Desert Vista dominates to capture team championship
Isaiah Oliver won two gold medals and came close to a state record Saturday at the Division I boys track and field championships at Mesa Community College.
After he crossed the finish line in the 300-meter hurdles, the Phoenix Brophy Prep senior looked at the scoreboard before it flashed time, saying, “C’mon, c’mon!”
It flashed 36.54 seconds, off Bobby Grant’s state record set last year and the third-fastest in state history.
Oliver’s time also is the third-fastest in Brophy Prep history.
Devon Allen held the school and state record, before Grant broke it last year.
“For us three to be top three all-time in the state, that’s great,” said Oliver, who will play football and run track next school year at Colorado. “To double up in both hurdles and win state, I can’t complain about that.”
Oliver won the 110 high hurdles to open the state running finals Saturday.
Phoenix Desert Vista won the team championship with depth spread out in events, scoring 109.50 points.
Tucson was second with 52, followed by Mesa Mountain View at 47.50.
There were no state records, but Tempe Corona del Sol junior Jacob Onofrio turned in amazing feat.
He ran the first heat, the slower heat, in the 800 finals, and ended up taking the gold medal at 1:57.65.
“This is my third time running the 800, actually,” he said. “I normally run the 400.
“I thought I had a chance to finish in the top three but I didn’t think I’d win it.”
Tucson senior Lawrence Wallace, coming back from Wednesday’s state title in the long jump championship with the fifth-longest jump in Arizona preps history (25 feet, 13⁄ inches), 4 helped his tea, win the sprint relay in 42.17.
Chandler senior D. J. Ware won the 100 dash, winning his first individual gold medal in 10.68 seconds.
“I knew I had a chip on my shoulder because in football nobody knew who I was,” said Ware, who started at cornerback on the state championship football team. “I wanted to come out here fast.” Gilbert Highland senior Logan Jones won the 1,600 meters in 4:17.30.
Desert Vista junior Torrey Hickel captured the shot put at 57-3.