Arizona track and field: Sophomore’s title highlights Goodyear-area school performances at state
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Asad Ali competes in a hurdles final during the Open Arizona Track and Field Championships on May 16 at Mesa Community College. The Desert Edge senior placed third in the 110 hurdles and was sixth in the 300 hurdles at the invitational meet.
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Ava Davis competes in the Open Arizona Track and Field Championships on May 16 at Mesa Community College. The Millennium sophomore won the 200 meters state title and was a close runner-up in the 100 meters.
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Asad Ali competes in a hurdles final during the Open Arizona Track and Field Championships on May 16 at Mesa Community College. The Desert Edge senior placed third in the 110 hurdles and was sixth in the 300 hurdles at the invitational meet.
MESA — When Ava Davis turns gets to the last one-fourth of her sprints, she seems to find another gear.
That’s how the Millennium sophomore managed to beat more experienced sprinters May 15 and 16 at the Open Arizona Track and Field Championships at Mesa Community College.
Davis won the 200-meter final May 16, beating Aulani Gleason of Mesquite by only 0.01 seconds. She also placed second in the 100-meter final at the invitational all-classes meet, with her time of 11.90 only 0.07 behind champion and senior Addysan Prassas of North Canyon.
“I felt better in my finals today than yesterday (in the prelims),” Davis said May 16 after climbing down from the awards podium. “I think I definitely had been fighting myself a lot.”
Davis said getting past self-doubt is big part of her sprinting success.
“I was less sure of what I can do,” Davis said of the prelims. “But I was able to run more relaxed today and could trust my training.”
Davis said she's learned to not panic whenever she doesn't get out of the blocks perfectly or otherwise doesn't have a great start to a race.
“I feel like my turnover speed definitely helps carry me,” Davis said. “If I did have some fault early on, I try to make it up in my turnover.”
She helped Millennium tie for 10th place among the 53 schools with at least one girls athlete at the event, with 18 points.
Davis said she’ll probably do some type of training related to sprints this summer, but isn’t sure yet what that will look like.
Unlike some other recent seasons, Millennium and Desert Edge didn’t have quite as many athletes invited this year to the Open meet. Millennium sophomore Rowland Greer made the finals of the boys 100 meters.
The Tiger boys’ 4-by-400 meter relay team of Josiah Davis, Jonas Diedrich, Endy Dixon and Alijah Whiten placed 12th.
Desert Edge senior Asad Ali placed third in the 110 hurdles and was sixth in the 300 hurdles at the meet. He was getting medical treatment for an apparent quad injury after the 300 hurdles final, run later in the evening.
The Scorpions had 9 boys team points.
Desert Edge’s Dayvon Standard was invited to the meet in the long jump, but didn’t compete.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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