Coming this Weekend Alamogordo High School Track Hosts the White Sands Invitational

The public is invited to come out to Alamogordo High School this Saturday for a tradition that was decades in the making, the Rolla Buck White Sands Invitational Track and Field Championship Meet. 

The Alamogordo High School Tiger Girls and Boys under the leadership of Coach Jason Atkinson hosts the annual Rolla Buck White Sands Invitational hosted at the Robert Sepulveda Track and Field at Alamogordo High School.

The White Sands Track Meet dates back to the 1950s first hosted by Coach Rolla Buck. By the early 60s the meet was no longer hosted. During the early 70s Coach Robert (Bob) Sepulveda brought it back to life and renamed it the Coach Rolla Buck White Sands Invitational that continues to this day with Saturday being the most recent competition under the leadership of Jason Atkinson. 

The 1950’s was a winning period of Alamogordo High School athletics especially Football and Track and Field. The accolades in athletics of the late 40’s and early 1950’s is credited to the consistency and the coaching prowess of Coach John Rolla Buck. Coach Rolla Buck persuaded officials of the White Sands National Monument to host a first-class track meet. In those now mostly forgotten times, track teams from across New Mexico and West and Central Texas took part in the White Sands Relays and both states considered it the premier track meet of the season for interscholastic high school track and field.

While at Alamogordo High School, Coach Sepulveda who the track is named after won five state track and field team championships. Three other coaches at Alamogordo High led boys’ teams to state track titles: Coach Joe Bryant in 2006, Coach Rolla Buck led the Boys first title in 1951. Coach Atkinson has set the school record in Girls State Championships. 

Coach Rolla Buck also led his football team to the only state title to be won by Alamogordo in Football and several of his athletes in track and field went on to the Olympics, the NFL and other professional sports thus the Rolla Buck Invitational which was formerly the White Sands Invitational continues today.

These traditions of the past continues as does the state title wins with significant success this decade under the leadership of Coach Jason Atkinson. Join Alamogordo High School this Saturday to see a great event hosted at the High School track and field. 

The Rolla Buck White Sands Invitational is a State-Qualifying meet. The running events are Finals Only with the field events being 3 in the prelims and 3 in the finals with the top 7 going to the finals. Entries are limited to 3 athletes in each event. Only one relay from each school will be allowed. The field events will begin promptly by the schedule provided. Athletes must check-in at the site when the judge calls.

Rolla Buck White Sands Invitational
March 23rd, 2024
Time Schedule
8:30 AM Weigh In - In for Shot, Discus, Javelin
8:30 AM Coaches Meeting/Meet Program pick-up
FIELD/JUMPING EVENTS
9:00 A.M. Boys Javelin immediately followed by Girls Javelin
Girls Long Jump
Boys High Jump and Boys Triple Jump Girls Discus followed by Boys Discus
9:30 A.M. Boys Pole Vault immediately followed by Girls Pole Vault
11:00 A.M. Boys Long Jump
Girls High Jump and Girls Triple Jump
Boys Shot followed by Girls Shot
RUNNING EVENTS
10:30 A.M. Girls 3200 Meter Run
Boys 3200 Meter Run
Girls 400 Meter Relay
Boys 400 Meter Relay
11:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Luncheon for Bus Drivers and Coaches - Aux Gym
ORDER OF EVENTS -TIMED FINALS - STARTING AT 12:30- ROLLING SCHEDULE
Girls 100 Meter Hurdles
Boys 110 Meter Hurdles
Girls 100 Meter Dash
Boys 100 Meter Dash
Girls 1600 Meter Run
Boys 1600 Meter Run - Tom Burns Memorial Mile
Girls 800 Meter Relay
Boys 800 Meter Relay
Girls 400 Meter Dash
Boys 400 Meter Dash
Girls 300 Meter Hurdles
Boys 300 Meter Hurdles
Girls 800 Meter Run
Boys 800 Meter Run
Girls 1600 Meter Medley Relay
Boys 1600 Meter Medley Relay
Girls 200 Meter Dash
Boys 200 Meter Dash
Girls 1600 Meter Relay
Boys 1600 Meter Relay

White Sands Invitational 1950s now hosted At Alamogordo High School (AlamogordoTownNews.com)

Let’s see you out there! 

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