PROVO -- The first day of the Utah State Track and Field Championships played out like a fairytale for top of Utah athletes, providing storybook happy endings.
For Roy's Sam Morris, her happy ending came with a bound, bound, spriiiiiiint, and jump -- and 17-feet, 7-inches later Morris was once again atop the podium as the state 5-A long jump champion.
She's been there before, as a sophomore, but last year Morris wasn't anywhere near the podium. Instead she was wearing a cast and recovering from an ankle broken in two spots.
"My goal was to win all three years--that went out the window," said Morris. "This one (the championship) felt better. It was kind of like I was reclaiming what I missed my junior year."
Morris soared into the winning jump once in the trials and again in her final jump of the day.
"It feels good to get it. It was really close, and that was motivation to know that someone was right behind you so you know you've got to push it," she said "I set my goal coming into it, and I didn't want to settle for less."
Besides winning the state championship Morris also ran the first leg of Roy's 4x100 relay (they were 10th and top nine make finals) and a 200 in Roy's medley relay, which qualified for finals today by placing fourth.
Ben Johnson's state meet story hinged on a shoe. Johnson, a thrower from Fremont, wore two different shoes during his discus throws. The effect garnered him a first place with a throw of 161-0.25.
"I thought I would give it a try," said Johnson of the shoes. "On my left foot it's more for grip so I get a better push off the back. My right foot is very slick so my half spin is really quick."
Right behind Johnson was Syracuse's Aaron Hill (160-4.5) and Northridge's Skyller Whitney (143-0.5).
Other field event finals that were contested Friday where top of Utah athletes excelled included the girls 4-A long jump with Box Elder's Kylie Cottle placing second (17-3.25); the boys 4-A discus with Logan's Billy Phillips winning (158-11) and Box Elder's Chris Johnson placing second (150-6.25); the girls 3-A javelin with Morgan's Becca Rees placing third (112-9); the girls 5-A javelin with Davis's Tara Timothy placing second (112-5); the boys 5-A pole vault with Fremont's Jeff Diamond placing third (13-6); and finally the boys 3-A high jump with Bear River's James Taylor placing second (6-4) and Morgan's Casey Evans placing third (6-4).
In the running events, only the 1,600 meter races in all classifications and the 1A-3A medley relays were finals Friday.
In the 3-A boys 1,600, Ben Lomond's Dalton Zundel was almost denied his happy ending. He led the first lap and then tucked in behind Juab's Josh Richins until the last 200 meters, when he blew by Richins to run a winning 4:29.39.
Then like a bad twist in a good story, Zundel was disqualified for an illegal undergarment. His white spandex appeared to have gray stitching and the rule book says undergarments must be one color. Upon closer inspection however, the stitching proved to be the same color, just a different material, said an official. They called back the medals and Zundel was able to stand atop the podium.
"I finally performed well at state," said Zundel. "I had to sprint as fast as I could for as long as I could so I could come out on top."
Zundel's father went out and bought him a different pair of spandex and today he'll be wearing them as he competes for the title in the 3200 and the 800.
For her "once upon a time," Ogden's Avery Calton continued a tremendous freshman year by outsprinting Mountain View's Kelsey Brown in the final meters of the 4A 1600 to win in 5:02.39 to Brown's 5:02.76.
"At the last 400 she (Brown) took off and part of me said in my head, 'This is state. I have to catch her.' At the 100 I caught her," said Calton. "It's kind of surreal."
In the 5-A girls 1,600, Davis' Jessica Wilding had a sprint off with American Fork's Danielle West, and Wilding came out on top running a 5:10.93 to take the title.
"When Danielle from American Fork came up sprinting to the finish it was really fun," said Wilding, who will also be running the 800 and 3,200 today. Syracuse's Hannah William was third, running a 5:12.56.
Continuing a top of Utah distance conglomerate, St. Joseph's Alex Shaw and Andrea Chavez outpaced Monticello's Macce Nielson to go 1-2 in the 1-A 1,600. Nielson pushed the pace early on, but Shaw, and then Chavez, passed with 200 to go.
"At the 200 I thought, 'I've got to change up gears and keep pushing.' I dug it from within and said, 'It's all hurt,'" said Shaw. Her winning time was 5:22.42 to Chavez's 5:26.75.
Chavez also anchored the St. Joseph medley relay team of Rebecca Maurice, Jackie Bafford and Colleen Cilwick to a first place 4:21.56.
In the 1-A boys 1,600, Daniel Philpot ran 4:39.53 to become the state champion.
Team wise, St. Joseph looks to be in the hunt with both the boys' and girls' teams. After 4 events St. Joseph's girls are 7 points ahead while the boys are one point ahead.
Box Elder sits atop the boy's 4A team scores and is third in the 4A girl's scores with Ogden fifth. While Davis boys are currently sitting in seventh in the 5-A scores, they and Riverton have qualified through enough athletes that today's final scores will be close as both teams vie for the championship.
Davis girls are second right now in the 5-A team standings, with Viewmont third and Roy fourth.
The meet starts tomorrow at 8 a.m. at the BYU track.
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