DIVISION IV BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
Wayne Newman wasted little time making his mark at the Division IV track and field championships.
After clocking Division I-caliber times in Friday’s preliminaries of the 110-meter high hurdles and 300 hurdles, the San Manuel senior repeated as champion in both events to the delight of an overflow crowd at Mesa Community College.
He won the 110 in 14.52 seconds and the 300 in 38.41, clipping his winning 14.80 and 39.79, respectively, last year. For measure, he won the long jump at 22 feet, 8 inches, too.
And while Newman was running away with individual titles, Phoenix Arizona Lutheran was racing away with 59 points and the team championship, ahead of Morenci’s 53 and Chandler Valley Christian’s 48.
“I feel great,” Newman said after capturing the 300 by more than three seconds over Oro Valley Immaculate Heart’s Nate Goodman. “I was glad to get both (titles) again this year.”
Newman, who said he’s strongly considering accepting a scholarship to Lipscomb University, was more pleased with Saturday’s longer hurdle race, his second in the 38s. He won at 38.81at the Willie Williams Invitational, but after an injury, said he hadn’t revisited the 38s until clocking 38.69 in Friday’s prelims.
“Finishing in the 38s has been my goal all year,” he said. “My start wasn’t what I wanted it to be, but I usually have trouble on that (last) corner (hurdle), but that went well.”
In other key Division IV performances Saturday: Valley Christian’s Matt Benninger, Ramon Colon, Nathan Basinger and Alec Chavez teamed to win the 3,200 relay in 8:23.60, more than 12 seconds faster in the preliminaries.
Joy Christian’s Jerardo Samarripas captured the 100 (10.94) and 200 (22.33) and keyed his school’s winning 400 relay (43.32) with Tonka Watson, Dujuan Lawrence and Frankie Alvarado. Phoenix Veritas Prep’s Simon Whitfield won the 400 in 49.12, edging out Morenci’s Daniom Tecle.
Arizona Lutheran’s Josh Hoskinson won the 3,200 (9:28.51), edging Tucson St. Augustine’s Zach Alderete.