AIA Division Track and Field State Championship round-up: Vance Nilsson has historic day

The Arizona Interscholastic Association is in the second year of its new revamped format for the state track and field championships. The division state championships still take place, but the new element comes in the form of the Open State Championships, which will happen on May 10-11 at Mesa Community College.

The 2024 AIA Divisional State Track and Field Championships were spread out across three days at Red Mountain High School and Glendale Deer Valley High School, concluding on Saturday. It was a weekend filled with a handful of top performances, highlighted by one near national high school record. Here's a rundown:

Nilsson’s historic day

The afternoon got off to a perfect start for Gilbert senior Vance Nilsson, who broke Phoenix Brophy Prep’s Devon Allen’s 2013 Arizona state record in the 110-meter hurdles by running 13.39 in the Division I race. Nilsson had come close before this season to the old record of 13.50 when he ran 13.54 twice.

Now, his name is above the two-time Olympian. Nilsson, usually a quiet and reserved person, let out a huge roar after breaking the record.

“When I saw him celebrate after the 110s, that was the most emotion I’ve seen out of him all year,” Gilbert track and field coach Devin Green said. “He had been telling the coaches all week he was feeling great, feeling fast.”

Then, less than three hours later, Nilsson lined up for the 300-meter hurdles — an event in which he already owns the state record in. But this time, Nilsson was aiming for something higher. And it nearly happened.

Nilsson ran 35.05 to nearly break the 2009 national high school record of 35.02 set in 2009 by California’s Reggie Wyatt. Nilsson was within literal inches of setting the record. But he feels there is still room to improve this season, and will get a chance to do so at the upcoming AIA Open State Championships.

“It was a great performance,” said Jayson Vazquez, who helps coach Nilsson at the club level with the Arizona Flames. “He actually got close on the second, third (hurdle) and jumped kind of high over the sixth. I felt like he was on pace to do a 34.9 today. I’m ecstatic. This has been his dream. His dream was to break the state record, and once he did that, it was within his grasp to go ahead for the national record. We still have time, next week at MCC.”

Team scores

Division I Girls

1. Chandler, 90 points

2. Desert Vista, 66 points

3. Highland, 64.5 points

Boys

1. Chandler, 73 points

2. Desert Vista, 62 points

3. Queen Creek, 52.5 points

Division II

Girls

1. Canyon View, 112 points

2. North Canyon, 106 points

3. Campo Verde, 74.75 points

Boys

1. Williams Field, 51 points

2. Notre Dame Prep, 41 points

3. Desert Edge, 38 points

Division III

Girls

1. Salpointe Catholic, 86 points

2. ALA Queen Creek, 78 points

3. Arizona College Prep, 64 points

Boys

1. Salpointe Catholic, 114.5 points

2. ALA Queen Creek, 66 points

3. Flagstaff, 39 points

Division IV

Girls

1. Snowflake, 146.5 points

2. Gilbert Christian, 68 points

3. Benjamin Franklin, 63.5 points

Boys

1. Snowflake, 102 points

2. Valley Christian, 80 points

3. Show Low, 52 points

Division V

Girls

1. Arizona Lutheran Academy, 94 points

2. Pima, 66 points

3. Glendale Prep Academy, 66 points

Boys

1. Arete Prep, 82 points

2. Chandler Prep, 80 points

3. Arizona Lutheran Academy, 56 points

Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school and Olympic sports. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@LSscribe.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AIA Division Track & Field State Championships: Nilsson makes history