Trojans dominate home track meet

Trojans track dominated the field in their only home meet and broke two school records. The team ran against Del Sol, Desert Pines, Virgin Valley and Beatty as both boys and girls beat their opponents.

The boys took first place (123 points), Del Sol was second (75), Desert Pines third (39), Virgin Valley fourth (30) and Beatty fifth (11).

The Lady Trojans won first (122), Del Sol took second (68), Desert Pines third (40), Virgin Valley fourth (30) and Beatty fifth (15).

Bryce Odegard broke the record in the 1,600-meter run (4 minutes, 30.1 seconds) with a first place finish. He also took first in the 400 (54.1). The record was held by Rick Johnson, 2005 (4:33.5).

What was interesting was that Odegard said before he broke the record that he didn’t feel in shape.

“I really haven’t been in shape this year because of basketball,” he said. “I just wasn’t able to train (for long distance). I think my best event is the 3,200 but the 1,600 has been better for me this year because of my shape. So hopefully by regionals I will be in better shape for the 3,200. If regionals were tomorrow, the 1,600 would be it. I really haven’t been able to really finish it.”

Senior Meghan McDermott broke a school record in the 100 hurdles (15 feet, 9 inches). The record was held by Tee Tee Hughes, 2005 (16.14). She also took first in three other field events. McDermott won the high jump (5-00), the long jump (14-04) and the triple jump (31-02.5).

“I feel really good right now, because so far in every divisional meet I have gotten first place in the hurdles,” McDermott said before the meet. “At the invitationals, not so much because I have been going up against the bigger schools. But so far in the weekday meets I have been first. I am thinking regionals will be pretty bright from there.”

The boys had numerous other first place finishes.

In the 300 hurdles, Nik Clark took first (44.4) in a running event. Sergio Rincon took first in the 3,200 (11:39.6).

The Trojans took first in two relay races, the 4x400 (Dylan Montgomery, Nik Clark, Odegard and Layron Sonerholm) 3:49.6 and the 4x800 (Montgomery, Clark, Odegard and Sonerholm), 9:16.7.

Trojans coach Wes Icard was disappointed that his 4x800 team didn’t get to take on the Desert Pines team despite them running in the meet.

“They are in the top two and I guess we are just going to have to wait for bragging rights,” Icard said. “Their times are right there with ours.”

In field events, Jeremy Albertson took first place in the discus (140 feet, 2 inches). Nico Cipollini took first in the pole vault (11-3).

For the Trojans, Albertson is also looking to break a school record in the discus, which is 148-10 held by Reynaldo Veloz.

He says the only thing holding him back is stress.

“I am overthinking my throws a little bit,” Albertson said. “If I just kind of relax I think I can get it.

In another field event, Devlin Dillon finished second in the high jump (5-08.5).

Icard has a lot of confidence in him and thinks he can break 6-00 this year.

“He may break it this meet,” Icard said at the beginning of the meet. “I think today would be a perfect time because he practices here all the time. The conditions are good. He has his mark here.”

One of the reasons the boys did so well was because they swept events like the 1,600. In that race Sonerholm took second (5:10.3) and Rincon took third (5:12.4).

There was a significant gap between first and second as Odegard took off and had a good 300-meter lead on the field.

Dylan Montgomery also ran that race. Trojans coach Wes Icard said he put him there to see what he could do.

“I am thinking he can hang right there with them,” Icard said. “I told him when he questioned me that, who knows, he could be the best miler in the state. Besides this could be good for him because he can’t run his hurdles now. This will show him how good of an athlete he is. He could be our fastest sprinter and he could be our fastest distance guy too.”

Montgomery has been staying away from the hurdles due to a minor injury.

“I will be going back to that soon,” he told the PVT. “What events I do at regionals will depend on the schedule because I don’t want to do three events on the same day.”

At the moment, he said he was just looking to do triple jump as far as field events. He has done discus and high jump.

“Other than triple, I think I will just stick to running,” Montgomery said.

Speedwise, he doesn’t think he is at his peak and feels he can cut some time with better technique.

“I definitely think I still can get faster,” he said. He is the fastest sprinter the Trojans have, running a 100 in 11.6.

The Trojan girls also picked up some other first place finishes.

In the 3,200 Sydney Dennis captured first place (13:28).

The girls only ran one relay, the 4x800 and won it (Alicia Quiroz, Dennis, Vaniah Vitto and Grace Gundacker).

Junior Caeli Havel took first in the shot put (32-05) and first in the discus (89-06). The girls swept the discus event. Madison Shay was second (88-04) and Alyssa Begin was third (87-10).

Havel said she was doing better than last year.

“I have missed some meets this year because of family needs,” she said. “I think I am doing better and working really hard to get to state next year. This year I am not quite there yet, but I know next year I will be. My goal this year in discus is to throw 98 in discus and 34 in shot.”

Shay, the Trojans next best thrower, said she is being held back by her form.

“I am also not lifting as much weights as I was before,” Shay said. “So I want to hit the gym more and then form is the major key that I have to work on. This is the year we get serious to prepare for our senior year.”