Lehi Sports
Parker, Baird earn gold as Falcons break school records at state meet
Megan Wallgren / Lehi Free Press
Falcon sprinter Briggs Parker brought home the 100-meter state title and jumper Ty Baird won the high jump as the Skyridge High School track and field teams capped a successful season with multiple podium finishes and seven new or tied school records at the 6A State Track and Field Championships held May 14 and 16 at Robison Track at BYU.
The Falcons boys came in eighth with 49.5 points and the Skyridge girls placed eighth with 34 points. The Falcons posted new school records in the Girls and Boys 4x200m relays, Boys 4x100m relay, Girls 4x400m relay, and tied records in the Boys and Girls High Jump.
Parker delivered a highlight performance for Skyridge, winning the boys 100-meter dash gold medal in 10.7 seconds. He followed that performance with a second-place finish in the 200m dash in a personal-record time of 20.93 seconds.
“My races felt great,” Parker said. “I’ve worked very hard for this moment and I’m truly grateful for all my coaches and trainers who helped me get to this place.”
The championship was especially meaningful for Parker, who said winning a state title had been a long-term goal. “Unreal! It’s always been my goal since my very first season,” he said. “I’m thankful that I was able to end my career with a bang!”
Parker also anchored the Skyridge boys 4x200m relay team of fellow seniors Hayden Dye, Davis Fyans and Baird to a silver medal in 1:27.09. The same team of runners took fifth in the boys 4x100m relay with a time of 41.88 seconds.
Skyridge Coach Greg Baird, Ty Baird and Marsha Baird (former BYU track athlete and two-time Olympic athlete representing Trinindad and Tobago).
Baird added to his sprint success with a stellar performance In the field, adding another state title for the Falcons in the High Jump, clearing 6-feet-4.0-inches. He earned a silver medal in the boys long jump with a jump of 22-0.75 feet.
For the Falcon girls, freshman standout Abbegale Mehr turned in one of the top all-around performances of the meet. Mehr placed second in the 400m dash with a personal-record 55.61 seconds and claimed the bronze medal in the 800m in 2:14.47.
“Running in State was such an amazing experience,” Mehr said. “Being a freshman and competing with the best in Utah felt like a dream. The other girls are so amazing and nice, and it was so much fun.”
Mehr said the experience has motivated her for future seasons. “Honestly, I want so much to be a state champion,” she said. “Being state runner-up in the 400 meter and third in the 800 meter and 4×400 gets me so excited for next year. I wish I could run again tomorrow.”
Mehr also ran the anchor leg on the girls 4x200m and 4x400m relay teams. The girls 4x200m took fourth place with a time of 1:41.53, a school record. Also running were junior Claire Springer, senior Abigail Dotson and freshman Madeline Birkeland.
The Falcons placed sixth in the girls 4x400m with a school-record time of 3:53.82. Rounding out the team with Mehr were Birkeland, junior Eva Lewis and senior Clair Jensen.
Another young sprint standout, Birkeland said competing at the state meet gave her valuable experience against older athletes. “I was definitely a little nervous competing against these girls that were multiple years older than me,” Birkeland said.
“But I knew that all the work I have put in this season is for a reason. I was also a part of the 4×2 and 4×4 teams that broke the school record. It was a fun experience,” she added.
An all-around athlete, Dotson also had a busy and successful state meet, earning bronze in the girls high jump at 5-2 feet and also competing in the 200m and the long jump. She said managing four events in one day created unique challenges.
“My experience at State was a little different than most athletes because all four of the events I competed in fell on the same day, and some even overlapped,” she said.
“I had to leave the high jump mid-competition to run the 4×200 and then return directly after to finish jumping, which was physically a real challenge.”
Despite the hectic schedule, Dotson said she was pleased with her results. “It was awesome to compete against some of the best high jumpers in the state and come out with third place,” she said.
The girls 4x100m relay team of Springer, junior Eva Lewis, plus freshmen Kinzie Wilson and Vivienne Taylor placed seventh in 49.32 seconds.
A surprise podium appearance came from junior Ava Richards, who placed eighth in the girls javelin with a throw of 92-9 feet, besting her previous personal record by around 9 feet.
“I didn’t even get to throw at Region so I wasn’t sure I would make it to State at all,” she said. “And then, I threw a 92 in my first throw. It was shocking and very exciting.” That first throw held up and got her on the podium.
With many young up-and-coming athletes on the team, Skyridge’s future looks bright. “We are very happy with how this season progressed,” said Skyridge Coach Ronda Hansen. “We’ve been building for three years and are seeing results in every level and every event on the team.”
Hansen said every athlete on the roster recorded at least one personal record during the season, while the Falcons broke seven school records and improved their placement at State for the third consecutive year.
“I’m excited to see where we will go from here,” Hansen said. “We value every team member, their families and our community for supporting us so well.”
Photos by Jim Ballard.
