DV girls 3rd, MP girls 8th at state track

The Desert Vista girls track team didn't have a single state champion. Yet, somehow, they still placed third as a team at the Class 5A-Division I state meet held last week at DV.

"Obviously, that talks about our depth," said Thunder co-coach Ryan Stanley. "We've got every area chipping points."

Jndia Cleveland (300-meter hurdles) and Alex Weatherly (pole vault) came the closest, as both finished runner-up in their respective events. The Thunder's 4-by-100, 4-by-400 and 4-by-800 relay teams all also took third.

Shaylah Simpson was fourth in the pole vault and teammate Heather Arseneau was eighth.

Courtney Kastelic was third in the discus, and also eighth in the shot put.

Chandler won its third-consecutive title with 141.5 points; Phoenix Xavier Prep (99 points) was second. DV had 55.5 points.

"They stepped up, tremendously," DV co-coach Chris Hanson said of the girls. "We knew Xavier was going to be tough to beat, so to be third to them and Chandler, two great programs, you have to be happy with that."

Mountain Pointe's girls were eighth with 31 points.

The Pride's 4-by-800 team was its top finisher, placing second.

Jameena Trotter was fourth in the discus and also sixth in the shot put.

Natasa Vulic was sixth in the 3,200 and seventh in both the 800 and 1,600.

Aubri Carman was seventh in the 3,200.

The Pride's boys team took home sixth, with 35 points.

MP had two state champions on its boys team, with Michael Woodham winning the 100 hurdles in 14.03 and Will Claye taking the triple jump with an all-Arizona record of 52-4 3/4.

Woodham was also runner-up in the 300 hurdles, and Claye also took third in the long jump.

Brady Alling was the team's only other placer, coming in eighth in the 3,200.