PROVO — As it has been doing all season, the weather took a starring role at the Utah State Track and Field Championships.
But, as Riverton head coach Mike Hutchings pointed out, it's a challenge all teams must deal with.
"When I saw what the weather was going to be like, I just said, 'Here we go again,'" he said. "It's hard, but everyone has to go through the same thing."
Hutchings' boys team sits in third after the first day with 14 points. They trail Davis (22 points) and American Fork (20) in the 5A standings.
American Fork's Austin West and Clayton Young teamed up in the 1,600 meters race to help their team's cause by finishing first and third, respectively.
Davis did well in the same event, with Brad Nye running second and teammate Austin Neuner finishing fourth.
In the 1A 1,600 meters, St. Joseph and Rich flexed their muscles. St. Joseph's Daniel Philpot and Sam Weil were first and fourth, respectively, while Rich's Austin Groll and Vance Weston finished second and third, respectively.
In the 1A high jump, Monticello's Dallin Duncan had good showings, placing first and third, respectively. Duchesne's Braiden Despain was second.
St. Joseph is at the top of the 1A standings with 24.5 points. Duchesne is second with 23 points, and Monticello and Rich are tied for third with 22 points each.
Sky View's Anthony Israelson and Jalen Moore showed strong in the 4A high jump, with Israelson winning the event and Moore finishing tied for second with Maple Mountain's Lance Merrell.
In the 4A team standings, Sky View is tied for first place with Box Elder, both with 20 points. Maple Mountain is in third with 13 points.
In the 3A medley relay, the Wasatch team edged the Cedar squad.
Hurricane's Brian Scott easily beat the field in the 3A discus with a toss of 144 feet, 1 1/4 inches. Scott's was part of a strong Day 1 effort that put his team atop the 3A team standings with 27.5 points. Park City is second (16 points) with Desert Hills and Richfield tied for third with 15 points apiece.
Grand County's Kevin Ballard won the 2A discus, while teammate Tyler Rockwell finished in third. Seth Moses of San Juan was second.
Grand County has a comfortable lead in the 2A standings, scoring 35 points already. Parowan is in second with 19 points, while North Summit and San Juan are in third with 18 points each.
Davis head coach Corbin Talley is happy with how his team performed during the first day.
"We've had a few ups and downs, but we got done what we wanted to for the most part."
Hutchings feels like his team can make a significant move during today's events.
"That's when we should get a lot of our points, in the sprints, so we're feeling good about where we are," he said.