AURORA – The Colorado High School Activities Association wrapped up its 2023 fall state championships and award season earlier this week.
Throughout the fall season, CHSAA awarded 53 team champions across its 13 sports and activities, with 41 different schools claiming at least one title and nine schools winning multiple championships.
Individually, CHSAA crowned 36 individual state champions across the four sports and activities that recognize individual state champions.
Additional highlights throughout the fall include:
- Many coaches reached coaching milestones, including Pine Creek volleyball coach Molly Stowers recording her 100th victory at the state championships and Columbine football coach Andy Lowry – the Denver Broncos High School Football Coach of the Year – notching his 300th win.
- Mancos’ Kail Wayman scoring six touchdowns in the Bluejays’ 8-man state championship victory over Haxtun.
- Zoe Martin scored her 100th career goal, while teammate Jessica Lapidus tallied her 150th career save and 16th shutout of the season, at the field hockey state championship, to help secure back-to-back titles for Colorado Academy.
- Windsor’s unified bowling team setting the state record for the highest pinfall at a state championship event, knocking down a combined 651 pins.
- Chatfield’s softball team scoring the most runs (11) in the 5A state championship final since 2015.
- Twin double partners Andrew Morgan and Zach Morgan won the 2 doubles title at the 4A individual boys tennis state championship and helped Kent Denver win the 4A team boys tennis championship.
- Battle Mountain ended Northfield’s 24-game win streak in a thrilling upset at the 4A boys soccer state championship. Northfield even tried a bicycle kick to tie the game!
- Arrupe Jesuit – a first-year spirit program – won the school’s first-ever state championship in any sport, capturing the 2A/3A Gameday Cheer title.
- All three of the golf state championships went to first-time champions, as Rock Canyon (5A), Evergreen (4A) and Resurrection Christian (3A) all came away victorious.
- Sophia Keronen (Niwot) and Taylor Connor (Palmer Ridge) became the first unified athletes to compete at the state championships. Keronen competed on both bars and floor, while Connor competed on vault.
- Three course records fell during the course of the cross country championships as Nadhia Campos (Vanguard School), Matthew Edwards (The Classical Academy) and Addison Ritzenhein (Niwot) all finished their respective races faster than anyone before them.
- The Sportswomen of Colorado began awarding a Player of the Game honor. The first awards were given at softball, with Karlie Cooledge (Chatfield), Hailey Maestretti (Lutheran) and Sadie Ross (Eaton) becoming the inaugural winners.
- Fall esports added a whopping 42 new teams, as 31 added Rocket League squads and 11 additional League of Legends teams battled for the state title.
If you know of additional highlights that should be considered for inclusion here, please submit them here.
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