Darts -
I could not have been more proud of our TEAM at the end of two hard fought days of the state meet. Not because we brought home both of the trophies (for the 3rd year in a row) - but because we gave our very best in everything we did. We competed with a lot of heart and focus, and we showed so much unity and teamwork. Even through the challenges that we had and the disappointments we faced, we showed toughness and resilience. At the end of the meet, and as I have thought about it since, all that we have accomplished is beginning to set in - and it has made me a bit emotional. I apologize for the long email - but there is a lot to be said.
In a way it is a very bitter-sweet end. This group of seniors have carried us for 3 years. They may not have scored a ton of points as sophomores - but they set the tone for our TEAM for all 3 years and they are truly champions. They have accomplished what only 1 other team (Mountain View) has done in the history of Utah track & field in any division - a THREEPEAT for both the boys and the girls. We are really going to miss all of our seniors and their leadership. But we are also going to do our best to carry on the tradition of excellence.
One of my favorite statistics to see after the state meet is the combined boys and girls total scores. We scored the most points of any division (279) - and the 2nd most in 5A was Riverton with 133. It shows our strength on both sides. I feel that our boys have been made better by the girls and vice-versa. A few other statistics I was very happy with: We scored in 31 of the 33 events including all 17 of the boys events; we scored 58 total points in the relays - winning 5 out of 6 and placing 2nd in the boys 4 x 400; the boys had only 1 individual winner (Marcus) yet we were able to score 117 points showing our TEAM strength; A total of 59 Davis athletes competed at the state meet this year - a TEAM record (and possibly a state record).
There were so many solid performances - I will start with the finals from Day One. We started off strong in the 1600m. Shea, Ellie, and Taylor finished 1-2-4 to get us 23 opening points. It was Shea's 3rd straight state title in the 1600, and Ellie's 3rd time earning all-state (3rd - 2nd - 2nd). Shea and Ellie are two of the toughest competitors I have ever seen - they push themselves, they push each other, and they have taken our girls TEAM to a new level. Hannah also had a great PR of 5:07 for 9th. Preston, Alex, and Brayden finished 4-5-6 in a very deep 1600 field for the boys. The 12 points set the tone for things to come. The senior boy distance runners have truly had remarkable careers. From the time they were freshman in cross country to their final races on the track, they have represented Davis with guts and heart. We may never see another group who can do what Preston, Alex, Brayden, Andrew, Jackson, Seth, Hayden, Sam, and Ryan have done in xc and track. As the 1600 was wrapping up, Ben Bracken was killing it in the discus. He finished 2nd and was barely short of his PR. I love how hard Ben has worked to become his best. The pole vaulters picked up 4 points from Jordan (6th) and Trace (8th), and the high jumpers grabbed 2.5 more from Marcus and Andrew. It was Marcus's 4th year in a row scoring for us in the high jump. The other girls finals of the day were also strong for us - Kendall came through big time in the Javelin with a throw of 123'04 - she knew as she released it that it was a monster throw - it was good enough for 2nd (barely shy of 1st) and was a 7 foot PR. We are glad Kendall is a junior. Jessica and Kaylee have made me smile pretty much every time I have seen them for the past 3 years. They are true friends and teammates. I love watching them - they lift each other up on bad days, and they celebrate together on good days. They made me smile with their shot put results on Friday - Jessica finished 3rd and Kaylee PR'd to finish 7th - earning us 8 more points - plus sophomore Meghan David just missed finals finishing 10th.
This year's Saturday was quite possibly my favorite state meet Saturday ever. After competing in the final event of Friday, Jessica and Kaylee came back on Saturday morning to start us off in the discus (the first event of the morning). They had to stay mentally tough in the early morning rain. Jessica finished her great throwing career with a first place toss of 130'04. It was her first time over 130 - and was only 1 foot shy of Coach Alayna's high school PR. Kaylee showed a lot of poise, making finals on her 3rd throw - and then improved to 109' - good enough for a 5th place finish - and 12 more points between the 2 of them. In the girls 3200, Ellie nearly pulled off the upset, and ran her 2nd fastest ever - 10:56 for 2nd place. We also had a strong group of underclassmen who are going to make some noise in cross country this fall (Kenzie, Ashley, Chelsey, Sierra, and Aimee). The boys ran strong races as well - and we were led by Cromar's 6th place finish with a season best 9:29. Stokton also finished his season with a strong PR of 9:51. During the 3200, Jeff Whittaker was putting on a show for us in the javelin. After a solid 5th throw of 176'10 (a season best), Jeff pulled into the lead. He nearly pulled it off, but was narrowly passed by two of the final throwers. Still, Jeff's 3rd place finish was the 2nd time he earned All-State in the javelin. Still in the field events, Tanisha picked up some points for us in the high jump. It was the 3rd straight year that she finished as our top jumper and earned points for our TEAM. The morning seemed to be starting off well - and only got better. Libby and Hailee finished 3-5 in the hurdles (going into finals ranked 5-8). They stepped up for their teammate Christine who had hit a hurdle in the trials and was a favorite to win the 100 hurdles but missed the finals. For the boys, Ammon came through in both of the hurdles on Saturday. He was not ranked in the top 8 in either event - and had something to prove. He finished 4th in the 110 and 6th in the 300 hurdles - scoring an unexpected, but huge, 8 points for us. Bailey Carling's first race of the day was very inspiring and kept our momentum going. She has been strong all year in the 100m - she really wanted this state title. When she was challenged in the middle of the race, you could see her determination as she found another gear and pulled ahead for the win and for her PR of 12.31 (Davis #2 all-time behind Sylvia). Seth Fortin also looked strong in the boys 100m - with a 3rd place finish - but even more impressive is Seth's toughness and faith. He has stayed as positive and strong as possible these past 4-5 weeks while dealing with back and hamstring trouble. He has been here for our TEAM when we have needed him - and he is always so willing to dig deep and do everything he can. Even when he is in pain - he finds a way to fight for his TEAM. He has been a rock for us for 3 years through his example and leadership. Both Bailey and Seth came back to anchor the next event - the 4 x 100m relay. As far as I know, we have never won the girls and the boys 4 x 100 relay in the same year, and it has been a long, long time since the boys have had a victory in the event. This was our year! Coach Parrish and Lauren had prepared them well, our handoffs had gotten better and better, and all 8 of them wanted it. Rachel, Elise, and Sarah ran a smooth race, but Bailey got the baton in 4th. She quickly passed the 2 runners closest to her, but kept it dramatic as she ran down the team from Lone Peak with only about 15 meters to go. Their time of 49.05 was our fastest of the year. The boys had to deal with the rain, but definitely kept their focus. In what I think was our strongest 4 x 100 of the year, Trevor, Chance, Marcus, and Seth ran away with it - leading from the start and finishing with 42.10 in less than ideal weather conditions. Trevor did not have much time to recover as he immediately had to get ready for a very challenging 400m. He didn't quite match his season best (47.95), but did come through strong with 48.19 - good enough for 3rd. Trevor also showed our TEAM's resilience as he has been unable to really push himself after tweaking his leg in the region 100m dash, and he showed great sportsmanship (as recognized in the Deseret News) in sincerely congratulating the 400m winner, Clay Lambourne from Riverton, whose sister had passed away from cancer earlier this week. Marcus also had a quick turn around and got himself ready for the long jump - an event where he has struggled through most of this year - even though he was state champion a year ago. With a HUGE group of Davis fans their to cheer him on, Marcus did it again - pulled off the victory when people may have counted him out. He told me after the long jump that he could not have done it without the love from his teammates - they helped him stay positive despite a knee injury that has really challenged him all year. In the girls 300m hurdles, Christine definitely wanted to show what she was made of. She ran a determined and gutsy race and left it all on the track and finished her hurdling career with a very well-deserved 1st place finish. It was so much sweeter after having missed the finals in the 100 hurdles. Christine has shown her perseverance and her ability to bounce back time and time again. Tyra also ran a very impressive PR of 46.55 (Davis #11 all-time) to finish a strong 7th place. The 800m was next. It has been one of our strongest events of the past few years - this state championship was no different. With all 4 of our national champion 4 x 800m relay team (and 2 other teammates) in the race - we were sure to finish strong. Shea pulled off her second individual threepeat of the day with a 2:09 1st place finish, she was followed by Taylor in 2:15 for 2nd, and Ellie in 2:19 for 4th. Kami ran a gutsy race to finish 6th and give us 26 points in the race - giving us an overall distance total of 58 points - almost enough to win the meet in just 3 events. Shea came back 30 minutes later to anchor our winning medley relay team. Libby, Hailee, and Rachel all ran tough to get her the baton right behind the leaders - and then Shea took over. Shea has this unbelievable ability to dig deep and find a way to run strong - even in her 3rd or 4th races. She graduates with nine first place track titles, 2 first place xc finishes, and 6 state rings. She has done a great job dealing with pressure, competing for her TEAM, and leading us to state titles. We picked up some very valuable points in the boys 800m as well. Boys distance running in Utah is so strong this year - that any points become valuable. Jackson ran strong for 4th, and Brayden showed us one last time his ability to run stronger and faster than I thought possible with a 1:56 PR in his 3rd race of the meet and final race of his Davis career. Brayden is another senior who has set the tone for us and has continually surprised me with his determination to finish races and dig deeper than anyone else in the race. Our boys medley relay kept the relay streak going with a great 1st place performance - it was not a relay we were expected to win, but momentum was definitely in our favor. Colton, Ty, and Robert did an outstanding job getting Alex the baton in position for the win. It was also Alex's 3rd race of the meet and final race for Davis on the track - and he did not disappoint. He stayed patient with the leaders and then unleashed a killer kick with 150 to go to pull away for the win. It was also a sweet victory for Alex in his final race of a great Davis career. I was so proud of him. We pretty much had it wrapped up at this point - but there was still some icing on the cake. Bailey's 200m was one of my favorite races of the meet - mostly because she emerged so late in the season as a great 200m runner. It was only 2 weeks ago at the BYU Invite that she finally broke 26.5 seconds and we decided to give it a shot at state. Her 25.16 in the finals was good enough for the victory - and would be 2nd on the Davis all-time list if it hadn't had a tailwind. It was awesome for Bailey to get 3 first place finishes after so much hard work. Seth Fortin found a way to finish his 6th race of the meet. He finished his Davis career with a strong 3rd place in the 200m. We had all been pretty worried about his hamstring, but Seth just took it one race at a time, and led us to victory. In our final field event of the meet, Ben and Sam both scored for us in the shot put. They have been another duo that has been so fun to watch. I don't know if I have ever seen two people want it so bad. They have been working incredibly hard for 3 years and have seen some BIG improvement. It is a true testament that hard work and determination pays off - and that two teammates and friends can accomplish so much more if they work together. Ben (who didn't even qualify a year ago) finished 3rd with a throw of 53'06, and Sam was 7th with 49'08. And in our final events of the meet - the 4 x 400s - we continued to roll. It would have probably been a lot more comfortable to cruise through the 4 x 400 with 8 tired athletes considering that we were well ahead of any team - but instead we ran our fastest 4 x 400s of the year. Taylor, Ellie, Christine, and Shea got a sweet victory (after barely getting 2nd in 2012) in 3:57, to finish off the Davis girls relay sweep; and Ryan, Jackson, Seth Thompson, and Trevor finished in 3:22 to place 2nd behind the state record holding Riverton team.
Also - Congratulations to our Academic All-State athletes - Hayden Hansen, Jackson Sagers, Alex Hedquist, Seth Thompson, and Libby Fowler. And Congratulations to Andrew Spilker - the winner of the Willy Cowdin Inspirational Athlete Award.
Thanks to all those who made this season so successful. First of all, the athletes - thanks for your sacrifices, your hard work, and your character. Thanks to all of our incredible coaches - we truly have the best coaching staff: Coach Parrish, Coach Lauren, Coach West, Coach Agnello, Coach Alayna, Coach Brad, Coach Timothy, Coach Thomas, Coach Katie and Coach Dan. They are all so selfless and are all such amazing people. Some day you will all realize how great you had it (if you haven't already). And thanks to our parents - we would not have so many great athletes without the influence, support, and patience of their parents.
Tuesday, May 21 - Davis District Championships (Junior High) - @ Davis - We are going to need a lot of help running the events (especially in the field events). Please stick around and help us out. It starts at 2:00pm. We will be setting up during track class.
Thursday, May 23 - Uniform Turn in - Please turn them in on this day - not before or after. Also - Please wash your uniforms before you turn them in. Anyone who does not turn in their uniforms will receive a $40 fine.
Thursday, May 30 - TEAM Barbecue/Banquet - 5:00pm
Friday, May 31 - Cross Country TEAM Meeting in room 2512 at 2:45. All runners who will be in grades 9-12 are invited. Please help us recruit!!
Girls Results
100m:
Bailey Carling - 1st - 12.31 - Davis #2 All-Time
200m:
Bailey Carling - 1st - 25.16 - PR (would be Davis #2 All-Time - but too much tailwind)
800m:
Shea Martinez - 1st - 2:09.33 - 3rd straight state title
Taylor Cox - 2nd - 2:15.52
Ellie Child - 4th - 2:19.80
Kami Dixon - 6th - 2:20.72
Hannah Albrechtsen - 10th - 2:22.35
Joanna Boyd - 11th - 2:22.94
1600m:
Shea Martinez - 1st - 4:55.69 - 3rd straight state title
Ellie Child - 2nd - 4:58.96 - 3rd straight time being all-state
Taylor Cox - 4th - 5:01.86
Hannah Albrechtsen - 9th - 5:07.78 - PR
Ashley Tyndall - 16th - 5:18.82
Joanna Boyd - 17th - 5:19.24
Kenzie Weir - 19th - 5:19.83
3200m:
Ellie Child - 2nd - 10:56.05
Kenzie Weir - 8th - 11:26.75
Ashley Tyndall - 9th - 11:30.12
Chelsey Johnson - 16th - 11:43.38
Sierra Graham - 17th - 11:43.72
Aimee Vance - 18th - 12:03.94
100 Hurdles:
Libby Fowler - 3rd - 15.40
Hailee Carattini - 5th - 15.45
Karly Sprague - 10th - 16.26
Christine Van Brocklin - 12th - 16.59 (hit a hurdle)
300 Hurdles:
Christine Van Brocklin - 1st - 44.65
Tyra Colohan - 7th - 46.55 - PR - Davis #11 All Time
Libby Fowler - 10th - 47.12
4 x 100m - 1st - 49.05 - Rachel Anderson, Elise Berning, Sarah Beecher, Bailey Carling
Medley Relay - 1st - 4:09.05 - Libby Fowler, Hailee Carattini, Rachel Anderson, Shea Martinez (Katie Frandsen in trials)
4 x 400m - 1st - 3:57.36 - Taylor Cox, Ellie Child, Christine Van Brocklin, Shea Martinez (Sadie Wells and Kami Dixon in trials)
Long Jump:
Camille Stringham - 10th - 15'04.75
High Jump:
Tanisha Langston - 7th - 5'01 - 3rd straight year scoring for the Darts in the High Jump
Shot Put:
Jessica Richardson - 3rd - 37'01
Kaylee Brown - 7th - 35'06 - PR
Meghan David - 10th - 33'02.50 (2nd best sophomore in the meet)
Discus:
Jessica Richardson - 1st - 130'04 - PR - Davis #5 All-Time
Kaylee Brown - 5th - 109'00
Javelin:
Kendall Sargent - 2nd - 123'06 - PR - Davis #7 All-Time
Natalie Mecham - 12th - 99'06
Team Scores:
1. 161.5 Davis - Most points we have ever scored in a state meet
2. 71 Bingham
3. 60 Fremont
4. 52 Riverton
5. 46.5 Copper Hills
6. 38 Viewmont
7. 36.5 Weber
Boys Results
100m:
Seth Fortin - 3rd - 11.00
200m:
Seth Fortin - 3rd - 21.96
Trevor Leavitt - 11th - 22.73
400m:
Trevor Leavitt - 3rd - 48.19
800m:
Jackson Sagers - 4th - 1:56.11
Brayden Cromar - 6th - 1:56.57 - PR
Ryan Lee - 8th - 1:57.59
Seth Thompson - 10th - 1:58.07
Preston Johnson - 13th - 2:00.34
Skylar Williams - 17th - 2:06.96
1600m:
Preston Johnson - 4th - 4:20.78 - PR
Alex Hedquist - 5th - 4:21.37 - Season Best
Brayden Cromar - 6th - 4:22.34
Sam Haws - 11th - 4:26.02 - PR
Andrew Aposhian - 12th - 4:26.75
Stokton Smith - 15th - 4:29.82
Skylar Williams - 22nd - 4:39.15
3200m:
Brayden Cromar - 6th - 9:29.45 - Season Best
Andrew Aposhian - 8th - 9:31.68
Preston Johnson - 9th - 9:36.42
Alex Hedquist - 10th - 9:43.96
Stokton Smith - 14th - 9:51.68
Josh Ward - 18th - 10:08.85
110m Hurdles:
Ammon Hanks - 4th - 15.55 (originally seeded 10th)
300m Hurdles:
Ammon Hanks - 6th - 40.87
4 x 100m - 1st - 42.10 - Trevor Leavitt, Chance Parker, Marcus Daley, Seth Fortin - 1st Davis 4 x 100m team to win in over 10 years.
Medley Relay - 1st - 3:36.69 - Colton Chronister, Ty Hinds, Robert Thomas, Alex Hedquist (Sam Haws in Trials)
4 x 400m Relay - 2nd - 3:22.69 - Ryan Lee, Seth Thompson, Jackson Sagers, Trevor Leavitt (Robert Thomas in Trials)
Pole Vault:
Pole Vault:
Jordan Schraedel - 6th - 13'00
Trace Arbon - 8th - 12'06
High Jump:
Marcus Daley - 7th - 6'03
Andrew Schwemmer - 8th - 6'03
Ryan Boyd - 13th - 6'01
Long Jump:
Marcus Daley - 1st - 21'09.50
Shot Put:
Ben Bracken - 3rd - 53'06.50
Sam Matina - 7th - 49'08.75
Discus:
Ben Bracken - 2nd - 157'06
Javelin:
Jeff Whittaker - 3rd - 176'10 - Season Best
Team Scores
1. 117.5 Davis
2. 81 Riverton
3. 75.5 Alta
4. 57 Jordan
5. 55 Bingham
6. 44 Syracuse
7. 41.5 Weber
8. 38 Layton
8. 38 American Fork
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