OREM — Exactly how does an athletic program go from a relative unknown to a powerhouse?
"It's just hard work," said Timpanogos head track coach Jody Benson. "There is no substitute for hard work."
Benson and his crew are proof of the adage and are reaping the benefits this season. In just a few short years, the Timpanogos boys track team has turned into a legitimate competitor for the state championship. Large credit is due to the sprinters of the squad, who have helped put Timpanogos on the Utah track and field map.
"The kids are out here every single day, and they want me to work them harder," Benson said. "They want to do their best, and they just take everything we can give them."
That work ethic, coupled with added coaching, has Timpanogos' sprint crew crowding out all others at the top of the state rankings. Currently the T-wolves hold the state's top time in the medley relay and the 4x400 relay. Both marks should improve through the season, inching closer to the state records. And all that comes after Timpanogos broke the 10-year-old state record in the indoor 4x400 earlier this year.
"Success breeds success" Benson said. "The 4x400 team did so well during indoor, and that's just continuing out here. These guys see each other out there, and they're always pulling for each other. They work together in a positive way."
Working together is a strong point for this group, making it difficult to choose just one headliner. Benson and sprints coach Tony Glover enjoy a host of talented sprinters in almost every event.
Junior Silas Pimentel is among the leaders, as he holds the state's top times in the 100- and 200-meter sprints. Pimentel is also an integral part of the relay teams, providing the extra kick not available on other squads. Pimentel also adds points for the T-wolves in the field events, as he has already qualified for the state meet in the long jump.
"Silas has been great for us," said Benson. "He's got such great speed, people really look up to him. We're working on getting his long jump a little better. He's already qualified, but we want to see if we can get him placed a little higher."
Next in line are Steve Hart and Chris Bringhurst. Bringhurst tops the state this year in the 400 meters, clocking in a time of 49.79 seconds. He also ranks second in the 800 with a 1:57.97, run at the Utah County Invitational.
Bringhurst and Hart both rank high on the 200-meter list, and Hart holds the state's third-fastest time in the 400. After a slight hamstring pull suffered at the Utah County Invitational, Hart hopes to return in time for the BYU Invitational in early May.
Teammate Jon Oliver also ranks in the top 10 in the 400 meters, separated from his teammates by less than a second. Oliver has also run in the 800 and is a key component to Timpanogos' relay teams. Austin Henrie scores well in the hurdles to add even more depth to an already loaded squad.
"I love to see guys like Jon Oliver and Austin Henrie, who were basically nobodies a year ago," said Benson. "They were on our relays, but they were pretty much unknown. And now they're some of the best in the state."
While Benson already has an impressive crew qualified and ready for the state meet, he looks to benefit from the added depth of runners like Tarnue Ali, Ryan Sandberg, and Brandon Davies.
"Some of our guys can run anything from the 100 to the 800," Benson said. "It makes it tough sometimes to decide where they are going to run. Right now we're just trying to get as many guys qualified for state as we can. If along the way we score some points and win some meets, that's good."
Winning looks like a real possibility for the T-wolves as they prepare for the second half of the season and head into the championship meets. Benson is confident that his athletes are preparing well and have their eyes on the goal.
"I try to train my guys to run four events, every meet," Benson said. "Because at state, that's what you're going to do: run four events, two days in a row.
"We've been doing a lot more endurance, and it's paying off. We want our guys to not just qualify for finals (at state), but to place well once they get there."