Provo » For the Springville boys' swim team's Calvin Clark, the road to his first individual state title in the 200 individual medley at BYU on Friday was a straightforward one.
There were no shortcuts. No race-day secrets.
"It's just a lot of hard work," said Clark, who won the event in 1 minute, 57.9 seconds -- nearly two seconds ahead of nearest competitor Kyler Hodgson of Bountiful. "Tomorrow, I've got to get another one."
While Clark competes for his first-ever state title in the 500-freestyle today at BYU, his team will be chasing down its third-consecutive 4A state title.
For Springville coach Amyee Hargett, a similarly simple explanation is behind the Red Devils' emerging dynasty.
"Three years ago, we just had a really strong group of guys who decided they wanted to win a state title," Springville coach Amyee Hargett said. "Everyone just jumped on board."
The Red Devils certainly set the bar high on day one. Though Clark was Springville's only individual champion of the the Red Devils had nine individual swimmers place in the day one's finals. Seniors Cody Fullmer and Jefferson McClain placed fourth and fifth in the 200 freestyle, respectively while juniors Shane Williams and Kolby Hargett placed third and seventh in the 50 freestyle to contribute 28 points to the Red Devils' 120-point total.
But the fight is far from over. Led by the dominant performances of multiple state-record holder Jake Taylor, Mountain Crest hopes to derail the Red Devils in today's second day of competition.
"We're in a good position, but anyone can still win," Hargett said.
Meanwhile, the Logan girls' swim team is chasing down history.
The Grizzlies jumped out to an early lead in the Class 4A race behind a dominant showing in the 200 freestyle. Janessa Gammill won her fourth-consecutive state title in the event, winning in a time of 1 minute, 58.22 seconds while freshman teammates Nichole Sorensen and Jamie Hunsaker placed fourth and fifth, respectively. Senior Chelsea Powell's disqualification in the 200 individual medley was a disheartening finish to day one, but the Grizzlies still hold a dominant 112-80 lead over nearest competitor Timpview.
"We had one bad race, but overall everyone has exceeded my expectations," Logan coach Jerry Hodgkinson said. "[A state title] is the plan."
The Springville boys' swim team is on track for its third consecutive team title, leading Mountain Crest 120-104 after the first day.
» The Logan girls lead the team race with 112 points to Timpview's 80.
» The Grizzlies, seeking their first team state title, place three swimmers in the 200 freestyle to distance themselves from the pack.
For results from the state swimming championships Friday, see Prep Scoreboard. D8
For photos from the state swimming championships, visit www.tribpreps.com
