Dominick Robinson won't pick a favorite for Saturday's 1600-meter run.

The favorites rarely do so.

Robinson put the first notch in his belt Thursday, staking an early lead on the way to a first-place finish in the 3200-meter run at the Wyoming State High School Track and Field Championships at Harry Geldien Stadium.

Today is the 800, and Saturday is the 1600. And it's not a stretch to think Robinson could win both of those, as well.

"It'd be nice to get," he said, "but it all just depends on who else is doing good."

Robinson can win a race in several ways, but Thursday's 3200-meter run was a clear example of Robinson the thinker.

He gauged the pace of the field early and didn't like it. So rather than wait for the rest of the field, he took off on his own.

After his first 800 meters, he led the rest of the pack by nearly 30 meters. For the rest of the race, Robinson didn't extend the lead by much, but no one came close to threatening it.

"I had a lot of options," he said. " … But I figured if no one went out, I'd go out at my pace."

His pacing was actually right on target, said his distance coach, Ron Kline. Kline said Robinson's first two laps were 69 and 70 seconds, and the remaining six laps were all between 70 and 73 seconds.

"He likes to do it that way," Kline said. "He doesn't care for traffic."

It was the rest of the field that couldn't match it.

His time of 9 minutes, 31.59 seconds seconds was just more than 2 seconds off the state meet record. It was his best time of the outdoor season and matched a personal record he set at the Simplot Games during the indoor track season in February.

"When you're at state, you always have that adrenaline, so many people watching you, and you want to do good."

Robinson found his track niche in seventh grade and honed his ability throughout junior high. By the time he was a freshman, Kline said, Robinson was ready to compete at a high level.

He was a part of Gillette's state champion 3200-meter relay team as a freshman.

"You don't do that a lot in 4A," Kline said.

But Robinson doesn't rely on talent alone. Kline said he's the consummate team guy, the type that works hard in practice and over the summer to improve.

"It's a working town, seriously," Kline said. "The kids come to practice with a lunch box.

"They do what's got to be done, the whole group."

Robinson admits that a distance sweep is in the back of his mind. He says the 800 will be the toughest race for him to win, as Green River's Derek Wood and Craig Leavitt and Natrona County's Nicolas Martinez have posted 4A's best times so far this year.

But in the 1600, Robinson is the favorite. He has to be, especially after the way he systematically destroyed the field in the 3200 on Thursday.

He won't say so, though.

The favorites rarely do.

Contact high school sports coordinator Patrick Schmiedt at (307) 266-0615 or patrick.schmiedt@trib.com.