Buckaroo boys third, girls fifth as numerous athletes set new personal bests, school records at state meet
by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The Monticello High School track and field team traveled to Provo to compete in the 1A Utah State Championships this past Thursday through Saturday, May 16-18.
The weather was perfect for the event, which featured 134 different schools and over 3,600 athletes. The Buckaroo boys did very well, scoring 84 points to finish third in the state behind Panguitch (147 points) and Milford (100).
The girls came home fifth with 36 points and the teams combined for a fifth-place result with 120 total points. The standout performances belonged to Robert Morrison and Nial Reay, who won individual state championships in the long jump and discus.
Last season Tommy Sheeran definitely set the bench mark for the long jump, but Morrison’s jump of 21 feet is now the third-longest in Monticello school history behind Sheeran and Cedar English in 2021.
Reay’s discus throw of 147 feet, one inch is an impressive six feet farther than the previous Buckaroo record, set by Carson Duncan in 2017.
Kyleigh Adair also set a new Monticello High School record in the girls shot put with her effort of 32 feet, 11 inches. It was just seven inches shy of a state championship and two feet farther than Hannah Leiataua’s previous MHS record in 2018.
Robert Morrison was also a state runner up in the javelin with his throw of 154-7.0. It’s a new personal best for Morrison and the sixth-longest javelin throw in Buckaroo history.
The boys 4x100 relay team of Morrison, Tavon Black, Carter Rogers, and Soren Welch finished just .36 behind Milford to take second in that race. It’s the second-fastest time in school history.
Jesse Pettit took third in the boys 3200-meter run with a time of 10:54.48. Marah Long was third in the girls 3200 with a new personal best of 11:51.55. That is the second-fastest time in Monticello history.
The Buckaroos got fourth-place finishes in five events. Tavon Black took fourth in the boys 100-meter dash with his time of 11.78. Soren Welch was fourth in the 400 meter in 53.27, which is a new personal best and the third-fastest time in school history.
The boys sprint medley team of Carter Rogers, Tavon Black, Soren Welch, and Jesse Pettit took fourth in 3:57.84.
The girls 4x400 relay team of Ayla Carling, Grace Coleman, Maron Freestone, and Makenna Peterson took fourth in 4:34.62.
And the girls sprint medley team of Madison Adair, Grace Coleman, Makenna Peterson, and Marah Long was fourth in 4:49.37
Aaron Petersen was fifth in the boys 300-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 43.65, a new personal best. Aaron Gillette was fifth in the 3200 with his time of 11:09.95, also a new personal best.
Gillette was sixth in the 1600 meter with another personal-best time of 4:54.89. Marah Long took sixth in both the girls 800 and 1600 with times of 2:35.76 and 5:37.68 respectively, both new personal bests.
Curtis Bunker finished seventh in the boys 110-meter hurdles with his time of 17.98. Jesse Pettit took seventh in the 1600, crossing the line with a personal-best 4:54.91.
Josh Morrison came home seventh in the long jump with an 18-6.5. And Ayla Carling took seventh in the girls 3200-meter race in 12:43.63, a new personal best.
Carter Rogers finished eighth in the boys 100 and 200 meter with times of 11.91 and 24.17 respectively. Aaron Gillette was eighth in the 800 with a 2:11.78, which was a new personal best for him.
Ayla Carling was eighth in the 800 and 1600 for the girls with times of 2:38.52 and 5:48.27 respectively. Her time in the 800 was a new personal best performance.
And Maron Freestone took eighth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 20.95. Her time of 18.35 in the prelims was a new personal best. She was also eighth in the high jump, clearing four feet, nine inches, also a new personal best.