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Provo sprinter’s second-place finish sets state record for 200-meter dash

Posted at 10:19 PM, Apr 29, 2015
and last updated 2015-04-30 00:19:24-04

PROVO, Utah – A track star at Provo High School just set the state record in the 200-meter dash, and he spoke with FOX 13 Sports’ Morgan Vance about his historic race and the competitor who helped spur him on.

Chase Heiner said that record-breaking time isn’t his end-goal, either.

“No, I still have times I have written down that are my overall goals that I haven't hit yet,” he said of his efforts. “I'm coming closer in the 200, but I’m not close in the 400.”

Listening to Heiner, you wouldn't know he holds the current title as fastest prep in the Beehive State. But on the track, the stopwatch speaks for itself. The senior from Provo High School completed the race of his life in the 200-meter on Saturday at the Davis Invitational.

“I PR’d, broke my record, and that felt good,” Heiner said.

But there's some irony there: Despite that state record-setting run, he didn't even win the race.

“I still was second on the podium,” he said.

Enter Wyoming sprinter Carlos Salcedo, who made the weekend trip in with his squad from Rock Springs. The two competitors had met at various meets before, and on this occasion Heiner said he had high hopes of winning.

“I wanted to catch him by the end of the turn,” Heiner said. “By the end of the turn I had him, but he caught me going in on the straight away.”

Heiner's time was 21.35, and he actually credits shattering the previous state mark to his competition with Salcedo.

“I don't think I would have ran that fast if he wasn't in the race, and I pretty much owe him for that,” he said.

Phil Olsen has been coaching track and field for Provo High for 25 years, and he said Heiner’s talents are impressive.

“He's the best as far as I’ve seen, as far as the records are concerned,” he said.

Olsen and the team have watched the UVU-bound Heiner also run the state's fastest 100 meter so far in 2015.

“You can't beat a Utah state record, out of all classifications, without being a super star athlete, and I have a feeling he's got more to show also in the 400 meters coming up in the next couple weeks,” Olsen said.