Grand County High School incoming freshman Collin Randall was one of several Moab athletes who competed in track and field events at the Utah Summer Games in Cedar City on Friday and Saturday, June 22 and 23, placing third in the 13-and-14-year-old age group in both the 100-meter race (13.14) and the high jump (4 feet, 6 inches).
Randall also placed fourth in the 13-14 200-meter race at 27.40.
It was Randall’s first time ever competing in a track meet after some of his friends, had previously done it, his mother Tara Wilder said.
Randall plans to play basketball and baseball, and to run track and field in high school. In addition to competing in track at the Summer Games, Randall is in the middle of summer baseball season and played with the Grand County High School basketball team at the Rumble in the Jungle in Cortez earlier this month. Randall said he has lots of family support in pursuit of his athletic goals.
“My parents support all of my sports and come to every game,” Randall said, adding that his grandma Randall also comes to all of his sporting events. “My dad coaches me and my mom supports me in everything I do. My mom encouraged me to be healthy and to work hard.”
In baseball, Randall pitches and catches when he’s not pitching. He plans to run sprinting and relay events at the high school level. His brother, AJ Davis, was a decorated athlete at Grand County High School, graduating in 2011.
Siblings Trace and Peyton York also competed at the Utah Summer Games in track and field. Trace York won the 11-12 boys shot put with a 28-foot, 5-inch throw, and the 11-12 boys discus with a 53-foot, 4.75-inch throw.
He also placed eighth in the 11-12 boys long jump at 10 feet, 2 inches and ninth in the 11-12 100-meter race at 16.11. Sister Peyton competed in four events, taking first in the 9-10 girls shot put, sixth in the 9-10 200-meters at 40.40, eighth in the 9-10 100-meters at 18.10 and 10th in the 9-10 girls long jump at 7 feet, 8.5 inches.
Seventy-five-year-old Andy Pitas and his wife, 76-year-old Wendy Dickson, competed at the USGs for the 27th straight year, each running the 100-meter race. Pitas ran a 16.92 and Dickson ran a 26.46. Pitas also performed a 9-foot, 2.5-inch leap in the long jump and Dickson also threw the discus 52 feet, 8.75 inches.
2014 GCHS graduate and current Southern Utah University track athlete Jacob Francis was part of the winning 4×400-meter relay group, collectively running a 3:32.07. Francis also placed third in the 19-29 Javelin at 125 feet, 8 inches.
The Utah Summer Games began in 1986. Approximately 10,000 athletes compete every year across all events. This year’s games ran from June 7 to 23 with the opening ceremony on June 14.
Local athletes haul assortment of medals from annual event
