Centennial’s boys 4x100-meter relay team, featured in Peoria Today two weeks ago, is the Coyotes top contender for a Division II gold medal, but not the only one.

Sophomore Rylee Perkins is ranked No. 2 in the long jump and junior Jamia Clark is No. 4 with a bullet in the shot put, after adding nearly four feet to her best mark during the season.

Two 2017 champions from Peoria schools are looking to defend in the state meet this week. Liberty senior Asiah Fields is a clear favorite in the Division II 400 meters, while Peoria faces a challenge from Queen Creek Casteel to repeat in the Division III 4x800-meter relay. Panthers seniors Lahad Adehim and Bak Reyak could win the individual 800 meters.

Kellis senior Jae’Nisa Heckstall will try for a second state championship in the Division II 100- and 300-meter hurdles this week at the state track championships.

She enters the meet with the third-best time in the 100 hurdles, and fourth in the 300. She also is ranked fourth in the 100-meter dash, just behind senior teammate Alyssa Bishop.

The Glendale school with the best chance to take home a first-place medal is Mountain Ridge, which boasts the top rated 4x800-meter relay team in Division I. The team of Gavin Allen, Austin Clayton, Vivek Ravi and Reier Gilbertson nearly has a one-second advantage of second-rated Phoenix Pinnacle.

Cactus and Deer Valley will also rely on distance runners. Juniors Maggie Gibbs (Cactus) and Emily Stutesman (Deer Valley) are top contenders as is Deer Valley freshman Randy Espinoza.

Dysart junior Kiara Anderson, ranked second in the Division II shot put and fourth in discus, is the top Dysart Unified School District contender for track and field medals this week.

Shadow Ridge senior Kyle Kerr, the defending Division II 800 meter champion, has missed most of the season due to an injury and is unlikely to compete.

In Division I, Valley Vista junior Timothy Ellis is ranked No. 2 and looks to continue the tradition established by state record holder Cole Riddle.

Today’s schedule includes field events in Division I and II and the girls’ 4x800 relays. Division III and IV field events are Friday and the majority of the finals are Saturday.

All state track and field championship events happen at Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Ave.

Here is a list of the other top track athletes in the area, based on their rankings April 30 on athletic.net:

Divsion I Girls

100

4. Dorian Nesby (Valley Vista) 12.09

200

3. Dorian Nesby (Valley Vista) 24.67

400

2. Dorian Nesby (Valley Vista) 55.93

High Jump

T4. Olivia Magby (Mountain Ridge) 5-4

Division I Boys

1600

7. Reier Gilbertson (Mountain RIdge) 4:22.38

4x800-meter relay

1. Mountain Ridge (Gavin Allen, Austin Clayton, Vivek Ravi, Reier Gilbertson) 8:07.57

Pole Vault

2. Timothy Ellis (Valley Vista) 15-0

Division II Girls

100

3. Alyssa Bishop (Kellis), 12.24

4. Jae’Nisa Heckstall (Kellis), 12.25

8. Asiah Fields (Liberty), 12.30

9. Mary Agube (Liberty), 12.33

10. Janyah Jasper (Ironwood), 12.34

200

4. Asiah Fields (Liberty) 24.72

10. Mary Agube (Liberty) 25.42

400

1. Asiah Fields (Liberty) 54.59

10. Rajanah Reed (Deer Valley) 58.82

800

9. Allison Veloz (Willow Canyon) 2:20.88

1. Ella Escobar (Liberty) 2:22.52

1600

T8. Emily Stutesman (Deer Valley) 5:21.23

3200

6. Emily Stutesman (Deer Valley) 11:33.21

100 Hurdles

3. Jae’Nisa Heckstall (Kellis) 14.63

5. Kiya Pogue (Centennial) 15.17

10. Ella Escobar (Liberty) 15.50

300 Hurdles

4. Jae’Nisa Heckstall (Kellis) 45.11

5. Ella Escobar (Liberty) 45.64

4x100-meter relay

3. Liberty (Mary Agube, Asiah Fields, Synfanie Crudder, Kayle Hooley) 47.83

10. Centennial (Jayda Pogue, Maria Rivera Mendez, Rylee Perkins, Kiya Pogue) 50.08

4x400-meter relay

2. Liberty (Mary Agube, Asiah Fields, Brooklyn Howe, Hailey Lawry) 3:55.70

4. Kellis (Jae’Nisa Heckstall, Alyssa Bishop, Athena Melchor, Love Alsenay) 4:06.31

5. Shadow Ridge (Liberty Anglin, Gretchen Kuffel, Bayley Forbis, Maya Turner) 4:06.49

8. Willow Canyon (Allison Veloz, Olivia De La Torre, Daniella Vigilant, Trinity Cooper) 4:08.32

4x800-meter relay

4. Sunrise Mountain (Katelynn Freeman, Haley Prey, Kristen Curtis, Olivia Dalberg) 10:06.09

7. Kellis (Lorena Corrales, Jordyn Padgett, Athena Melchor, Love Alsenay) 10:14.63

9. Shadow Ridge (Liberty Anglin, Gretchen Kuffel, Julianne Meyer, Kaia Wood) 10:16.04

Shot Put

2. Kiara Anderson (Dysart) 39-8.5

4. Jamia Clark (Centennial) 38-9

Discus

4. Kiara Anderson (Dysart) 119-6

6. Olivia Lentz (Shadow Ridge) 112-9

7. Liana Tuitu’u (Centennial) 110-4

10. Kenedee Pooler (Liberty) 107-11

High Jump

T3. Mikayla Shaver (Liberty) 5-2

T3. Amanda Adorjani (Sunrise Mountain) 5-2

T3. Celeste Mayfield (Shadow Ridge) 5-2

Pole Vault

T9. Madeline Lane (Liberty) 9-6

T9. Kiana Newberry (Sunrise Mountain) 9-6

Long Jump

2. Rylee Perkins (Centennial) 18-10.5

T6. Lauren Tobias (Shadow Ridge) 17-2

Triple Jump

3. Melissa Rohrer (Sunrise Mountain) 36-8

From left to right, Centennial's 4x200m team Kieran Clark, Kenneth Williams, Jeiel Stark and Dominque Hampton pose for a photograph on April 11 at Centennial High School in Peoria. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]

Division II Boys

100

6. Kieran Clark (Centennial) 10.85

9. Dominique Hampton (Centennial) 10.90

200

7. Dominique Hampton (Centennial) 21.95

400

8. Jawon Watson (Willow Canyon) 49.69

9. Martay Mayfield (Shadow Ridge) 49.72

10. Charles Proby (Dysart) 50.00

800

8. Joseph Martinez (Centennial) 1:58.76

1600

2. Daniel Avila (Centennial) 4:21.74

4. Randy Espinoza (Deer Valley) 4:22.10

5. Joseph Martinez (Centennial) 4:26.16

3200

3. Randy Espinoza (Deer Valley) 9:32.42

5. Braedon Palmer (Sunrise Mountain) 9:36.62

7. Daniel Avila (Centennial) 9:38.95

9. Logan Wall-Harris (Deer Valley) 9:40.58

110 Hurdles

3. Kieran Clark (Centennial) 14.88

300 Hurdles

10. Isaiah Diaz (Kellis) 40.43

Shot Put

8. Andrew Scott (Shadow Ridge) 48-4

13. Brett Elrod (Liberty) 46-9

17. Xavier Robinson (Deer Valley) 45-7

20. Gabe Young (Deer Valley) 45-2.5

4x100 Meter Relay

1. Centennial (Ethan Dedmon, Kieran Clark, Kenny Williams, Dominique Hampton)

4x800 Meter Relay

3. Deer Valley (Josh Paduganan, Brandon Valdez, Trenton Green, Randy Espinoza) 8:09.50

9. Centennial (Daniel Avila, Aaron Fawley, Joseph Martinez, Alexander Coyle) 8:21.44

10. Shadow Ridge (Cameron Dietrich, Bryan Brown, Austin Smalley, Aidan Johansson) 8:21.82

Shot Put

10. Alex McKeon (Deer Valley) 47-3

Discus

3. Joshua Scott (Shadow Ridge) 168-2

5. Xavier Robinson-Delgado (Deer Valley) 162-6

9. Alex McKeon (Deer Valley) 154-8

High Jump

4. Michael Kerstiens (Centennial) 6-4

T5. Ajang Aguek (Ironwood) 6-2

T5. Carl Bouanga (Kellis) 6-2

T5. Favian Tippin (Centennial) 6-2

Division III Girls

800

3. Maggie Gibbs (Cactus) 2:22.78

1600

2. Maggie Gibbs (Cactus) 5:15.61

3200

5. Maggie Gibbs (Cactus) 11:29.04

4x100-meter relay

5. Peoria (Dejanae Harris, Rylee Bell, Jordan Chavez, Amayah Vaughn) 51.35

4x400-meter relay

7. Cactus (Felycity Lipsey, Kaliyah Taft, Angelina Butche, Maggie Gibbs) 4:16.62

High Jump

T2. Malena McDonald (Cactus) 5-2

Division III Boys

100

3. Juwaun Price (Peoria) 10.91

200

8. Juwaun Price (Peoria) 22.53

400

9. Lahad Adeim (Peoria) 51.02

800

1. Lahad Adeim (Peoria) 1:56.39

3. Bak Reyak (Peoria) 1:59.79

1600

10. Bak Reyak (Peoria) 4:35.04

300 Hurdles

7. Garrett Monroe (Cactus) 40.84

4x400-Meter Relay

6. Lahad Adehim, Juwaun Price, Aaron Owsiany, Bak Reyak (Peoria) 3:31.95

4x800-Meter Relay

2. Lahad Adehim, Kody Romero, Johnathan Loya, Bak Reyak 8:16.68

High Jump

T10. Malachi Potee (Peoria) 6-2

Division IV Girls

100

2. Hannah Goble (NW Christian) 12.92

7. Rachel Schmidt (Glendale Prep) 13.10

200

4. Hannah Goble (NW Christian) 26.91

800

6. Ani Durrell (Glendale Prep) 2:27.02

3200

7. Ani Durrell (Glendale Prep) 11:59.40

100 Hurdles

2. Makenna McClure (NW Christian) 16.14

300 Hurdles

4. Makenna McClure (NW Christian) 48.52

4x400-meter relay

9. Zoe Davidson, Mallorie Britton, Maddie Forman, Lindsay Knott (Glendale Prep) 4:29.04

4x800-meter relay

9. Zoe Davidson, Ani Durrell, Maddie Forman, Lindsay Knott (Glendale Prep) 10:29.37

Long Jump

2. Makenna McClure (NW Christian) 16-4

8. Eliza Trimble (Glendale Prep) 15-8

Triple Jump

1. Makenna McClure (NW Christian) 35-4

6. Eliza Trimble (Glendale Prep) 33-3 1/2

High Jump

7. Eliza Trimble (Glendale Prep) 4-10

400-Meter Relay

9. Northwest Christian 53.21

Division IV Boys

4x100-meter relay

8. Northwest Christian (Adam Bunch, Thomas Poe, Aren VanHofwegen, Jackson Groff) 46.08

4x400-meter relay

9. Glendale Prep (Aaron Webdale, Ryan Cullum, Ian Martell, Ronin Beck) 3:38.63

3200-Meter Relay

1. Northwest Christian (Josh Stanley, Jordan Ehlers, Tim Williams, Kody Dehart) 8:42.73