High school track: Boys' high school records shatter at BYU Invitational

PROVO — Coming into this year's BYU invitational, there wasn't much left for senior Luke Puskedra to accomplish.

The senior from Judge Memorial had already bested Ryan Andrus' 13-year-old invite record in the 3,200 meters the year before, locked up a scholarship with the University of Oregon, and ran a blistering 8:46 two-mile last month at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational.

But even Puskedra still had some unfinished business. No high school athlete had ever broken 9 minutes inside the state of Utah. That includes the likes of Josh Rohatinsky, Seth Pilkington, Ryan Andrus and countless other talented athletes who went on to have successful college careers — which makes Puskedra's 8:56 all the more meaningful.

"It's a great feeling," he said moments after his historic finish in the 3,200. "It's good to be up there with guys like that, especially considering where they're at right now."

Puskedra may have been a little too anxious to break the elusive 9-minute barrier, splitting a 29.4 first 200 meters and a 61.9 first quarter.

"I was definitely trying to go out aggressive the first mile," Puskedra said. "When I heard 29 at the 200m, I thought there must have been a glitch on the clock, but when I saw 61 after the first lap I knew it was a bit quick."

He settled in the next three laps for a 4:31 first mile and closed in 4:25 for a 36-second win over the next finisher, 4A cross country champion Jon Nelson. To put that in perspective, Puskedra's last mile is two seconds under the 5A state qualifying standard for the 1600 meters and would have placed third in the 1600-meter final, which Puskedra also won in 4:15.85.

The 3,200 meters wasn't the only record to fall this weekend in Provo. Franco Montes broke the 3A state 400-meter record with an impressive 47.81, edging out Skyline star Jeff Daw by .1 seconds for the win. Montes broke the 3A 800-meter record just last week at the Davis Invitational with a 1:52.67, good enough for a top-10 national ranking.

"I was really shocked when I looked up at the clock after I finished," Montes said. "I was hoping for a 48, but Jeff really pushed me that last 200. He's a great runner."

Daw won the 200 meters in an impressive 21.60. But perhaps even more impressive than Montes or Puskedra was Adam Timo in the high jump. The Snow Canyon junior won a duel with Taylorsville junior Mike Staker, tying a 26-year-old invitational record with a jump of 7 feet. Timo almost cleared the B standard for the Olympic trials of 7-foot-3 on his final attempt.