SPANISH FORK — Perhaps track just runs in their genes.
Better yet, athletic talent sprints, hurdles and long jumps through the Stewart family, with Diane, Nachelle and Natalie leading the Spanish Fork girls track program.
While Diane, a junior, boasts the most experience in the trio after capturing six state track titles in the past two years, she has also helped her twin sisters quickly learn the ropes as freshmen, which could lead to three Stewarts competing at the state meet.
"Our season is going well," Diane said. "This season we hope to win the region title as a team, and my sisters and I hope to be good contenders at state."
As a freshman, Diane won the 4A title in the 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash while taking second in long jump. A year later, she again returned to the state meet to take three more gold medals in both of the girls hurdle events and the long jump, along with a fourth-place finish in the 200 meters.
With both a veteran and two promising athletes in his program, Spanish Fork head track coach Dave Boyack said he couldn't ask for more this year.
"They're good kids," he said. "They're very coachable and will do anything you ask. You couldn't ask for a better situation from a coaching standpoint."
If Nachelle and Natalie plan to follow Diane's lead, they are well on their way, as both have had numerous top finishes in the sprints for the Dons.
"They're close as sisters, and we've been excited with Diane's accomplishments," said Hali Stewart, the girls' mother. "We're pleased that the twins have been able to be successful. They just hope to do their very best."
In fact, Nachelle and Natalie recently took first and second place in the 100 meters, respectively, at the Mount Timpanogos Invitational a few weeks ago, and Natalie also took the gold in the 400.
Although the twins sometimes compete in the same events, Natalie says the 400 is her favorite race, while Nachelle favors the 200.
Despite running sprints like Diane, the twins have not tried hurdles yet. Because the Stewart girls are all competing at the varsity level, Diane hints that her sisters may be too competitive with her if she shares the secrets of winning her favorite event with them this season.
"I told them I'd teach them next year, so they can beat my records when I'm gone," Diane said.
Although the three push each other in practice, they also have combined their speed in some relay events this season, and both the twins and Diane said running relays together is the best part of their season.
With the three girls in several events almost every weekend this spring, track season can be busy, but this family has everything covered.
"You always have something to watch," Hali said. "We have a packing system every week for track meets. We take everything to the track, and we bring our stopwatches to time the girls."
In fact, the Stewart family has been involved with track for such a long time that Nachelle said she can't remember a time when she hasn't been around some kind of track meet.
The girls' older brother, Casey, started the tradition when he ran track at Spanish Fork before graduating last year. Boyack said Casey won the region championship in the 200 and the 400 and also set a precedent academically for his younger sisters.
"They're a very athletic family," Boyack said. "Casey was also academic all-state and was a 4.0 student. He could have run track in college, but he decided to concentrate on his studies. They're all outstanding students."
The Stewart siblings have contributed a lot to the Spanish Fork programs in the 9 1/2 years they have lived there. While Diane led the Dons girls' basketball and volleyball squads this year, Nachelle also played volleyball last fall, while Natalie competed in cross country. While all the Stewarts have enjoyed playing other sports, all three girls said track is by far their favorite sport and the one they have competed in the longest.
Growing up, all three girls competed in the Hershey's Track and Field Youth Program in Spanish Fork since third grade, and all have won a plethora of medals locally and at the North America Final Meet in Hershey, Pa. These years of experience have helped them develop their basic track skills.
"I think it was really important for us to do that," Natalie said. "That's where we learned how to do track. That's where I learned how to get in shape and be successful and competitive."
Nachelle has also competed at the USA Track and Field Region 10 Junior Olympic Championships at BYU last summer and won the 200 meters after running a 24.90 in the prelims.
Through all this track experience exposure, Lee and Hali Stewart found out their children inherited their athletic talent.
"We were fast at field days," Hali said, who went to Brigham Young High growing up. "I didn't participate in organized high school sports, but I think our kids got a little from both of us."
No matter where the Stewart trio got their talent from, one things remains the same: they must have the right DNA for track success.
"We got lucky," Diane said. "I guess we just got the right genes."