High school boys track: Norris claims state record, fourth state title in 1,600

PROVO — Only a second stood between Trac Norris and setting a 1A state record when he raced in and won the 1,600 meters at the BYU Invitational two weeks ago.

The Panguitch senior made it a mission to trim that second off.

It occupied his mind as much as getting another state title in the event.

"I knew a second wasn't much," Norris said. "I knew I could cut that off."

Norris made good on his goal on Friday in the state track meet at BYU. He finished the 1,600 in 4:19.38 to not only claim that elusive state record but also take home his fourth state title in four years. Earning his fourth state title in the 1,600 simply felt like an ordinary achievement for Norris. Putting his name in the state record books, on the other hand, felt special.

"All this pain in my legs right now is worth it," Norris said. "I trained my whole life for this record."

Richfield senior Josh Monsen also felt the joy of rewriting the record books on day one of the state meet. After emerging as the 1,600 winner in 2A with a time of 4:30.35, Monsen ran the anchor leg for the Wildcats' medley relay team and helped them claim a new 2A record with a winning time of 3:33.91. Monsen turned on the thrusters after taking the baton once he realized Richfield had the record within reach.

"On the last 100, I looked up at the clock and knew we could get it," Monsen said.

A surprise winner emerged in the 5A meet's 1,600-meter final. Davis senior Devin Lang finished first with a winning time of 4:20.89. For Lang, it marked just his fifth time racing the 1,600 this spring in his only year of high school track competition.

No surprise outcomes resulted in either 4A or 3A in the 1,600. Snow Canyon senior Hayden Hawks was the 4A winner after finishing in 4:21.41. In 3A, it was Hurricane senior Karl Wilcock who prevailed with a time of 4:25.11.

The most notable thing about how the 1,600 played out is that all but one of the winners routinely raced against one another in meets throughout the spring. Hawks said the fact that he, Wilcock, Norris and Monsen competed against one another so frequently played a huge role in their respective victories on Friday.

"It helps a lot," Hawks said. "We're all really fast, so we all push each other in the races. You get to that level where you're running fast earlier in the season than a lot of guys do."