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Grant's long jump as good as goldArizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.11.2008
PHOENIX — Mountain View's Donovant Grant sprung up following his final long jump attempt Saturday and jogged to the front of the pit where his distance was being measured.
After hearing his result, Grant pumped his fist and walked away grinning.
The junior learned that he jumped 23 feet 6 1/4 inches and was the gold medalist at the Class 5A-II state championship track and field meet at Desert Vista High School.
"I'm not even done yet," Grant said. "I still have another year to get better."
His victory helped Mountain View place fourth place in the team standings with 65 1/2 points. Ironwood Ridge also was in the top 10 at eighth place (36).
Grant set a personal record and broke his school record, which he set earlier this year.
"With each jump, I just kept getting better and better," Grant said. "I knew it was there; I just had to find it."
On the 5A-II girls side, Ironwood Ridge high jumper Lauren Laszczak cleared the bar at 5 feet 3 inches, making the sophomore a first-time state champ.
"It doesn't even really feel like state," Laszczak said. "Last year, since I was a freshman, I was nervous. This year (I) was way more laid back."
After being the only jumper to clear 5-1, Laszczak cleared 5-3, then narrowly missed on her attempt at 5-5. Having placed fifth at last year's 4A-I state meet, she said her newfound success will raise expectations for 2009.
The Ironwood Ridge girls finished with 48 points, good enough for fifth place. The Nighthawks were aided by freshman phenom Sarah Miville, who claimed another state championship.
After winning the 1,600 meters on Wednesday, Miville won the 3,200 on Saturday.
She said she felt "awesome" after winning two gold medals at her first state meet.
"My dad told me, 'Just because you did good in middle school doesn't mean you're going to do good in high school. You have to work your way up," Miville said. "I guess I worked my way up."
She also won the cross country state title last November.
The Rincon/University girls were the best Southern Arizona finisher in third place (57 1/2 points). Mountain View was sixth (44).
Amie Kilgore won a state title in the triple jump with a leap of 35-0, a nice follow-up to her 5A Southern Region II victory in the event on May 2.
Rincon's Tamara Pridgett finished second in the 100 meters, 200 and 400. Her best finish came in the 400 with a time of 58.31 seconds.
"Of course I'm disappointed," said Pridgett, who won the 100 and 200 last year at the 4A-I level. "We all wanted the gold, but I'm excited that I got to race with some of the best in Arizona."
In 5A-I boys, Tucson's Caleb Mesta came from behind on the third leg to put his school's 3,200 relay team on the medal stand. The Badgers were in ninth place when Mesta got the baton, but his performance put them in second place.
Tucson finished third overall and set a school record with a time of 8:00.72.
"We're gonna come back next year and win it," Mesta said.
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