It might have seemed that Air Academy's Allie McLaughlin came out of nowhere Friday as she zipped to victory in the Class 5A 3,200- meter run at Jefferson County Stadium.

The 4-foot-6-inch junior stood tall on the podium, though, at the state track and field meet.

McLaughlin, who also excels at lacrosse for Air Academy, turned in the biggest surprise of the first day, beating the favored Natosha and Alexa Rogers, sisters from Dakota Ridge.

McLaughlin left little to chance, as she barged out in front on the second lap. By the time she reached the mile mark, she held a 120-meter lead over the field. She hit the finish line in 10 minutes, 49.46 seconds, ahead of Highlands Ranch freshman Eleanor Fulton (11:03.94) and Natosha (11:09.69) and Alexa Rogers (11:11.06).

"I didn't know if I could hold it," McLaughlin said. "I wanted to pace myself with (the Rogers sisters), but I got ahead and just kept going. I was hurt in the middle of the season in cross country and finished eighth - not what I wanted. But I had what I wanted (Friday) and just went with it."

Alexa Rogers wasn't surprised by the gap McLaughlin fashioned, one that no runner came close to closing.

"Allie's just an excellent runner and competitor," Rogers said. "She just pulled out and went."

Arvada's Ashley Fanelli came close to being a two-event winner Friday. She won the triple jump with a 38-foot, 63/4-inch effort but had to settle for second in the high jump behind Arvada West's Michal Kenney. Kenney took that title with a 5-5 effort, to Fanelli's 5-4.

"I'm actually surprised I won the triple jump," Fanelli said. "I was only the first girl in the second flight, which meant I was coming in the lowest of the group. I was still upset about the high jump. I just used all the emotion I had left for the triple. Now we'll just have to see how it goes in the long jump (today)."

Kenney, a junior, didn't even qualify for state last year in the high jump, but she has been one of the top jumpers through the spring.

"I got a 5-5 last week in the regional, so I didn't feel a lot of pressure coming in," Kenney said. "Since I didn't qualify last year, to win, I was kind of in shock. I was pretty excited to do 5-5 again, especially at state. I was close on my second jump at 5-6, but it was not to be."

Fanelli's efforts staked Arvada to the team lead with 18 points. Chaparral, behind a victory by Kristen Lake in the 800 meters, is tied for second with Rocky Mountain, with 17 points.

While it wasn't a two-event day for Morgan Sedivec of Heritage, it still goes into the books as a double, of sorts. Sedivec defended her title in the shot put with a winning throw of 40-11.

"This is exciting and feels good, perhaps not a good as the first one last year, but I still won and that is exciting for me," said Sedivec, who will go for the title in the discus today. "I've been feeling a little sick, but that is not an excuse, but it was fun. I hope to do better in the discus. I just want to get some rest, and I should be ready."

Unlike McLaughlin in the 3,200, Chaparral's Lake overcame the early leader to win the 800 with a time of 2:14.91.

George Washington's Tri- shawn Battiste bolted to a quick 20-meter lead, but she was unable to hold it coming down the stretch, as Lake made her pass.

"I expected Trishawn to go out as she did," Lake said. "That's what she has done on the two previous races that I've had with her. The large lead did not surprise me, and what I needed to do was pull her in.

"On the second lap, though, I thought I would have to settle for third or fourth. I was just dead. I don't know where the kick finally came from. It was just there."