Snow Canyon boys, Desert Hills girls win 4A track and field titles; other state meet highlights – St George News

PROVO — The Snow Canyon boys and the Desert Hills girls won the 4A state track and field championships Saturday at the Utah High School Activities Association’s state track meet in Provo.

Trevor Gough of Snow Canyon wins the 4A boys 300-meter hurdles, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

The meet, which attracted hundreds of top athletes from high schools in every part of the state and in all six classifications, was staged at its longtime home Brigham Young University for the first time since 2019.

With nearly ideal weather conditions prevailing throughout the day, a number of outstanding performances were seen across the board.

For Snow Canyon, it marked the school’s first-ever state title in boys track, just one year after the Warriors won their first girls state championship.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these athletes, who trusted us all season long,” said Snow Canyon head coach Justin Redfearn. “We have a lot of new faces this year and these athletes really stepped up.”

Redfearn said at one point early Saturday, the Warrior boys were in fifth place overall with just 24 team points, while 4A leader Desert Hills had 70 at the time.

“We had a ton of ground to make up and it was quite nerve-wracking,” he said.

Ultimately, the Warrior boys finished with 114.5 points to runner-up Pine View’s 90.

Desert Hills girls with 4A first-place trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Meanwhile, in the 4A girls meet, the Desert Hills Thunder held off a strong challenge from Cedar to win the title. Desert Hills finished with 105.5 points, while Cedar placed second with 100.

Making Desert Hills’ feat even more remarkable was the fact that the Thunder girls took first place in just one individual event, plus two relays. Freshman Lucy Harris, who won the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.52 seconds, was the only Desert Hills female athlete to stand solo atop the medals podium.

Nevertheless, in multiple cases, the Thunder were able to pick up as many points or even more than the winning team did in an event. For example, in the 100-meter dash, Snow Canyon senior Kristin Cook won the event and earned 10 points for the Warriors, but Desert Hills scored 13 in that same race, thanks to sophomore Drew Schwartz and junior Kooper Dennison placing second and fourth, respectively. 

Dennison also took fourth in the 200-meter dash, picking up five points in an event where Cedar didn’t have any finalists.

In another instance, even though Cedar senior Megan Robinson won the 300-meter hurdles, Desert Hills managed to match Cedar’s 13 total points in that race, with senior Madison George placing second and sophomore Ellie Hendrix taking fourth.

“We had multiple kids in most events, so that’s always super helpful,” Desert Hills girls coach Emily George told St. George News. “Also, having that kind of depth helps us be able to put really good relays together.”

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A girls 4×100 relay, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

The Desert Hills girls won both the 4×100 and 4×200 relays and placed fifth in the 4×400, thereby outscoring Cedar 24-10 in those three events.

George commended her athletes for their unselfish attitude.

“They really are a team,” she said. “They really support each other, they cheer each other on, and they’re happy for each other.”

In fact, George said she told one of her athletes that Desert Hills could possibly finish 1-2-3 in an upcoming event, whereupon the runner replied, “I know. I don’t really care who wins, I just want one of us to win.”

“That attitude really goes all the way through our team and I am so proud of them for that,” George added.

The win marked the third girls track state title for Desert Hills and its first since 2017.

Southern Utah schools were very well represented atop the medals podium throughout the day, Snow Canyon athletic director Conley Gali commented afterward.

Gali went on to mention one of the day’s most outstanding performances, the Canyon View girls’ record-breaking 4×400 relay.

Canyon View anchor Addy Pace crosses the finish line in a record-setting time of 3:55.83 in the 3A girls 4×400 relay, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Even though Canyon View has moved to the 3A classification and is no longer in the same region as Snow Canyon, Cedar and the rest of the Southern Utah 4A schools, Gali said the record-setting performance was amazing to watch, with the Lady Falcons winning by nearly 15 seconds.

“We were all cheering for them,” he said.

In that race toward the end of the day, Canyon View’s Harmony Lopez, Isabell Daynes, Gabriele Dabb and Addy Pace teamed up to break the state 3A record, posting a time of 3:55.83. The old 3A record, set by Cedar High, had stood since 1998.

Following are recaps and selected highlights of the state meet, with emphasis on Southern Utah schools. For complete meet results, click here.

4A boys

Among the athletes helping Snow Canyon to its first state title was junior Bo Hickman, whose fifth javelin throw measured 199 feet, 8.5 inches, the best mark across all classifications on Saturday, even though it was a few feet shy of his personal best, set at last year’s state meet.

Junior Bo Hickman of Snow Canyon competes in the 4A boys javelin, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Also for Snow Canyon, sophomore Owen Mackay won the high jump by clearing 6 feet, 4 inches. Also for the Warriors in that same event, Oliver Larsen took third and Matthew Leavitt tied for fourth.

“Our high jumpers wanted in on the action and they came through in a huge way,” Snow Canyon coach Redfearn said, adding that Larsen had been seeded 12th in the event.

Another Snow Canyon sophomore, Trevor Gough won the 300-meter hurdles and placed second in the 110 hurdles.

“Our hurdlers were amazing all weekend and they really helped set the tone for us in making our comeback,” Redfearn added. “Also, our sprinters and relays were solid and our distance runners really gutted it out to help us.”

Runner-up Pine View’s highlights included having five athletes place among the top eight in the shot put, led by senior Faagalu Aetonu, who won the event with a throw measuring 48 feet, 10.25 inches.

Also for Pine View, senior sprinter Marcus McKenzie won the only event he competed in, the 100-meter dash. McKenzie posted a time of 10.67 seconds, while Dixie junior Caidan Cooper placed second in that race with a time of 10.99. Cooper also took second in the 200-meter dash and helped the Flyers to a first-place finish in the 4×100 relay.

Meanwhile, senior Jackson McKone of Crimson Cliffs won the 110 hurdles and placed second in the 300 hurdles. Desert Hills senior Tyson Parker won the long jump with a mark of 21 feet, 11.75 inches. Brooks Barney of Deswert Hills won the 3200 and placed second in the 1600, finishing only behind junior teammate Christoper Boyer in the latter race. Also, Pine View sophomore Teancum Jenseon won the discus with a throw of 154 feet, 8 inches.

4A boys top five team results

  1. Snow Canyon, 114.5
  2. Pine View, 90
  3. Desert Hills, 87
  4. Cedar, 80
  5. Bear River, 77.5

4A girls 

In addition to the performances already mentioned in the introductory paragraphs above, state champion Desert Hills picked up nine points in the long jump, thanks to three athletes placing among the top eight. Basketball players Sa’de Turlington and Julia Jacobsen placed fourth and eighth, respectively, while fellow senior Madison Philips, who also danced on the drill team, took sixth for the Thunder.

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A girls long jump, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Taking second place in the long jump was Snow Canyon senior sprinter Kristin Cook, who also won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes at state for the second year in a row. Cook’s time in the 200 was a blazing 24.04, which would have shattered her own state record by a half-second if it hadn’t been for a +3.1 wind rating that precluded the mark from being officially legal.

“It’s just indescribable how good it feels right now,” Cook told St. George News after the race. “I’m just so proud of everyone that’s helped me and pushed me.”

Also for Snow Canyon, senior distance runner Hailee Phillips swept the 3200-, 1600- and 800-meter races. In the 3200, Phillips finished in 11:00.29, edging Cedar senior and reigning cross-country champion Carissa Hofeling by two seconds.

“Kristin and Hailee combined to score 64 of our 67.5 points,” Snow Canyon coach Redfearn noted, adding that Cook and Phillips have also collectively won nine individual events at state over the past two years.

“Overall, our Region 10 athletes were incredible,” Redfearn added. “It always amazes me how well the athletes in this region are prepared to compete at state.”

4A girls top five team results

  1. Desert Hills, 105.5
  2. Cedar, 100
  3. Pine View, 78
  4. Green Canyon, 73
  5. Snow Canyon, 67.5

1A boys and girls

The Panguitch Bobcats repeated as both boys and girls 1A state champions. 

Sophomore Tabetha Henrie of Panguitch finishes a race, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

The Panguitch girls finished with 161 team points to runner-up Milford’s 97. The boys’ meet was much closer, with Panguitch scoring 122 to Milford’s 114.

Nearly half the boys’ total points came in the three throwing events. Senior Kyler Bennett won the discus, javelin and shot put for the Bobcats, with junior teammate Tucker Chappell placing second in all three.

“We’re very glad that we have the field part of track,” said Panguitch head coach Troy Norris.  “Our hurdlers and relays also really came through.”

Meanwhile, the Panguitch girls were paced by junior distance runner Adelaide Englestead, who won the 3200-, 1600- and 800-meter races. She was joined by several other teammates who earned points in one or more events, including Tabetha Henrie, Kadee Harland, Kaelynn Cox, Kieran Mooney and Hailie Wilcox, just to name a few.

“Our girls placed in every event, kind of the opposite of the boys,” Norris added.

Highlights for the Milford boys included senior Blake Barnes taking first place in four events, namely the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles and the 200-meter and 400-meter races.

The shot put was a highlight for the Milford girls, with JaLeana Tsosie, NavVee Williams and Presley Willden sweeping the top three spots.

Additionally, the Bryce Valley boys saw a handful of winners, including Brock Syrett in the 3200-meter run, Miles Roberts in the 800, plus team wins in two relay events.

Saturday’s win marked the ninth consecutive state championship for the Lady Bobcats, dating back to 2013. The Panguitch boys have won seven state titles during that same span.

2A and 3A results

Millard High School won the 2A boys state track title, edging runner-up Kanab 111-103. Meanwhile, the Millard girls placed second with 113 points to champion North Summit’s 117.

In 3A girls, the Delta Rabbits repeated as champions, scoring 96 points. Morgan and Union tied for second with 88.5 points each, while Canyon View took fourth with 78. In 3A boys, Richfield won its first state title since 2013 with 100 points, while runner-up Morgan had 90.

Photo Gallery

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A girls long jump, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A boys shot put, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Parowan’s Brentlee Mineer wins the 2A girls 100-meter hurdles, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Milford athletes on medals podium following the 1A girls 100-meter hurdles, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A girls 100 hurdles, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Brock Barnes of Milford wins the 110-meter hurdles, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A boys 110-meter hurdles, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A girls 100-meter dash, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

The top five placers in the 1A boys 100-meter dash all finished within one-tenth of a second of each other, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Travis Stewart of Kanab wins the 2A boys 100-meter dash, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 1A boys 100-meter dash, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Dixie’s Caidan Cooper and Pine View’s Marcus McKenzie atop the podium of the 4A boys 100-meter dash, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Sophomore Tabetha Henrie of Panguitch finishes a race, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 2A girls discus, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A boys high jump, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Senior Dexten Draper of Crimson Cliffs competes in the 4A boys javelin, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Junior Bo Hickman of Snow Canyon competes in the 4A boys javelin, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Junior Bo Hickman of Snow Canyon looks at scoreboard showing the metric distance of his winning throw in the 4A boys javelin, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Megan Robinson of Cedar and others atop medals podium of 4A girls 300-meter hurdles, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Trevor Gough of Snow Canyon wins the 4A boys 300-meter hurdles, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 1A boys 300-meter hurdles, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Top three finishers in 4A boys javelin (L-R): Dexten Draper of Crimson Cliffs, winner Bo Hickman of Snow Canyon and Sawyer Woods of Pine View, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A boys 300 hurdles, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Adelaide Englestead of Panguitch competes in the 1A girls 800-meter run, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 1A girls 800-meter run, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Isabell Daynes of Canyon View and other racers start the 3A girls 800-meter run, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Isabell Daynes of Canyon View finishes first in the 3A girls 800-meter run, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Snow Canyon’s 4×100 girls relay team, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A girls 4×100 relay, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 1A boys 4×100 relay, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 4A boys 4×100 relay, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes on medals podium of the 2A boys 4×100 relay, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Kristin Cook of Snow Canyon wins the 4A girls 200-meter dash in a wind-aided time of 25.04 seconds, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Top three finishers in the 4A girls 200-meter dash (L-R): Arden LaFemina of Pine View, winner Kristin Cook of Snow Canyon, and Samiyah Jones of Crimson Cliffs, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Top eight finishers in the 4A girls 200-meter dash, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Top three finishers in the 1A boys 200-meter dash (L-R): Ethan Hansen of Altamont, winner Blake Barnes of Milford, and Klyn Fullmer of Panguitch, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Canyon View’s Addy Pace is all alone as she heads down the stretch toward the finish line of the 3A girls 4×400 relay, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Canyon View anchor Addy Pace crosses the finish line in a record-setting time of 3:55.83 in the 3A girls 4×400 relay, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Canyon View and Delta were the top two finishing teams in the 3A girls 4×400 relay, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes compete in the 4×400 relay toward the end of the state track meet, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes compete in the 4×400 relay toward the end of the state track meet, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes compete in the 4×400 relay toward the end of the state track meet, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes compete in the 4×400 relay toward the end of the state track meet, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes compete in the 4×400 relay toward the end of the state track meet, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Athletes compete in the 4×400 relay toward the end of the state track meet, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Milford girls with 1A runner-up trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Panguitch girls with 1A first-place trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Milford boys with 1A runner-up trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Panguitch boys with 1A first-place trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Kanab boys with 2A runner-up trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Millard boys with 2A first-place trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Cedar girls with 4A runner-up trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Desert Hills girls with 4A first-place trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Pine View boys with 4A runner-up trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Snow Canyon boys with 4A first-place trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Snow Canyon head coach Justin Redfearn hugs another coach as he celebrates his boys team’s 4A state title, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Desert Hills girls with 4A first-place trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Snow Canyon boys with 4A first-place trophy, Provo, Utah, May 21, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have two young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

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