Golden girls & Silver guys

PROVO — Two state titles, a pair of runner-up trophies, and numerous teams in the top five overall. Just another day at the office for Utah County's track and field prepsters.

Happy Valley high schools left an emphatic stamp on the state high school track and field championships last weekend, with Spanish Fork and Orem's girls leading the way as 5A and 4A champions, respectively. On the boys' side, Timpanogos and Timpview each ended up with silver trophies as the second-place finishers in their respective classifications.

4A girls

After winning the school's first state title in 25 years last season, the Orem Tigers came back in 2007 with a season-long goal of maintaining their dominance and getting back to the top of the medal podium at state.

"We came in at the beginning of the year thinking that we could take it again, and everyone has just been on board," said Tiger co-head coach Sam Bates. "Last year was new and exciting, but this year they've just been very confident and coming through every way we've asked them to."

Senior hurdler Mindy Robins was the star of the crew, collecting three individual state championships (100- and 300-meter hurdles, long jump) and leading her team in every way. Distance runners Kendy Christiansen and Krystal Harper also grabbed headlines, but it was the unsung heroes that made the difference for Orem.

Athletes like sprinter Stessie Dort and throwers Becky Reeves and Delyse Downey added critical depth, an aspect the Tigers hadn't enjoyed to the same extent in their first championship run.

Next up was Springville, a consistently excellent squad that pushed the Tigers in every meet. The Red Devils' 4x400 relay team was among the best in the state, in any classification, led by 400-meter champion Natalie Young. Hurdler Allissa Huffaker and sprinter Lindsay Bailey were among the best in 4A, and distance runner Stephanie Christensen really came on late in the year.

Timpview's Stephanie Jensen led the Thunderbirds' talented mid-distance crew, and Provo's Emily Ojuka was a stalwart in the hurdles and sprints, with Bulldog senior Donna Manuele coming on strong in the distance races, earning the state's award for most inspirational athlete after her return from a devastating foot injury.

Lehi's Christina Measom scored well in the jumps and the 200-meter dash, with Payson's Arielle Penrod and Nikki Brown notching points in the 100-meter hurdles.

4A boys