Title time: Timpview girls edge out 5A competition, Lone Peak girls continue 6A dominance
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- The Timpview girls track team celebrates winning the 5A title after the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- The Lone Peak girls track team celebrates winning the 6A title after the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Lehi senior Sarah Ballard wins the 400-meter race in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Timpview sophomore Jane Hedengren stands atop the podium after winning the 800-meter race in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior Kylie Olsen celebrates winning the 800-meter race in the 6A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Lehi senior Sarah Ballard starts the 400-meter race in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Timpview sophomore Jane Hedengren wins the 1,600-meter race in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- American Fork sophomore Desirae Riehle wins the 400-meter race in the 6A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Lehi senior Sarah Ballard (center) celebrates winning the 200-meter race with the other medalists in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Lone Peak junior Nadia Chiara clears the final hurdle in the lead in the 300-meter hurdles race in the 6A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- American Heritage junior Anne Marie Gibbs reacts after finishing second in the 100-meter race in the 2A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- American Fork sophomore Desirae Riehle (second from left) stands atop the podium with other medalists after winning the 400-meter race in the 6A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Lehi senior Sarah Ballard wins the 200-meter race in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- American Fork junior Clara Baker throws the discus in the 6A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Payson freshman Kambri Muir competes in the long jump in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Orem junior Princess Spitzenberg prepares to throw the javelin in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Salem Hills sophomore Bella Staheli competes in the long jump in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Timpanogos senior Summer Christensen crosses the finish line to win the 4×400-meter relay in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- The Timpanogos 4×400-meter relay team stands atop the podium with the other medalists after winning the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Timpview sophomore Jane Hedengren (center) stands atop the podium with the other medalists after winning the 1,600-meter race in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Runners compete in the 800-meter race in the 6A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- Springville senior Sydney Watson competes in the 100-meter hurdles race in the 5A girls competition during the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
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- The Timpview girls track team celebrates winning the 5A title after the 2023 state track meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
As the Timpview girls track team stood posing for photos after receiving the 5A title trophy, the athletes told each other to hold up a single finger to indicate they were No. 1 in 2023.
A few minutes later, the Lone Peak girls track team did something similar after receiving the 6A championship trophy — although the Knights held up five fingers to recognize that they have won five consecutive titles.
It wouldn’t have been possible for Lehi senior Sarah Ballard or Timpview sophomore Jane Hedengren to hold up enough fingers to indicate how many points they scored for their respective teams because the number was simply too high.
Both Ballard and Hedengren won three events each but Ballard ended up with three more total points in her four-event tally, because her 4×100-meter relay team finished second while Hedengren’s 4×800-meter relay was fourth.
But Hedengren did get to end up helping the Thunderbirds get the team title, which is always a big bonus.
Utah Valley athletes put together numerous impressive individual and team performances during the two days of action at the 2023 state track and field meet at the Robison Track Complex in Provo, which concluded on Saturday evening.
It took Hedengren and the rest of the Timpview squad until the final events to be sure they had enough points to hold off second-place Timpanogos and third-place Lehi, but they got the job done.
“It was awesome today,” Thunderbird head coach Jaimie Ribeira said. “We knew it was going to be tight coming in but everyone executed when they needed to. They all ran really hard. They’re just such a supportive group. They really love each other and they did what they needed to do.”
Hedengren was dominant in the long distances, easily winning the 3,200 and 1,600-meter races. Her third victory in the 800-meters, however, was more complicated.
“This was the race I was most excited for because it would be my hardest effort,” Hedengren said. “There are some quick girls who have worked so hard this season and set themselves up for success. It was cool to be able to race against them.”
As the athletes came around the final turn, Hedengren was locked in battle with Alta senior Elyse Jessen. Both runners were giving everything they had to reach the finish line first but that resulted in an unfortunate sequence of events.
“She came up on me and I saw her, so I was really kicking it in,” Hedengren said. “She made a good move, but she cut me off a little bit.”
Hedengren wasn’t able to maintain her stride but recovered enough to make it a photo finish. Jessen was able to cross the finish line first, but ended up being disqualified because she impeded Hedengren.
“I’m sad that happened because I wasn’t able to finish as strong as I would have,” Hedengren said. “It’s a bummer also because she got disqualified. But that was a hard cutoff and I really thought I had more in me.”
Hedengren said that she would’ve liked to have had better times during her events but said she was happy with how the meet went.
“I think it just goes to show that I have worked hard this season and that my fitness was there,” Hedengren said. “I was able to finish four races and four miles of speed in just a couple of days. I’m grateful to my coach, who set me up to be able to run this. It’s been so fun to train with my team this season.”
Ribeira said she is always going to remember how close the Thunderbirds were in 2023.
“They really just love being at track practice,” she said. “There were great on the track moments like seeing Jane set a state record earlier this month and then all the relays at state this year. They did so great.”
While Hedengren dominated the 5A girls distance races, Ballard capped an impressive high school career by dominating the sprints.
She was able to overcome every challenger in the 100, 200 and 400-meter races, although she said she certainly had her favorites.
“We were trying to decide what we should do last week and I kind of hate the 400, but we decided to try it,” Ballard said. “I never thought I would be running it but I did today.”
Running three sprints in matter of a few hours is a huge challenge, so Ballard had to stay mentally focused.
“My coaches told me to just take one race at a time,” she said. “It’s hard because before the 100 I was definitely thinking about the 400. It was about getting out there and doing my best in that race.”
Ending up with three titles and a second-place finish in a relay was an incredible ending to an incredible career for Ballard.
“I’ve just been so blessed with this talent,” Ballard said. “It’s been awesome I’ve been able to do as well as I have.”
While Timpview and Ballard stood tall in the 5A competition, Lone Peak refused to let anyone dethrone them in the 6A team race.
“I think more than anything they just peaked at the right meet,” Knight head coach Courtney Meldrum said. “That’s really due to the great coaches we have on this staff. We helped them understand that they needed to be patient, that they may lose along the way but could win when it mattered. That’s what they showed today.”
Leading the way for Lone Peak was junior Nadia Chiara, who won the 300-meter hurdles race and got points in the 100-meter hurdles, the 200-meters and a relay.
“I got huge personal records in the hurdles,” Chiara said. “It was crazy, absolutely insane for me. But I’m so grateful that I got to run and that I made it with my team.”
She said the thing that defined the Knights in 2023 was their work ethic.
“Every day, rain or snow, I would see all of them out there training,” Chiara said. “We’d be lifting each other. It was our work ethic that got us here.”
That made being able to win another title something for the entire team to savor.
“We knew this year was going to be closer than last year but going in I knew what I needed to do to help my team,” Chiara said. “Each girl knew what they needed to do and they did even better. I love these girls and it’s just crazy that we pulled through.”
Here are the other Utah Valley girls athletes and teams that won state titles in Saturday’s competition: Lone Peak junior Addie Meldrum (6A girls 1,600), American Fork junior Desirae Riehle (6A girls 400), Springville senior Sydney Watson (5A girls 300 hurdles), Skyridge senior Kylie Olsen (6A girls 800), Timpanogos (5A girls 4×400 relay) and American Fork (6A girls 4×400 relay).
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