The Hive Sports

by James Tate

Part 1 — sprints, hurdles and throws events

The 2026 Region 1 girls track and field season opens with the kind of tension coaches dream about, and athletes train all winter to meet. Davis returns as the defending champion after edging Syracuse by just 1.75 points in one of the closest finishes in region history, while Layton wasn’t far behind and brings back enough firepower to claim the title.

With proven stars tuning up early in the season and a wave of newcomers ready to announce themselves, the race for this year’s title feels less like a prediction and more like an invitation to buckle up, because every event, every point, and every breakthrough is going to matter.

Sadie Fletcher

Sprints — 100m, 200m & 400m

Region 1 enters the spring with one of the deepest and most experienced sprint groups in recent memory, and at the front of that pack stands Weber senior Sadie Fletcher. A fixture among Utah’s elite sprinters since she burst onto the scene as a freshman, Fletcher returns as the clear favorite in both the 100 and 200 meters. She reached the state finals in both events last season, placing fifth in the 100 and sixth in the 200, and her personal bests of 12.16 and 25.00 make her the athlete everyone else is chasing.

But Region 1 won’t make her path easy.

In the 100 meters, Fletcher will see pressure from multiple directions. Davis senior Lydia Tarbet brings veteran consistency, while Layton counters with a strong senior duo in Amelia Smith and Brynn Kingston. Syracuse junior Aarianna Pearson adds breakout potential, and Weber senior Izzy Ririe gives the Warriors a formidable one‑two punch in the short sprints.

Farmington junior Addy Webb also enters the mix as a legitimate contender after clocking a 12.72 personal best and carrying momentum from an impressive indoor season. Last season, Fletcher, Tarbet, Smith, Kingston, Pearson, and Ririe all reached the finals of the Region 1 Championship 100m, showing how deep this field is.

The 200m shapes up to be just as competitive. Smith is expected to be a major factor here as well, joined by Davis seniors Sienna Holje and Tarbet, Pearson, Webb, Ririe, and Syracuse junior Shelby Lord, all of whom have the speed and range to push Fletcher deep into the season.
Early on, Fletcher remains the standard. The race within the race will be which challenger can close the gap, and whether Region 1’s depth can turn these events into weekly showdowns.

Kennedy Hadley (l) Sienna Holje (r)

The 400m enters the spring with a clear frontrunner, and a pack of challengers determined to close the gap. Holje returns for Davis as the defending Region 1 champion and the athlete everyone is chasing. She placed fifth at last year’s state meet in 57.79 and clocked a personal best of 57.71 in the prelims, establishing herself as one of Utah’s most reliable quarter‑milers.

But Syracuse is poised to make this event anything but a runaway.
The Titans bring one of the deepest 400m groups in the region, headlined by junior Talia Thompson (58.90), Pearson (59.21), Lord (59.48), and senior Kennedy Hadley (59.63), all of whom have broken the one‑minute barrier.

Their collective strength gives Syracuse multiple paths to the podium and ensures Holje will face pressure from the opening gun to the final straightaway. One to watch will be Layton senior Anna Ward, who has a personal best of 58.10 and made the state finals as a freshman and sophomore.

Holje remains the standard, but Region 1’s depth, especially Syracuse’s quartet, sets the stage for one of the most compelling battles of the spring. The question isn’t whether Holje will be challenged; it’s how close the Titans and Ward can get to the reigning champion when the stakes are highest.

McKenzie Hislop

Hurdles — 100m & 300m

Region 1’s hurdles picture shapes up as a three‑athlete showdown, with a defending champion, a state medalist, and a surging senior all positioned to battle for both event titles this spring.

Syracuse junior McKenzie Hislop, last year’s region champion in both the 100m and 300m hurdles, returns to defend her titles. Her 45.70 at the Davis District Championships stands as the top returning 300m hurdles mark in the region and showcases her ability to maintain form and rhythm through the final stretch.

Layton senior Ava Wyatt is right there with Hislop. The state runner‑up in the 100m hurdles owns the fastest returning time in 6A with her 15.05 performance in the state finals. She also delivered her best 300m hurdles race at state, clocking 45.87, keeping her firmly in contention for a sweep of the region titles. Webb of Farmington will also be a challenge for the top spots in the 100m hurdles with a personal best time of 16.03.

Tarbet of Davis adds even more depth to the race. She finished fourth at state in the 300m hurdles, posting a 45.81, and is ready to overtake Hislop and Wyatt, making the event one of the most tightly packed returning fields in Utah.

Syracuse may also have a rising threat in Thompson, who ran a personal‑best 46.12 at the Davis District Championships. If her progression continues, the Titans could place two athletes among the region’s top four hurdlers.

With three proven stars and a fourth contender on the rise, the hurdles events could become some of the most dramatic showdowns of the Region 1 season, where every tenth of a second has the potential to swing a title.

Abby Hall

Throwing Events

Region 1 enters a new era in the throws events without former Layton Lancer standout and current Oklahoma State athlete Burklie Burton. Her dominance over the past several seasons, state titles in the shot put and discus, plus a runner‑up finish in the javelin last spring, left a sizable imprint on the region.

With the graduation of Burton, the door finally opens for a fresh set of champions. The question now becomes whether each event crowns a different winner, or if one athlete can rise and claim multiple titles.

Syracuse junior Lorianne Feagaimaalii steps into the season as the clear favorite in the shot-put event. She was the region runner‑up a year ago and backed it up with a fifth‑place finish at state, highlighted by a best mark of 35’6.5″. Her teammate, sophomore Isla Jensen, isn’t far behind and returns the next‑best throw in Region 1 at 34’2.25″.

Layton senior Princess Faeamani aims to keep the Lancers in the title conversation with her 33’10” personal best, and fellow Lancer Allie Hunter adds depth after reaching 32’3.5″. This event could become one of the most tightly contested battles of the spring.

If Faeamani is going to make her biggest push anywhere, it may be in the discus. She brings back the top returning mark in the region at 124’8″ and has the experience to anchor Layton’s throws group.

Syracuse senior Maddie Wheeler surged at the state meet last year with a 119’6″ throw, putting her firmly in the hunt for a region title. Weber senior Abby Hall also delivered her best performance on the biggest stage, hitting 107’4″ at state and positioning herself as a reliable contender.

Hall returns as the only Region 1 javelin thrower to eclipse the 100‑foot barrier, entering the season with a personal best of 101’9″.

Layton senior Rev Beatty continues the Lancers’ tradition of strong javelin throwers and sits next in line with a mark of 92’3″. Faeamani adds yet another event to her résumé with the third‑best returning throw at 90’1″. With three athletes clustered near the top, the javelin could become one of the most unpredictable events in the region.

All times and marks courtesy of athletic.net and sporttrax.com

photos courtesy of James Tate