Mountain Vista boys win again in the 4x800 relay

L A KEWOOD» The boys with the big lungs did it again Thursday at Jefferson County Stadium.

Mountain Vista’s boys 4x800 relay team captured a secondconsecutive Class 5A state title, defeating top-seeded Arapahoe by more than a second (7:47.23 to 7:48.33) at the Colorado state track and field championships.

The state/meet record in the event is 7:45.10, set by Smoky Hill in 2001.

Seniors Ethan Rouse and Brody Dempsey returned from last year’s Golden Eagles’ team. Junior Davis Helmerich and Harrison Witt won their first title in the event, with Witt running the final leg.

“Every year I’ve been on this team, the goal has been to win the state title,” said Rouse, a three-time state placer in the event, finishing third as a sophomore. “I struggled individually last fall and this spring, so to go out on top and defend the title with some of the alumni here today cheering us along really means a lot. I couldn’t think of a better way to go out.”

Rouse is committed to run cross country and track at Butler University in Indianapolis.

Dempsey is headed to the Colorado School of Mines.

“Feels amazing,” Dempsey said of winning another title in the longest relay. “All of our hard work just paying off, and just having fun with this and running for each other really means a lot.”

Highlands Ranch finished a distant third at 7:59.93 — the only other team to clear the finish line in less than eight minutes. Mountain Vista improved nearly six seconds on its preliminary time of 7:54.15. Arapahoe was the top seed at 7:53.35.

Witt is new to the state meet. But this year certainly won’t be his last.

“It was really cool to be able to finish it out for the guys,” he said. “They all ran great legs and got me a nice lead and I just finished it out. Great experience as a team.”

Helmerich was in the stands a year ago, yearning to run in the very race he helped win Thursday.

“Last year, watching them win was unreal,” he said. “I was cheering at the top of my lungs, so to be part of it this year and see all of our teammates cheering for me just as loud — it’s just an honor.”

Valor Christian won the girls’ 5A 4x800 relay with a time of 9:16.51, more than three seconds ahead of Cherry Creek and nearly nine seconds in front of thirdplace Cherokee Trail.