PHOENIX — Track and field athletes from Thatcher, Safford, Pima and Morenci turned in standout performances at the AIA State Championships last week, with multiple state titles, personal records and top finishes across Division IV and Division V competition.
Thatcher Leads in Division IV with Multiple Titles
Thatcher High School’s Wyatt Nicholas put on a show in Phoenix, claiming three state championships. The senior won the high jump (6 feet, 8 inches), long jump (22-0.50) and triple jump (46-9.50), leading the Eagles in one of the program’s most decorated state outings in recent memory.
“Wyatt isn’t your typical, average track athlete,” said Thatcher High jumps coach Ivan Brown. “He was ranked #2 in every one of his events coming into the state meet and came away with three gold medals. I’m excited to see what he can accomplish in college.”
Nicholas has signed to continue his track career at Pima Community College in Tucson.
Senior Brigham Rasmussen added a state title in the discus with a throw of 142-4, while placing 13th in shot put (42-3).
In the relays, Thatcher’s boys 4×400-meter team of Tristun Brown, Wyatt Nicholas, Callum Winkler and Cade Winkler clocked 3:21.93 to take second place, narrowly edging Safford for the silver medal and shattering the old Thatcher High record.
Cade Winkler also placed seventh in the 400 meters (51.42), while Brown and Ryan Jones contributed in sprint and relay events. Nathan Schnebly placed fifth in the 110-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 15.67 seconds.
On the girls’ side, Thatcher’s Kylia Nelson had a standout meet, winning the triple jump (35-2), finishing second in the pole vault (10-6), and placing sixth in the long jump. Amy Maybury took third in the triple jump (34-2.25), and Lillie Welker was seventh in the same event.
Senior Susie Mack earned silver in the high jump (5-4), while Jade Richardson and Lanie Larson led on the track. Larson placed third in the 400 meters (1:00.86), while Richardson finished fifth (1:01.45). In the 200 meters, Taizlee Taylor ran a personal best 26.94 in the prelims and took seventh in the finals.
Thatcher’s girls 4×100 relay team placed fifth (50.68), and their 4×400 team came in sixth (4:13.01). The 4×800 relay finished 14th.
Safford’s Throwers, Relays Anchor Strong State Finish
Safford senior Bryan Villegas captured first in shot put (49-9.75) and added a second-place finish in the discus (138-3), contributing key points for the Bulldogs.
Junior Matthew Madrid finished fourth in the 200 meters (22.75) and fifth in the 300 hurdles (40.29), while also helping the 4×400 relay team to a fourth-place finish in 3:22.97 alongside Tristan Flores, Noah Gonzales and Grady Lackner.
Safford’s distance runners and pole vaulters also had strong showings, with Drew McBride clearing 14-0 to earn second in pole vault, and Andrew Ortega finishing 21st in the 3,200 meters.
Pima Shines in Division V with Sprint and Hurdle Titles
Pima’s Sadie Richardson was one of Division V’s most dominant athletes, capturing two state titles — the 100-meter hurdles (15.49) and the 300-meter hurdles (46.81). She also placed third in the triple jump (34-9.50), wrapping up an outstanding senior season.
Sophomore Hanna Ashby added a state championship in the 200 meters (26.32), while also placing eighth in the 100 meters (13.14) and seventh in the long jump (15-8.50).
Senior Brock Haws placed second in both the shot put (47-8.25) and discus (144-7), giving the Roughriders major points in the field events. In pole vault, sophomore Cheyenne Alder cleared 10-0 for the state title.
Joel Mattice placed second in the high jump (6-2) and fourth in the triple jump, while sophomore Adam Bryce turned in top-five finishes in both hurdle events and placed sixth in the triple jump.
Morenci’s Lucero, Luputa Claim State Titles
Morenci’s Marcus Lucero won the javelin with a personal-best throw of 172-2, while teammate Yedidia Luputa claimed the 110-meter hurdles title in 15.13. Luputa also ran on Morenci’s fifth-place 4×100-meter relay team, which included Sunny Gobert, Lyndale Waterhouse and Marcus Lucero.
Rozlyn Funari captured the girls javelin title with a throw of 111-2 and also ran on the girls 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams with Tracy Mianda, Jayliana Guzzo and Layla Mendez, which placed fourth and sixth, respectively.
Freshman Tracy Mianda placed fifth in the long jump (16-1.25) and contributed in multiple relays.
