I’m just lucky. I’ve had amazing coaches. I think we have one of the best coaches in the state, and my teammates are amazing. We just have a lot of fun. We make it fun, so you don’t dread it as much. – Panguitch sprinter Whittni Orton
High school girls track: Final state meet results
PROVO — Sixth place never felt so good.
Herriman’s 4x400 relay team knew that a seventh-place finish or better in the last race of the state track and field meet on Saturday would clinch the Mustangs a fourth-straight state championship.
When Marlee Peterson received the baton for the anchor leg, she was in eighth place. She closed the gap over her 400 meters to secure the sixth-place finish and the team title.
“I got the baton in eighth place and I was like, ‘I cannot stop.’ I didn’t really let up, I kind of sprinted the whole way,” said Peterson, who ran a 55-second split. “I had never anchored until state, I’ve always been second leg, but they put me anchor and I’m glad they did. It worked out.”
Davis won the 4x400 to finish with 87 team points, but Herriman ended the meet with 88.5 points to continue its dynasty.
Along with Herriman, Orem (4A), Cedar (3A), North Summit (2A) and Panguitch (1A) captured team titles on Saturday.
Herriman's Kaysha Love won the 100 and 200 meters and also anchored the winning 4x100 relay team as she ended her decorated high school career. Sierra Freeland also won the shot put for the Mustangs.
Sky View’s Lauren Rawlinson turned in perhaps the most surprising performance of the meet. The fact the senior ran a 54.80 wasn’t necessarily surprising. The fact it was enough to beat Lone Peak’s Emily Ellis was a surprise.
Ellis had never lost a 400-meter race in Utah, but Rawlinson edged her 54.80 to 54.95.
“I knew if I could stick with her I would have a big chance on passing her, and I really wanted it, and I knew if I was with her I could get it,” said Rawlinson. “She’s a great runner and I respect her a lot. I’ve worked really hard for this.”
Bingham’s Whitney Rich backed up her 1,600-meter win on Friday with a dominant 3,200-meter win on Saturday with a state-best time of 10:39.01.
In 4A, Paige Young helped secure Orem’s state championship with a first-place finish in the 300 hurdles and a second-place finish in the 100 hurdles. Those points helped the Tigers finish with 71 points to pull away from Springville and Box Elder, who tied for second with 54 points.
Toward the end of the meet, Eden Richards mathematically clinched the title with a second-place finish in the high jump as her teammates rooted her on from the sideline.
In 3A, Cedar won five of 16 events to finish with 135 points as it held off second-place Desert Hills, which finished with 109 points.
Cedar’s Whitney Yardley won the 800 meters with a time of 2:20.41.
“It’s probably one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve ever had just knowing I started out my freshman year running the 800 and I just wasn’t that good my first year. But just to be able to know that I kept working so hard and to have this great reward at the end is a really good feeling,” said Yardley.
In 2A, North Summit won all three relays, Sadie Sargent won the 1,600 and 3,200 and Ashlin Blonquist won the discus as the Braves dominated en route to the team title. North Summit finished with 142 points, followed by Delta with 91.
There were three multi-event winners on Saturday in 2A, Enterprise’s Jaslyn Gardner (100, 200), North Sevier’s Peyton Torgerson (400, 800) and Gunnison’s Kate Sorensen (100 and 300 hurdles).
In 1A, Whittni Orton has been one of the faces of the state meet the past four years, and she wrapped up her career in style. The BYU commit won the 800 and 3,200 on Saturday to go along with her gold medals in Friday’s 1,600 and sprint medley.
She was Panguitch’s only individual event winner, but the Bobcats’ superior depth led it to a comfortable team finish with 158 points. Parowan was second with 71.5 points.
For her career, Orton won 29 combined team and individual titles between volleyball, basketball, track and cross-country.
“I’m just lucky. I’ve had amazing coaches. I think we have one of the best coaches in the state, and my teammates are amazing. We just have a lot of fun. We make it fun, so you don’t dread it as much,” said Orton.
Along with Orton, Milford’s Emily Barnes also won three events as she won both hurdles and the 400. West Ridge’s Kasia Matthews also won three events (long jump, 100 and 200).
James Edward is the Deseret News prep editor and Real Salt Lake beat writer. EMAIL: jedward@deseretnews.com