MESA – Katie Daily picked the perfect day to turn in her best performance of the season.
The Flowing Wells junior broke a school record and shattered her personal best in the pole vault, clearing 11 feet, 1 inch to win the event in the opening rounds of the Division I and II track and field state championships on Wednesday at Mesa Community College.
“I was just focused on myself and wanted to break the school record really badly because I had been trying for like five meets,” said Daily, who had never vaulted higher than 10-7 before Wednesday. “I finally did and it was exhilarating.”
#FlowingWells junior Katie Daily chats about her first-place finish in the girls D-II pole vault. #azhs pic.twitter.com/AFDWaRF4jh
— High School Sports (@HSTucson) May 5, 2016
Daily wasn’t the only Flowing Wells athlete to capture a gold medal on Wednesday: Fellow junior Morgan Risch pulled away late to win the boys Division II 1,600-meter run in 4 minutes 22.75 seconds. Risch entered the meet with the sixth-best time among qualifiers but trimmed nearly seven seconds off that mark, despite plus-100-degree temperatures at the time he was running.
“I’d never actually gone to state so it’s very exciting,” said Risch, a two-time Junior Olympic national champion. “The last lap, I was feeling really good. I thought everyone else in the race was saving and it was just going to be a huge kick battle but I hit the last lap and took the lead and went with it.”
#FlowingWells' Morgan Risch had a winning time of 4:22.75 in the boys D-II 1,600. #azhs pic.twitter.com/YgcEC4mifJ
— High School Sports (@HSTucson) May 5, 2016
While Daily and Risch captured their first state titles on Wednesday, Flowing Wells thrower Sierra Rodriguez fell just short of repeating as the girls Division II discus champion.
The senior placed second in the event by 23 inches, with a distance of 123-9. Rodriguez could bounce back on Saturday by winning the shot put competition.
“Now it’s like I really want it now,” said Rodriguez, who is signed with Air Force. “Just the whole competition didn’t go as had planned.”
Sahuaro junior Brielle Sterns, a double champion in 2015, had the fastest qualifying time in the girls Division II 100 hurdles to start the day but came up short in her bid to repeat as the long jump state champion. Sterns finished second in the event, with a distance of 18-4¾, less than 3 inches behind the gold medalist.
#Sahuaro's Brielle Sterns trying to repeat as the girls D-II long jump champ. #azhs pic.twitter.com/ZnjUb1GQpL
— High School Sports (@HSTucson) May 5, 2016
Salpointe Catholic senior Anthony Ference pole vaulter went out on a high note – literally. He cleared 14-6 to set a new personal best and take second, while his sophomore brother Andrew placed third (14-3).
“It feels really good, especially getting a PR – it’s really special to me,” said Anthony Ference, who plans to walk on at the UA. “It was a wonderful experience to end my high school career.”
Tucson High junior Ana Lopez ended up in a two-way tiebreaker for the girls Division I high jump championship early in the afternoon and ended up taking second place with a height of 5-4.
Fellow Badger Tavian Ross, a senior, didn’t have any finals on Wednesday but he shined in his prelims. Ross, the defending champion in the event, won his heat in the boys Division I 400 in addition to running the second-fastest time in the 200 and helping Tucson’s 400 relay team win its heat in 41.64.
“Anybody would want a repeat and I hope I get it because I’ve been training really hard this year,” Ross said. “Saturday, we’re just going to come fresh legs, fresh mind and be physically and mentally prepared.”
The state meet resumes Friday, for Division III and IV schools before Saturday’s grand finale with all four divisions. Chances are pretty good that Mountain View senior Justice Summerset will have all eyes on him as he goes for his first high jumping championship, two weeks after breaking the state record by clearing 7-2½.
Summerset, who is signed with the Arizona Wildcats, was introduced as the state-record holder during his 200 and 400 prelims on Wednesday, but he’s hoping to be introduced as something else come Saturday night: A state champion.
“I definitely want to put on a show for everyone that comes out to watch,” Summerset said. “And we’ll see if I can finally get that state title.”
