1A Boys Track & Field: Repeat Champions Highlight Day 1 of State Meet

LAKEWOOD – Winning one state title isn’t easy.

Trying to defend that title isn’t, either, but Swink’s Javin Summers did just that on Thursday.

The junior won his second-straight Class 1A title in the boys long jump at the state track and field championships at Jefferson County Stadium.

“It’s definitely not easy,” he said. “I’ve tried to do a lot of work in the off-season. It paid off. I did better this year, I think, than last year.”

Summers had a winning leap of 21 feet, 11.25 inches, just ahead of Pikes Peak Christian junior Matthew Crocfer, who had a season-best leap of 21-6.

“I’m happy with it,” Summers said. “It’s neck-and-neck competition up here. So it’s definitely really nice, but also having the competition is super good. It definitely helps you push.”

Summers has a busy weekend ahead. He’ll try to defend his triple jump title on Friday and on Saturday he’ll compete in the high jump. He was second in that event last year.

“I think it’s definitely nice to start off with a victory,” he said. “It definitely gets your mind in there a little more. Just excited about it. Another year is pretty much almost over, though, so I’m kind of sad about that, but … it was definitely good.”

Springfield’s Jett Konkel successfully defended a title, as well, but that wasn’t his main goal.

A senior, he won the shot put for the second year in a row, with a throw of 50 feet, 3.5 inches. Primero’s Kailain Sanford was second at 47-8.25.

“To be honest, kind of disappointing,” Konkel said of his performance. “I was already the leader in the state by about four feet. I wasn’t so much here to win the state title versus get the record, and I didn’t throw too great today.”

He was well off the 1A state meet record of 53-5.5, but felt he could get it.

“I was rushing through my throws real bad,” he said. “On my 50 foot throw, I felt like I had another, like, five feet in me. So, just disappointing. I did good, but still not what I wanted.”

Still, Konkel was able to appreciate his accomplishment as a two-time champ, and a five-time state medalist.

“This is an experience I’ll never forget. I love it,” he said.

Konkel’s teammate, meanwhile, got off to a great start to what he hopes is a huge weekend.

Junior Parker Arbuthnot won the 3,200 meters in 9 minutes, 56.47 seconds, cruising past second-place Gabriel Gutierrez-Gleason of Plateau Valley, who finished in 10:32.99.

Arbuthnot won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 last year and is aiming for all three again.

“It was important to start off on the right foot,” he said. “I told myself Wednesday is the last day I’m thinking about any other race than what I’m running that day. So today, it was all two-mile. Tomorrow it’ll be all 800 and 4×8. And then Saturday will be all the mile. But honestly, glory to God, man. Without Him, I’m nothing.”

Although Arbuthnot won easily, he said he had a “nightmare” earlier this week that he lost the 3,200 meters. When Gutierrez-Gleason got off to a blistering start in the first two laps, Arbuthnot thought of that nightmare.

“Oh my gosh, that was eating at me in those first two laps,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh no, oh no!’ So I was like, I just got to stay with him.”

Through three events, McClave has the lead in the team standings, with 26 points, while Springfield is second with 20.