue those policies into 2026.
The tourism downturn has ramifications for the state budget, which relies primarily on sales and gaming tax revenues to support spending plans. “Nevada’s employment and economic challenges reflect deep structural factors that extend beyond cyclical economic fluctuations,” noted a recent report by economic analyst John Restrepo. “The state’s extreme concentration in tourism and gaming creates unique vulnerabilities.”
The irony is that state and local politicians have been talking for the past half century about “diversifying” the state economy. In recent years, that effort has primarily consisted of handing out millions in tax breaks and other incentives to attract businesses to the state. A dispassionate observer might ask whether that approach has brought an adequate return on investment.
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