ARIZONA STATE MEET

Five state records fall at inaugural Open finals, including Mathews improving own 800 mark and contributing to 4x800 relay all-time best for boys champion Red Mountain; Littlewood caps return from foot injury with memorable long jump effort for girls winner Queen Creek, Prince twice lowers girls 300 hurdles standard, Davis fastest in boys 400

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Arizona crowned Open state track and field champions May 12-13 at Mesa Community College, and the inaugural boys and girls team winners both had all-time performances contributing to their victories.

Junior Tyler Mathews not only lowered the state record in the 800 meters, in addition to contributing to an all-time Arizona prep performance in the 4x800-meter relay, leading Red Mountain to the boys team title with 45 points.

Desert Vista, led by javelin champion Hayden Gorovitz, was runner-up with 41 points and Mountain View Mesa took third with 37 points.

Senior Catherine Littlewood produced the state long jump record for Queen Creek, which prevailed with 56 points, holding off Highland with 52 points and third-place Hamilton with 51 points.

There were a total of five Arizona all-time prep marks achieved at the meet, along with Saira Prince of Williams Field in the girls 300-meter hurdles and Jayden Davis of Mountain Pointe in the boys 400.

Littlewood produced a wind-legal performance of 20 feet, 7 inches (6.27m), surpassing the 2018 mark of 20-6.75 (6.26m) achieved by Jai Gruenwald of Chandler High in the Division 1 state final.

Littlewood, who returned to competition April 26 after recovering from surgery to repair a Jones’ fracture in her foot, also took third in the 400 meters in 57.12 seconds, along with finishing fourth in the 100 hurdles in 14.25 and contributing to a fourth-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay in 47.49 seconds.

Viann Vanderwall secured second in the triple jump final with a personal-best 38-10.75 (11.86m), in addition to clearing 5-4 (1.63m) in the high jump for Queen Creek, which also had Jade Berry place second in the javelin with a 142-8 (43.48m) performance and Nicole Ripperdan grab fourth in the 800 at 2:15.35.

Chloe Bingham also scored in the high jump with a 5-2 (1.57m) clearance and Alexis Dellamonica achieved a throw of 119-10 (36.54m), both earning eighth-place finishes.

The Bulldogs also finished sixth in the 4x800 relay in 9:35.43.

Mathews clocked 1:48.72 in the 800 final to lower his 1:49.32 mark from April 8 at the 55th Arcadia Invitational, in addition to joining William Bergman, Roman Smith and Matthew Hamilton to run 7:41.40 in the 4x800 championship race, eclipsing the 2019 record of 7:42.16 achieved by Highland.

Mathews doubled by also capturing the 1,600 title in 4:12.11, Trystan Gillis took third in the discus with a 165-3 (50.36m) effort, Hamilton also finished fourth in the 800 final in 1:52.49, Cole Rowley secured seventh in the 110 hurdles in 14.82, Joey Brinkerhoff cleared 14-6 (4.42m) to earn eighth in the pole vault and the Mountain Lions were also eighth in the 4x400 in 3:20.63.

Gorovitz, already the state record holder in the javelin at 221-8 (67.56m), won the title with a mark of 203-5 (62.01m).

Davis lowered his own 400 all-time state mark from 46.37 in the Division 2 final May 5 to clock 46.25 in the Open championship.

Prince, who false started in the 100-meter hurdles prelims, rebounded to win the state title in the 300 hurdles in a state-record 40.90 after clocking 41.08 in the semifinals.

Blaise Nelson from Valley Vista swept the boys 100 and 200 titles in 10.70 and 21.30, respectively.

Brandon Martz of Catalina Foothills edged Hamilton’s Andrew Gibby in the 3,200 final by a 9:16.84 to 9:16.90 margin.

Kawai King of American Leadership Queen Creek prevailed in the 110 hurdles in 14.11, with Gilbert’s Vance Nilsson winning the 300 hurdles in 37.82 after finishing second in the 110 hurdles in 14.20.

Ben Currence of Sandra Day O’Connor clocked 37.74 in the 300 hurdles prelims, but did not compete in the final.

Nathaniel Curtiss of Rincon University triumphed in the high jump based on fewer attempts after he and Anthony Meng of Chaparral both cleared 6-8 (2.03m).

Brennen McHenry of Brophy Prep, who was fifth in the high jump at 6-6 (1.98m), won the long jump at 24-10.25 (7.58m).

Prescott’s Jack Mason, runner-up in the long jump at 23-9 (7.24m), won the triple jump crown with a mark of 47-0.50 (14.34m).

Highland’s Zach Bingham cleared 16-6 (5.03m) to grab the pole vault title.

Drayden Allen of Lee Williams produced a shot put mark of 59-5 (18.11m) to win the championship, in addition to placing second in the discus with a throw of 167-9 (51.13m).

Flowing Wells’ Richard Legarra triumphed in the discus with a 175-4 (53.45m) throw.

West Point and Chandler were both timed in 40.93 in the 4x100 relay, with Gilbert prevailing in the 4x400 relay in 3:15.89, just ahead of Basha in 3:16.32.

Chandler swept the girls 4x100 and 4x400 titles in 46.50 and 3:51.75, respectively, with Highland taking the 4x800 title in 9:02.31, the No. 2 performance in state history.

Cesar Chavez freshman Mayen Usoro won the 100 title in 11.68 and placed second in the 200 final, edged by J’Neya Hill of North Canyon by a 23.74 to 23.87 margin.

Lea Spindell of Campo Verde secured the 400 crown in 55.07 after running 54.94 in the prelims.

Pinnacle’s Gabriella Chiara prevailed in the 800 final in 2:10.21.

Millennium’s Landen LeBlond won the 1,600 crown in 4:55.00, ahead of Valley Christian’s Lauren Ping (4:58.14), who won the 3,200 championship in 10:34.16.

Following the false start by Prince, Hamilton’s Kori Martin triumphed in 13.61 in the 100 hurdles for No. 3 in Arizona prep history, in addition to placing second in the 300 hurdles in 43.06 and finishing fourth in the 100-meter dash in 12.02.

Basha’s Gabriella Garcia produced a throw of 152 feet (46.34m) to win the javelin crown.

Chaparral’s Clare Palin prevailed in the triple jump with a mark of 39-5.25 (12.02m), along with finishing second in the long jump at 19-4.75 (5.91m).

McClintock’s Isabell Green edged Desert Vista’s Janiya Ross on fewer attempts in the high jump after both athletes cleared 5-6 (1.68m).

Miyah Verse of Mountain Ridge won the discus championship with a throw of 135-11 (41.44m).

Sydnee Finch from Round Valley produced a mark of 43-3.50 (13.19m) to triumph in the shot put.

Hamilton’s Madisyn Williams cleared 12 feet (3.66m) in the pole vault.

Open Team Champions

Red Mountain boys 45 points, Queen Creek girls 56 points  RESULTS

Divisional Team Champions

Division 1 - Mountain View Mesa boys 81.5 points, Highland girls 92 points   RESULTS

Division 2 - Mountain Pointe boys 86 points, North Canyon girls 88 points   RESULTS

Division 3 - Salpointe Catholic boys 82 points, Salpointe Catholic girls 92.5 points   RESULTS

Division 4 - Snowflake boys 92.5 points, Snowflake girls 119 points   RESULTS

Division 5 - Chandler Prep boys/Round Valley boys 76 points, Glendale Prep girls 82 points   RESULTS