HIGH SCHOOL

Payson sophomore triumps in the D-III 100 meters

Al Bravo
Special for azcentral sports
Payson High's Wyatt Chapman (center) sprints against Blue Ridge High's Bryce Henderson (left) and Seton Catholic's PJ Del Rio during the Division III Boys 100 Meter Dash during the AIA state track and field championships at Mesa Community College on Saturday, May 9, 2014. Chapman won the championship in the event.
  • Sophomore Wyatt Chapman of Payson won the highlight event of the day — the 100 meters by .11
  • Carlos Villareal of Rio Rico won two distance races — the 800 in 1:53 and the 1,600 in 4:19.27.
  • Ryan Talbot of Mingus coasted in the 400 meters, a half second ahead of St. Mary's Simon Whitfield.
  • Ryan Rodriguez of Seton took the triple jump with a leap of 43 feet, 7 1/2 inches.

Wyatt Chapman may have sent a statement to the sprinting world for the next two years.

Just a sophomore, the Payson runner easily won the 100 meters Saturday at the Division III track and field championships at Mesa Community College.

"I've been working all season just to try and beat him and was lucky to do that today," Chapman said of runner-up Bryce Henderson of Lakeside Blue Ridge, who won earlier this season. "I've been battling injuries and I finally healed up from that."

Chapman won in 11.05, ahead of Bryce Henderson of Lakeside Blue Ridge (11.16) and Amari Doty of Amphitheater (11.18).

Winning two distance races and a distance relay, Rio Rico took the boys Division III title with 64 points. Snowflake was second with 50, Lakeside Blue Ridge third at 48.5 and Cottonwood Mingus fourth with 41 points.

Ryan Talbot of Cottonwood Mingus earned a double win — in the 200 and 400. Talbot won the 200 in 22.68, just ahead of Brenden Leon of Goodyear Estrella Foothills (22.96) and Simon Whitfield of St. Mary's (22.98).

Talbot took the 400 meters by more than a half second over second-place Whitfield, who was the Division IV champion a year ago.

Talbot was second in 400 and ninth in 200 last year.

A southern Arizona runner captured a distance double — winning the 800 and 1600 meters — Carlos Villareal of Rio Rico.

"You definitely have to conserve some energy but you just have to believe in yourself," Villareal said. "If you are tired after one race, you have to keep thinking positive. I didn't want to doubt myself."

Villareal didn't get the lead until the final 200 meters of the 800 meters, but then kicked past the field, clocking 1:53.00, well ahead of Jordan Gardner of Snowflake (1:54.31). Villareal won the 1600 meters in 4:19.27, more than four seconds ahead of Tuba City's Anthony Masayesva, earlier in the day.

He said he wanted to conserve energy after that first race.

"Just run a smart race and go hard in the last lap," Villareal said of the 1600 strategy. "Just go for the win. I knew I had enough energy to pull off a strong kick at the end."

Villareal was fourth in the 800 a year ago.

Tanner Bingham of Round Valley won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.07, outpacing Sean Battle of Tucson Sabino (15.46) and Andre Davis of Sedona Red Rock (15.51).

Jordan Davis of Safford won the 300 meter hurdles in 39.87 over Red Rock's Davis (40.75) and Jake Hageman of Surprise Shadow Ridge (41.07). The gold medalist knocked more than a second off his preliminary time.

The Blue Ridge 400-meter relay team of Andrew Gomez, Bryce Henderson, Chris Johnson and Brennan Schimmel won in 43.81 over Mingus (43.86) and Seton (43.93).

In the final event of the night in Division III, the Cottonwood Mingus 1,600-meter relay team won in a time of 3:26.67.

Rio Rico won the 3,200 meter relay on Friday and was second in the 1600 on Saturday.

Ryan Rodriguez of Chandler Seton won the triple jump with a leap of 43 feet, 7.5 inches, just outjumping Seth Jarus of Wickenburg, who had a jump of 43 feet and 4.25 inches. Chai Voccola of Sedona Red Rock jumped an even 43 feet.

In the pole vault, Snowflake's Quentin Scott cleared 14 feet even, a foot better than Kohl Shannon of Payson and Payton Herbert of Thatcher.

Conner Allen of Safford won the shot put with a throw of 48 feet, 8.5 inches, ahead of Mikhael Gomez of Buckeye (48 feet, 1.25 inches).

Chapman squeezes out 100M victory

At Mesa Community College

• Sophomore Wyatt Chapman of Payson won the highlight event of the day — the 100 meters by .11.

• Carlos Villareal of Rio Rico won two distance races — the 800 in 1:53 and the 1,600 in 4:19.27.

• Ryan Talbot of Cottonwood Mingus coasted in the 400 meters, a half second ahead of St. Mary's Simon Whitfield, the Division IV champ a year ago at Phoenix Verias Prep, then won the 200 meters later in the evening.

• Ryan Rodriguez of Chandler Seton took the triple jump with a leap of 43 feet, 7 ½ inches, just 3 inches ahead of Seth Jarus of Wickenburg.

— Al Bravo/Special for azcentral sports