The Red Devils reclaimed the UHSAA Utah State 2A Track and Field Championship on Saturday, May 17, besting the rest of the field by 32 points in the two-day event at BYU for their third team championship in four years.
Senior Jacob Francis had a hand in 33 of the Red Devils’ 104 points as he reclaimed his individual titles from two years ago in the 1600 and 3200-meter races, while also placing fourth in the 800 and running the 800-leg of in the medley relay, in which the Red Devils placed second. Francis broke his own school record and personal best time in the 1600 at 4:25.41, falling just shy of the 28-year-old state record. He ran a 9:53.65 in the 3200. In the medley, senior Andy Bathemess ran the first 200 meters, junior Mason Tranter ran the next 200, senior Jordan Bryant ran the 400 and Francis ran the 800, finishing with a final time of 3:39.01; after winning the 1600 and 3200 as a sophomore in 2012, Francis missed the 2013 state meet because of a foot injury.
Bathemess went out with a bang to end his high school career as well, winning the elusive 300-meter hurdles title at 39.84 seconds, teaming up with Bryant, Tranter and senior Wade Kemmsies for a first-place and school-record 3:28.95 in the 4×400-meter relay and placing fifth in the 110-meter hurdles at 15.82.
Kemmsies, who all year has played leap frog with Bathemess as top Devil in the hurdle events, placed third in the 110-hurdles at 15.65 and sixth in the 300-hurdles at 42.14. Kemmsies also took fourth in the 400-meter race at 50.88. Bryant also scored points in both hurdle events, placing second in the 300-hurdles at 40.66 and sixth in the 110-hurdles at 16.25.
Tranter and senior Jackson Knowles also scored points in the 800-meters for the Red Devils, as Knowles placed seventh at 2:03.27 and Tranter took eighth at 2:03.61. Knowles narrowly missed scoring in the 1600, placing ninth at 4:43.88
Seniors David Bentley and Edgar Gomez and junior Richie Cordero contributed to the Red Devils’ final score by placing in the top eight in their field events. Cordero placed second in the javelin at 157 feet, 11.25 inches. Bentley placed fifth in the shot put (43 feet, 4.75 inches) and eighth in the discus (121 feet) while Gomez placed sixth in the both the shot put (43 feet, 3.25 inches) and discus (122 feet, 1.25 inches).
The Lady Red Devils collected 48.5 points on their way to sixth place, led by a 1-2 finish in the discus by outgoing seniors Madi Stocks and Kayeley Wells, who threw 102 feet, 6.5 inches and 99 feet, 3.25 inches, respectively. Sophomore Britnee Lewis placed sixth in the event at 85 feet, 3.5 inches.
Grand collected an additional 13.5 points in the other field events as senior Tiffanie Whipple placed second in the long jump (17 feet, 4.75 inches), and junior Kasey Betts tied for third in the high jump (5 feet, 1 inch).
Senior Mercedes James scored in three events, placing fourth in the 3200 (12:09.34) and fifth in the 1600 (5:35.92), while joining senior Haley Rice, sophomore Kwincey Wells and freshman Megan Pfinister to take eighth in the medley relay (4:35.17). She also placed ninth in the 800 (2:31.23).
Whipple scored in two running events to go along with her second-place in the long jump as she placed seventh in the 100-hurdles at 17.11 and joined Rice, Kwincey Wells and senior Malina Bohannon to place eighth in the 4×100-meters at 52.91. The quartet of Pfinister, Hannah Rice, Mandolin Wilkinson and Lauren Drake placed eighth in the 4×400 meters at 4:41.33
Seniors pave the way to third title in four years
