10. Yohanes Van Meerten Drops a 62 Second Last Lap to Win the 3200m
After the first lap, the 3200m state record holder took firm control of the race and never relinquished the lead. He then closed in 62 seconds, winning by 15 seconds over the field in 8:57.17. This victory earned Yohanes Van Meerten his first State title on the track.
9. Dash Wasson Wins an Epic Head-to-Head Pole Vault Battle
Because the pole vault featured two of the nation's top 10 pole vaulters, it guaranteed one of the best competitions in AIA State history. Dash Wasson and Kadyn Hysong cleared 17-2 on their second attempt, but neither cleared the next height at 17-6. The winner was determined by a tie-breaker based on the more efficient series of jumps. Wasson was determined to be the champion because he had one fewer failed attempt.
8. Desert Sweeps the Boys & Girls Discus
Desert Vista flexed its throwing strength by Tatum Lee and Trenton Busher-Stanislas winning the AIA Discus State titles. Tatum Lee threw 144-09 on her fifth throw to secure the victory, while Busher-Stanislas launched the discus 178-05 feet on his third throw, outlasting the rest of the field to win his title.
7. Ryder Hall Wins the High Jump and Triple Jump
All season, Ryder Hall has proven to be one of the best jumpers in the state, and that was on full display last weekend. He first won the triple jump with a leap of 48-7.75 on Friday and finished 4th in the long jump to start Saturday. He ended Saturday with a personal record of 6-10 in the high jump, winning his second championship of the weekend.
6. Jett Merill Scores 28pts by Himself
At the AIA State Track and Field Championships, Jett Merrill scored 28 points in three events to put a stamp on an amazing senior season. He secured a victory in the 110m hurdles and Long Jump while finishing runner-up in the 100m. His highlight event was the 110mH, where he ran sub-14 seconds for the third consecutive time this season.
5. The Girls' 1600m Decided by 3-hundreths of a Second
Audra Huempfner and Milanni Pedraza battled in the final 100m of the 1600m to determine the AIA State Champion. The two ran completely different races, with Huempfner starting in 16th place while Pedraza stayed in the top three throughout. In the final 300m, Huempfner took the lead. Pedraza made a late charge, but the two finished just 3-hundredths of a second apart. Huempfner ran 4:57.89 to win the State title, while Pedraza ran 4:57.92 to finish runner-up.
4. The Boys 4x400m Relay Being Decided By 0.34 Seconds
The boys' 4x400m relay final delivered like it always does, with an exhilarating battle to the finish between Hamilton and Marana. The Hamilton boys, consisting of Christian Hinton, Roye Oliver, Keaton Fields, and Christian Riley, ran 3:15.21, beating Marana by only 0.34 seconds.
3. Sophomore Brecken Bellows Epic 800m Upset
Tyler Martin, Bryson Nielsen, and now maybe Brecken Bellows are the latest great 800m runners to come out of Arizona. The O'Connor sophomore entered the State Final as the 9th seed and left with a 2-second improvement, earning an AIA State title. Bellows entered the final lap with the lead and carried that momentum to a blistering 1:51.91, moving to U.S. No.3 in the national rankings.
2. Nicole Ripperdan Barley Misses the 800m State Record, 2:06.05
Nicole Ripperdan's historic Arizona high school career came to an end with the race of her life in the 800m. After running a 62-second first lap, Ripperdan didn't slow down, and Dominique Mustin's State Record of 2:06.05 looked like a real possibility as she pulled away from the field. Ripperdan closed in 63 seconds, running 2:06.05 to set a personal record by three seconds and secure back-to-back state titles.
1. Imani Galera Young Breaks the 300m Hurdles State Record
After winning her second consecutive AIA 100mH State Championship, Imani Galera-Young stepped it up another level in the 300mH. Galera-Young ran 40.65, breaking the Arizona state record set by Saira Prince in 2023 and winning her second consecutive 300mH championship. This historic performance also moves her up to #3 in the U.S. rankings this year. The senior will now prepare for the 100mH at the Brooks PR Invitational on June 7th, then attend the University of Arkansas this fall.
10. Yohanes Van Meerten Drops a 62 Second Last Lap to Win the 3200m
After the first lap, the 3200m state record holder took firm control of the race and never relinquished the lead. He then closed in 62 seconds, winning by 15 seconds over the field in 8:57.17. This victory earned Yohanes Van Meerten his first State title on the track.
9. Dash Wasson Wins an Epic Head-to-Head Pole Vault Battle
Because the pole vault featured two of the nation's top 10 pole vaulters, it guaranteed one of the best competitions in AIA State history. Dash Wasson and Kadyn Hysong cleared 17-2 on their second attempt, but neither cleared the next height at 17-6. The winner was determined by a tie-breaker based on the more efficient series of jumps. Wasson was determined to be the champion because he had one fewer failed attempt.
8. Desert Sweeps the Boys & Girls Discus
Desert Vista flexed its throwing strength by Tatum Lee and Trenton Busher-Stanislas winning the AIA Discus State titles. Tatum Lee threw 144-09 on her fifth throw to secure the victory, while Busher-Stanislas launched the discus 178-05 feet on his third throw, outlasting the rest of the field to win his title.
7. Ryder Hall Wins the High Jump and Triple Jump
