Canyon Springs boys, Palo Verde girls win 4A track titles
The Canyon Springs boys and Palo Verde girls won Class 4A state track and field championships Saturday at Liberty High.
Canyon Springs scored 129 points to beat Shadow Ridge by 20. Palo Verde edged Shadow Ridge 152-144.
“I’m going to refer to (the movie) ‘Anchorman.’ I was a basket case of emotions the whole day,” Palo Verde coach Nick Meis said. “My stomach is finally unknotting itself. It was just nerves all day.”
Canyon Springs did most of its damage in five events. The Pioneers scored 23 points apiece in the 100- and 400-meter dash and 18 apiece in the 200 dash and the 110 and 300 hurdles.
Jamarion Stubbs won the 100 (10.62), 200 (21.77) and 400 (50.48), with teammate Tevin Howerton finishing second in all three. Stubbs and Howerton also led Canyon Springs, along with Chase Dexter and Jesse Stark, to the 4×100 relay championship in 42.50.
Canyon Springs coach Michael Dexter said Saturday was a full-circle moment, as he coached two of his sons to state championships 40 years after winning one as an athlete with Clark in 1982.
“Last year we had seven athletes. This year we had about 30,” Dexter said. “We got in the weight room, and the guys bought into the program. My hurdle coaches and throwing coaches, I let them do their job, we put it together and we have a state championship.”
Foothill’s Nathan Carlin won two state championships in the 1,600 (4:18.14) and 3,200 (10:29.54), and Legacy’s Raekwon won the long jump (22-05.00) and triple jump (46-04.00).
Palo Verde scored in 16 of 18 events, and 22 of its points came from the 1,600, where Claire Killpack won in 5:9.31 and Liliana Devora was second in 5:36.00. Tia Brown also helped the Panthers’ cause by winning the 100 hurdles in 15.53 and 300 hurdles in 45.65.
“The 1,600 stepped up huge, and what set the tone for us was Tia winning the 100 hurdles,” Meis said.
Canyon Springs’ Jasmine Davis won three gold medals on the girls side, claiming the 200 (25.50), 400 (57.69) and long jump (16-08.25).
Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.