Boys track: Traditional powers dominate at state meet

Provo • Orem senior Kody Codner already knew what it was like to be a state champion.

Codner won three events in 2015, one individual event and two relay golds. At BYU on Saturday, the Weber State commit helped push the Golden Tigers to the Class 4A boys' track and field title.

"I just want to do it for my team," Kodner said. "I won a state championship last year, but a lot of our guys who are young, new, they haven't had that experience, so I want to give them that."

Codner was part of Orem's winning 4x100 relay, repeated in the 300-meter hurdles and took first in the 110-meter hurdles.

A cold, rain-soaked morning gave way to a sunny afternoon before Davis and Desert Hills ran away with the boys' championships in 5A and 3A, respectively.

The Darts captured their fourth championship in five years, while the Thunder won their fourth in a row.

"Our coach always tells us it's never given to you — you've got to earn it," Davis senior Jaron Erickson said. "We come in and we cheer on our team every single race. You never take a race off, you've got to go hard every single one."

Erickson took first in the 110-meter hurdles by setting a personal record, but had a harder time enjoying his 300-meter hurdles win.

"[Jordan senior] Tyler Lloyd should've won that one," Erickson said. "He tripped on the last hurdle and I think he deserves that win. … I went over and talked to him, and I gave him the tape from the race. I just hope he can shake that one off."

Darts senior Logan MacKay won the 800 meters and got by American Fork's McKay Johns on the final lap of the sprint medley to earn another first-place finish.

Desert Hills junior Jaiden Melendrez won both the 3A 3,200 meters and the 1,600 for a second consecutive year to help the Thunder continue their dominance.

"[I] just do it for my coach," Melendrez said after the 1,600. "What he did for me this past spring, it's amazing. This win's for him."

The competitions in 2A and 1A were tighter, with North Summit edging out Delta to take the 2A title, and Monticello narrowly beating Duchesne in 1A.

Braves senior Braden Richins beat his personal record by three feet in the 2A javelin to win the event, while teammate and fellow senior Rio Butters won the 300-meter hurdles.

"It's good to finish it all out with a good bang," Richins said.

Junior Isaiah Sheeran's first-place finish in the 1A discus throw, coupled with enough depth to take points from events that they didn't win, aided the Buckaroos en route to their state championship. —

Storylines

R Kody Codner's two individual wins leads Orem to Class 4A championship

• Davis in 5A, Desert Hills in 3A, North Summit in 2A and Monticello in 1A also win team titles

• Jaiden Melendrez wins two events in Class 3A meet.