Godofredo Vasquez / For The BulletinSummitís Olivia Brooks, right, celebrates with teammate Hannah Tobiason, left, after finishing in first place in the girls Class 5A 3,000 meter championship at Hayward Field in Eugene on Friday.

EUGENE — Olivia Brooks was antsy to make a move.

The Summit sophomore had been running near the outside hip of Crescent Valley’s McKenna Henke for some time on Friday, and as the pair of leaders in the 3,000 meters pulled away from the rest of the pack, Brooks became antsier. She wanted to pass. She was just unsure when to do so.

“Once we hit the 400,” Brooks said, “I just went.”

With one lap to go, Brooks, still on Henke’s heels, took off, each stride creating an even wider gap between the Storm runner and the Crescent Valley freshman. Brooks rounded the final turn, a crowd of hundreds in the west grandstands of Hayward Field roaring with such an incredible kick. She sprinted the final 100, securing first place at the Class 5A girls track and field championships in a 5A state-record time of 9 minutes, 53.59 seconds.

“I was surprised by the time,” conceded Brooks, who won by nearly 11 seconds. “I honestly wasn’t expecting to be under 10 (minutes) even.”

What Brooks displayed during that final 400 is a characteristic shared by her Summit teammates, specifically her fellow underclassmen.

“They’re fearless,” said Storm coach Dave Turnbull. “You look at what they did on the track today, that speaks well to their character and who they are.”

Summit, the eight-time defending state champion that heads into the meet’s final day in first place with 54 points and a commanding 43-point lead, boasted nine finals placers on Friday. Five of them were underclassmen. And of the 15 other athletes expected to compete today, five are sophomores and four are freshmen.

While the big stage of Hayward Field can intimidate some young athletes, it did not seem to faze the Storm.

“There’s always that extra element of it being state. There’s that much more on the line,” said Summit sophomore Camille Weaver, who placed second in the long jump Friday. “But in some ways, it still brings out the better of everyone, because it’s the bigger competition. For me, personally, I succeed more under more pressure. I feel like state is a good time for me to get (personal records) and for me to shine and to do my best.”

That seemed to be the case for other Storm underclassmen: Freshman Hannah Tobiason finished third in the 3,000, sophomore Emma Stevenson was fourth in the long jump, and sophomore Megan Cornett took sixth in the javelin.

“I feel like once you’re on here … once you get in the starting blocks, your nerves just kind of go away,” Weaver said, “and you just focus on your race.”

The young Storm athletes would not steal all the glory, however, as junior Hannah Cochran, with a clearance of 5 feet, 4 inches, became the first Summit competitor ever to win the girls high jump at the state meet.

“I had no idea,” admitted Cochran, who was informed of the feat by Turnbull as she arrived in the awards tent. “I was so surprised. I don’t know … it’s been a crazy day. We weren’t expecting this, so it’s definitely a nice surprise.”

Miranda Brown (long jump), Kara Meeuwsen (high jump) and Piper McDonald (3,000) each placed fifth for Summit, which with a team title today will become the winningest girls track and field program in OSAA history.

Mountain View, highlighted by Cassidy Hughes’ fifth-place showing in the javelin and Madie Choffel’s sixth-place finish in the long jump, is ninth in the team standings with seven points, while Bend High is close behind with five points — all of them accounted for by Ali Laborin.

A year after qualifying for state in the discus but failing to place, Laborin made sure not to repeat history. With a throw of 118-1, the Bend sophomore took fourth in the javelin.

“It was pretty awesome. I … I can’t explain it,” said Laborin, who is slated to compete in the discus today. “I didn’t get to place last year, so it’s pretty awesome to be able to stand on the podium this year.”

Looking to defend her 2014 state crown, Crook County’s Laken Berlin logged a leap of 16-10.75 in the Class 4A long jump. However, it was not enough to overcome Marshfield’s Isabel Groth, who took the event with a mark of 17-2.5. Aria Blumm was eighth in the 3,000 for Sisters, and Madras’ Mariah Stacona placed third in the high jump.

Crook County is eighth in the team standings with eight points, Madras is tied for 11th with six points, and Sisters’ is 22nd with one point. Marshfield leads the 4A team standings with 18 points.

The Class 5A and 4A state championships conclude today at Hayward Field.

—Reporter: glucas@bendbulletin.com, 541-383-0307.