Robert Stevens / Messenger Photo North Sanpete sophomore Tylee Henrie cleared 5-01.00 in the high jump finals to take 10th place. 
Robert Stevens / Messenger Photo Manti senior Breana Barson launches the javelin en route to a 17th place finish among 35 athletes. Her best throw was 94-01.25. 
Robert Stevens / Messenger Photo Manti freshman Hunter Stevens lands a long jump to take a 30th place finish among 70 participants. 
Robert Stevens / Messenger Photo Manti Senior Claira Reynolds (right) clears a hurdle in the 100M hurdles final, running next to a Parowan runner in the first heat. Reynolds placed 10th in the final standings for the event. 
Robert Stevens / Messenger Photo Carson Yardley, a junior running for Gunnison High School, pictured second from the right in this 1100-meter heat.
PROVO—A single day in Provo saw 122 high schools from every state in the Mountain West take on 76 events, and Sanpete County’s athletes showed what they can do in the biggest day of the year for Utah track and field.
Manti, Gunnison Valley and North Sanpete sent a reported total of 75 athletes, with another lone participant from Wasatch Academy, to the Mr. Mac BYU Invitational held at the Clarence Robison Track on BYU Campus last Friday.
In a shining moment for Sanpete, Gunnison Valley’s 4×100-meter boys’ relay team claimed the gold in the 1A-3A category, running a time of 45.23 seconds with junior Jack Hansen, freshman Jet Hill, senior Zach Stewart and junior Carson Yardley, as well as sophomore Cody Hammond and freshman Kyler Jensen.
“This 4×100 team has worked hard all year long with all of the members competing at a high level in several other events,” Gunnison head coach Tyson Moosman said. “I am hoping they keep working hard for the next two weeks and can get a region championship and state championship.”
Gunnison boys finished the meet with 16 points, good to tie for 30th place among the 122 teams present. Manti boys were in a five-way tie for 63rd place with 3 points. Manti girls, thanks to some solid performances in field events, took 39th place with 11 points.
Gunnison’s 16 points put them in a three-way tie for 46th place in combined score for the meet among all teams, while Manti’s combined score of 14 points put them in a six-way tie for 51st place.
Among 1A-3A participants, Gunnison boys took 18th place, while Manti boys tied four ways for 27th. Manti girls took 19th place. In total scores, Gunnison finished just ahead of Manti, as the Bulldogs tied for 25th place, while the Templars tied for 27th place.
North Sanpete’s team of 19 total participants did not score in any events. The same went for Gunnison girls, as well as Wasatch Academy senior distance runner Christopher Korir.
Hansen delivered a great performance at the high jump for Gunnison. After winning the event at the Old Capitol Invitational at the end of April with a mark of 6-01.00, Hansen went beyond that mark to clear 6-02.00 for a third-place finish.
Hansen also was part of the 1st-place 4×100 relay team for Gunnison.
“Jack has worked incredibly hard and has overcome an ankle sprain only a couple of weeks ago,” Moosman said. “To be able to bounce back from that and set another personal record is a great achievement.”
For Manti, the boys’ sprint medley relay team took sixth place, improving on their state qualifying time at the Juab Invitational by a full three seconds, running it in 3:50.33 with junior Travis Averett, freshman Kye Lewis, sophomore Tyler Taggart, and junior Josiah Carter, as well as freshman Kevin Sterner, and sophomore Bjorn Crowther.
Manti girls performed well in the throwing events as both seniors Breana Barson and Lacie Christensen finished in the top 10 for the discus. Barson took fifth place with a throw of 106-03.5, while Christensen took sixth with a throw of 103-01. Both throws were further than their respective qualifying throws earlier in the season, with Christensen’s throw beating her qualifying throw at the Temple View Qualifier in April by a full 10 feet.
In the shot put, senior Jasmin Murillo took sixth place with a throw of 33-04, beating her qualifier throw at the Juab Invitational by 8 inches.
While North Sanpete didn’t come home with any scoring finishes, they were on the cusp multiple times. Junior Morgan Bowles placed 10th in the boys’ 300-meter hurdles, and sophomore Tylee Henrie took 10th place in the girls high jump and 11th place in the long jump. Senior Cole Mickel placed 10th in the boys’ shot put, with senior Laramie Roberts placing 13th, as well as 12th in the discus.
North Sanpete and Manti will be at Union High School on Wednesday for the Region 14 Championships, while Gunnison will be at North Summit High School the same day for the Region 16 Championships.
