The Wasilla girls track team will take aim at Dimond's run of state track and field championships and Warriors star Morgan Dampier will try to lower her own state record in the 800 at the state meet today and Saturday at Lathrop High in Fairbanks.
Dimond, winners of the last three state championships as well as last week's Cook Inlet Conference championship, have a pair of defending champions in Jessica Todd (long jump) and Keiahnna Engel (100 hurdles), plus plenty of depth.
Wasilla, the winner of last week's Region III championships, has never won a state track title, but the Warriors have a shot this year thanks in part to Dampier, a junior who owns the state's best times in the 200 meters (26.18 seconds), 400 meters (57.26) and 800 meters (2:12.27). Dampier's season-best in the 800 is more than 1.5 seconds faster than the state mark of 2:13.95 she set at last year's state meet.
Among the boys, the CIC has three teams that could contend for the team title -- Bartlett, Dimond and Service.
The Golden Bears are the three-time defending champs. They have three athletes who have posted state-bests this season -- sprinter Daquon Brunson (22.29 in the 200, 48.22 in the 400), shot putter Tim Dommek (52-10) and long jumper Richard Predmore (21-8.5).
Dimond won last week's CIC title and had a double- winner in J.J. Jack-Nixon, the defending state champion in the 400, while Service is strong in the distances events behind Silas Talbot and Jani Lane. Talbot won the 3,200 and 1,600 at state last year.
In the Class 1-2-3A championships, Grace Christian is the defending boys champion, but sprinter Gabriella Servanti, the reigning champ in the 200 and 400, is back and could make the Grizzlies a contender for the girls title.
State Track and Field Championship Records
Boys
Shot put -- Jordan Clarke, Bartlett, 71-3, 2008.
Discus -- Jordan Clarke, Bartlett, 192-7, 2007.
High jump -- Ben Jackson, Service, 6-9, 2009.
Long jump -- Derrick Ladson, West Valley, 23-0, 1997.
Triple jump -- Joel Mahaffey, Soldotna, 45-10 1/4, 1993.
110 hurdles -- Ollie Massingale, Bartlett, 14.4 (h), 1989.
300 hurdles -- Nathan Moffett, Chugiak, 38.9 (h), 1989
100 -- Joel Knight, Soldotna, 10.90, 1995.
200 -- Joel Knight, Soldotna, 21.90, 1995.
400 -- Ethan Hewitt, Chugiak, 47.78, 2007.
800 -- Doug Herron, Bartlett, 1:49.2 (h), 1985.
1,600 -- Doug Herron, Bartlett, 4:13.0 (h), 1985.
3,200 -- Jake Parisien, Palmer, 9:11.27, 2008.
Two mile -- Don Clary, East, 9:04.4 (h), 1975.
400 relay -- East (De. Wilson, Knutson, Sosa, Da. Wilson), 43.50, 2006.
800 relay -- Bartlett (Ingram, Robinson, Myles, Pennino), 1:28.5 (h), 1990.
1,600 relay -- East (Singleton, Perham, Brownsberger, Stephens), 3:23.6 (h), 1982.
3,200 relay -- Service (Talbot, Walgren, Mamikunian, Lane), 7:54.39, 2010.
Girls
Shot put -- Jenny Luer, Palmer, 44-4 3/4, 1997.
Discus -- Jenny Luer, Palmer, 143-2, 1997.
High jump -- Renae Pickarsky, Soldotna, 5-6, 1983.
Long jump -- Janay DeLoach, Eielson, 19-5, 2003.
Triple jump -- Sylvia Bullock, Service, 37-4 1/2, 2006.
100 hurdles -- Keiahnna Engel, Dimond, 14.90, 2010.
300 hurdles -- Lara Kelley, Chugiak, 44.93, 1994.
100 -- Starlett Jackson, Bartlett, 11.8 (h), 1981.
200 -- Yvette Ervin, Eielson, 25.1 (h), 1982.
400 -- Lierin Flanagan, Kenai, 55.95, 2010.
800 -- Morgan Dampier, Wasilla, 2:13.95, 2010.
1,600 -- Kris Smith, West, 4:55.89, 2003.
One mile -- Betsy Haines, East, 4:56.3 (h), 1977.
3,200 -- Kristi Klinnert, Kodiak, 10:37.7 (h), 1986.
400 relay -- East (Black, Preston, Marenah, Smith), 49.77, 2005.
800 relay -- East (Bailey, Preston, Dollison, Smith), 1:44.86, 2003.
1,600 relay -- Kenai (Sandahl, DeVito, Beeson, Flanagan), 4:01.72, 2010.
3,200 relay -- West Valley (Johnson, Gillis, Miller, Callahan), 9:35.21, 2004.
Anchorage Daily News
sports@adn.com