PROVO—Powered by its strong running contingent, the Viewmont High boys team captured the 5A Utah state track and field championships held at BYU last weekend. The Vikings easily outdistanced second-place Timpview, finishing with a team score of 84 to the T-Birds’ 55.5. Woods Cross boys tied for eighth with Bonneville at 40 points.

 The Vikings did it with strong performances in the 3200 meters (four of the top seven finalists), and two relay events. It came from a strong distance running program that narrowly missed the state 5A cross country title last fall, finishing just behind Taylorsville.

All five Davis Journal area schools had medalists on the BYU track, with several state champions among them. First, let’s talk about Viewmont.

Senior Hayden Arbuckle led the gold rush in the 3200 meters, taking first in a time of 9:07.86. Senior teammates Ben Hyde (fifth), Talmage Bruschke (sixth) and Peter Gehring (seventh) also medaled in that event. Bruschke, Arbuckle and Hyde also placed third through fifth in the 1600 meters.

Viewmont also won both the 4X400 and 4X800 relays. In the first race, juniors Jordan Jensen and Thomas MacKay teamed with Gehring and senior Spencer Lewis to win in a time of 3:16.41. In the 800 meter relay, it was Hayden Arbuckle, Bruschke, Hyde and senior Bryce Arbuckle breaking the tape at 7:42.55, and the rout was on.

“We were well prepared going to state,” said Viewmont distance coach Trent Hooper. “Everyone was healthy and we were successful in qualifying events. We felt going into it that Timpview would be our biggest competitor and it was.”

He said the Vikings relay teams ran the top distance races in school history. Coach Tom Harris’ team “was very bonded and the runners worked hard throughout the winter,” Hooper said. It was the first state track title for Viewmont since 2004. The school also won state in 1996. 

Other Viking medalists included junior Jordan Jensen (third) and senior Ace Brown (fifth) in the 400 meters, Hyde (second) and Bruschke (seventh) in the 800 meters, and Brown third in the 300 hurdles and fifth in the long jump.

There were two other state champs among the 5A boys, as Bountiful senior Isacc Wilkey won the long jump at 21-07, and Woods Cross senior McCaffrey Smith won the shot put at 52-00. Smith also medaled in the discus (sixth).

Medalists in 5A boys also included Woods Cross senior Grant Nelson (eighth in 200 meters and seventh in 400 meters), Woods Cross senior Nathan Webb (sixth in 110 hurdles), Woods Cross senior Rory Violette (fourth in high jump), and Woods Cross senior Ezra Groat (fourth in javelin).

Viewmont senior Lexi Toronto raced to third place finishes in both the 400 and 800 meters. Photo courtesy of Viewmont High School

 Bountiful High senior and BYU bound Mae Johnson won the 5A girls high jump with a leap of 5-9. She was the only local state champion in the 5A division. Woods Cross senior McCall Preston was fifth.

Other 5A girl medalists included Woods Cross junior Sabrina Hubbel, third in the 100 meters; Viewmont senior Lexi Toronto, third in the 400 and 800 meters; Woods Cross senior Kira DeVries and junior junior Brie Nydegger, sixth and seventh in the 800 meters; and Viewmont senior Margaret Jeppeson, eighth in the 800 meters.

Woods Cross senior Katie Hansen concluded her great high school career with an eighth place finish in the 1600 meters. Viewmont junior Kirra Singley medaled in the 100 hurdles with a fifth place finish. The Lady Vikes placed sixth as a team, the highest finish in school history at state track.

In 6A boys, Davis finished eighth in team scoring. The Darts had a state champion in senior Caleb Flint, who took first in the 300 hurdles in a time of 37.16. He also took second in the 110 hurdles. Farmington junior Kyle Greenwood took eighth in the 110 hurdles. Davis sophomore Johnny Parker took seventh in the discus. Davis sophomore Joshua Conlin and Farmington senior Logan Allen placed seventh and eighth in the pole vault.

Davis also finished eighth in girls’ team scoring. There were no local state champs in 6A girls, but Davis senior Aubree Hardy medaled in the 100 meters (sixth) and 200 meters (fourth). Davis junior Sienna Holje was fourth in the 400 meters, and Davis sophomore Lydia Tarbet was fourth in the 300 hurdles. Davis senior Ellie Pitcher medaled at sixth in the javelin.

Farmington had medalists in the high jump from senior Aubrey Dallas (sixth) and sophomore Isabella Tolman (eighth), and junior Paige Baxter of Farmington medaled in third in the pole vault.