Phoenix Desert Vista started the night by setting a meet record and the Thunder finished the same way, running away with the 5A-I boys state track title Saturday night at Desert Vista.

SLIDESHOW: See photos from the 5A track and field championships

The Thunder easily defended its title, running up 209.5 points to second-place Mesa Mountain View’s 69.5 points.

Desert Vista opened the evening by shattering its record in the 3,200 meters as Nick Rice, Daryl Banks, Adam Estavillo and John Kline ran 7 minutes, 45.50 seconds. Kline ran 1:52.3 in the final leg.

“This was a really special group,’’ Desert Vista coach Ryan Stanley said.

Chandler won the 400 relay and the Wolves accomplished a season-long goal of setting the state record. They finished in 41.09 seconds, breaking the mark set by Phoenix Maryvale in 1992.

“This was our goal,’’ said senior Stephen Jackson, who ran the opening leg.

Coach Steve Carson had thought all along the team of Jackson, Marc Anthony, Markus Wheaton and Bryce Lamb had the speed. But the handoffs were another story.

Wheaton gave up a chance to break the school 400 record to run the relay.

“He made the ultimate sacrifice,’’ Carson said.

Mountain View’s D.J. Johnson won the 1,600 in 4:19.60 and the Toros’ Brandin Bear won the pole vault with a leap of 16 feet, 6 inches to send retiring coach Robbie Robinson out on a high note.

“I’m happy for the kids,’’ said Robinson, who is retiring after 50 years of coaching in the Midwest and at Mountain View. “They stepped up when they needed to.”

Will Claye of Phoenix Mountain Pointe broke his state record, going 52-4¾ feet in the triple jump to win a duel with Chandler’s Bryce Lamb by two inches.

Desert Vista’s Allante Battle, who won the 100, 200 and 400 last season, managed to defend only his title in the 400 with a time of 47.12. Chandler Hamilton’s Ryan Milus took the 100 in 10.56 and the Thunder’s Kline won the 800 in 1:52.32

Desert Vista capped the evening with a 1,600 record. Spencer Chase, Banks, Kline and Battle ran in 3:13.50. Kline ran a 46.84 leg and Battle ran 47.44 as the anchor.

5A-II

Thrower Joe Riccio and distance runner Jim Walmsley and Ben Jankunas put Scottsdale Horizon on track for the 5A-II boys title. The Huskies ran up 87 points and edged Tolleson 73.5.

“We lost a lot of our dual meets,’’ coach Mike Gleason said. “But we knew we had some kids who would score some points for us at state.”

Riccio followed his victory in the discus Wednesday with a victory in the shot put with a mark of 57 feet, 9½ inches.

Walmsley won the 1,600 in 4:22.51 and Jankunas was second. Jankunas won the 3,200 on Wednesday and Walmsley was second.

Walmsley, bound for the Air Force Academy, won the 5A-II cross-country championship.

He was hoping he could help the Huskies to a track title.

“The perfect finishing touch,’’ he said.

Gleason said the team got a boost from Tyler Larson, who was second in the pole vault with a 13-6 mark.