Viewmont boys, Davis girls finish ahead of their fields

KAYSVILLE — The Viewmont High boys track and field team goes by the motto, "Shred the Gnar!" But judging results at last week's Region 1 track and field championships, you might believe the mantra for the Vikings — and the Davis High girls — was something like, "Shred the competition."

Both the Viewmont boys and the Davis girls ran away from their respective fields during the May 10 and 11 meet at Davis High.

That was expected by the Darts, the Class 5A favorites who racked up 209 points while breezing to yet another region championship by nearly 100 points over second-place Fremont (115). But the results were a bit more gnarly for the Viking boys, who dethroned nine-time defending region champ Davis by the score of 174.5 to 150.5.

Viewmont coach Cory Swenson explained that his team's motto is a saying used by those adventurous athletes involved in mountain biking, skateboarding and snowboarding. It means, explained the vibrant coach with gnarly, long hair who looks like he could fit in at a skate park, that you shouldn't "freak yourself out" but instead try to "perform at the limit of your capability."

His student-athletes freaked out in a good way on this day.

"My guys just competed out of their heads," Swenson said. "People say it's not a team sport, but everyone of my kids who stepped on the track did their part."

Marshall Milligan — who may now officially be called "The Fastest Man in Davis County" — led the way for Viewmont. The speedy senior won individual championships in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.99 and in the 200 meters (22.31). He also anchored the Vikings' victorious 4x400 squad, and helped the team to a second-place finish in the 4x100. Not bad for a state champion swimmer.

Needing some big-time performances from everybody to take down Davis, Swenson said the team counted on the speedster to come through for them — and he didn't let them down.

"We expected him to do that and he did," Swenson said.

Ryker Morgan, Richie Stapler and Zach Nyborg also won titles to boost Viewmont's score. Morgan had a meet-best leap of 6-feet-5-inches to win the high jump, Stapler outjumped teammate Brian Stevenson by a foot (20-10 to 19-10) to claim the long jump crown, and Nyborg raced to a 300-meter hurdles victory in 40.16.

Interestingly, Viewmont has three state track championships but only one region title.

"Region's been hard," Swenson said. "They (Davis) have more kids and (coach Roger) Buhrley does a great job."