CHSAANow

Category: History

  • 5A girls volleyball: Rampart completes standout season with first-ever state title

    COLORADO SPRINGS — Rampart volleyball coach Nikki Bloemen has experienced the struggles that Rampart has felt in the state tournament, both as a coach and a player.

    She was a standout hitter before she graduated from the school in 2009 and embarking on a successful collegiate career. She coach teams that had every bit of potential to walk out as state champion, but just couldn’t quite live up to it. So the excitement was obvious when Hadleigh Richardson’s block gave the Rams a 25-17, 22-25, 25-13, 25-23 win over Grandview to give them the Class 5A state volleyball title, the first in school history.

    “It’s why we coach, to give them these types of experiences,” Bloemen said. “Especially in a year like this where they’ve been dealing with hardships. They didn’t get to go to their prom last weekend because they were focused on this. They’ve been giving things up all season for this rewarded.”

    She quickly noted that the reward was earned. The Rams (13-1 overall) spotted Grandview a six-point lead before the big hitters got involved. Riley Simpson and Anjelina Starck started swimming hard hoping to give Rampart the momentum needed to claw back into the match. They pulled even at 11-11 on a Simpson kill and then jumped out ahead for the first time in the match on as she put another ball down with a solid swing.

    After reaching the quarterfinals a year ago, Simpson was playing with a bit of urgency in her quest to lead the Rams to a title.

    “This has been years in the making,” she said. “Last year we didn’t quite make it as far as we did this year and we just put the work in day in and day out.”

    A Starck kill made it 20-17 and the Rams never looked back in the first set. They didn’t look quite as settled in the second and had more difficulty hitting around Grandview standout Addison O’Grady. The Wolves (13-5 overall) fell behind early but found a rally of their own and eventually took a 17-14 lead and eventually won the set.

    That was going to be the wake-up call that Rampart needed. Starck and Simpson went on a hitting spree as the Rams cruised in the third set and closed the match out in the fourth.

    Starck finished with a match-high 26 kills and relished the accomplishment of the goals she had for the team since she moved to Rampart from Las Vegas at the start of the 2019 season.

    “Since the day I got here, everyone treated me like family,” she said. “I knew I belonged here right when I walked in the door and it’s something I had never experienced before, just how great of a family atmosphere this is.”

    For Bloemen, Rampart has always been family. Prior to the start of the season, she and her husband welcomed a daughter and if anything since then, the relationships she has built as a coach has only gotten stronger with the added perspective of having her own family.

    “In a lot of ways, 2020 and 2021 have been rough,” Bloemen said. “But I had a baby and now I’ve coached a state championship team. That’s all been really great.”

    Although this is just the first state volleyball title for Rampart, it is the 13th overall team championship for the school.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • 4A girls volleyball: Palmer Ridge tops Mead for program’s first state title

    COLORADO SPRINGS — The Class 4A girls volleyball state championship will remain in District 38, but it’ll sit in a trophy case in an entirely different building.

    After coming so close in recent years, including a runner-up finish in 2019, Palmer Ridge can finally add a state volleyball banner to the walls. The Bears beat Mead 25-21, 20-25, 25-20, 25-20 to win the school’s first state championship in the sport.

    “Last year we got that runner-up trophy and it didn’t feel good to any of us,” senior Riley Anderson said. “Now getting the state championship trophy is amazing.”

    It was a journey that began with a win over No. 3 Palisade in the quarterfinals and then the Bears (13-5 overall) had to get through Pikes Peak Athletic Conference rival Cheyenne Mountain to reach the championship match.

    “Cheyenne Mountain was a very good thing for us today,” coach Erica Bradley said. “It was super competitive and I kind of wish it was a championship game but it was nice to go up against an unfamiliar opponent.”

    Standing in the way was a Mead team that had taken out No. 1 Windsor and also watched in March as its boys basketball team won a state title on the same floor at the Broadmoor World Arena.

    Mead almost appeared to be a team of destiny. But for Palmer Ridge, their championship win was that of fate.

    The Bears controlled the first set from the opening serve and although the Mavericks (13-5) made a late rally, the gap was too wide to close before Palmer Ridge closed it out.

    The second set was a different story altogether. The Mavericks maintained their momentum from the end of the first and used it to build a 15-8 lead, forcing a Palmer Ridge timeout. A massive kill from Quincey Coyle seemed to knock the Bears on their heels. They couldn’t quite regain the momentum they had early in the match and the Mavericks held on to win the set.

    That’s when grit kicked in and Palmer Ridge started playing on a different level. The hitters put down kills and the front line came through on what seemed like every clutch block that it needed.

    Anderson finished the match with 23 kills and 14 digs. Madi Wilson added 12 kills to give the Bears a bit of a balanced attack.

    “They won that second set and we knew we had to come back strong,” Wilson said. “We had to keep our momentum going.”

    And they had to slow down the hitting attack of Coyle and Kenzie Morton. They did a much better job in the in the last two sets which was a big reason they walked away with the championship.

    “We started to figure out how to block them and where they were hitting,” Wilson added.

    This is the first volleyball state title for Palmer Ridge and the first time since 2007 that the 4A title wasn’t won by either Cheyenne Mountain or Lewis-Palmer.

    But the reign of the PPAC will continue for at least another year.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • 8-man football: Hoehne builds big lead, tops John Mall for state title

    (Marcus Hill)

    PUEBLO — Well, Thursday’s 8-man state football championship served as a barnburner for one team.

    That just so happened to be the Farmers of Hoehne High School.

    Hoehne left little intrigue in their 64-40 win against No. 3 John Mall at Neta & Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl.

    The No. 1-seeded Farmers trailed 6-0 after giving up a kick off return to Elton Chavez in the game’s first drive and then fumbled it out of the end zone on their first possession.

    After that, John Mall struggled to contain Hoehne’s offense, which came in averaging 57 points per game.

    Hoehne scored the next 36 points in the first half and kept John Mall at bay on the way to title number four in school history.

    “Ever since the schedule came out we were talking about it,” said Hoehne’s Dairo Vezzani. “During the summer, after COVID hit, we went to the gym and went to the field to run routes and to stay in shape. We wanted to make sure we were ready if we had football this year. This shows we were.”

    Hoehne players attributed nerves to the shaky start, but the Farmers hit their stride following their opening drive.

    Vezzani scored the team’s first touchdown on a 14-yard reception and followed with a 30-yard pick-6 to pay dirt in the first quarter to build a 14-6 advantage.

    “Once we got some momentum, everything started to click,” Vezzani said. “We believed in ourselves and stuck together as a team to show we could win this.”

    After Grant Arellanes made it 22-6 on a 12-yard run, Weston Hill ripped a pair of big scampers to build their advantage.

    Hill’s runs of 76 and 60 yards came on back-to-back drives and gave Hoehne a 36-6 lead with 3:47 left in the half.

    John Mall outscored Hoehne 34-28 in the second half, but the Farmers earned running clock after they built a 64-24 lead in the third with 1:10 on the clock.

    From there, Hoehne players watched as time dwindled and they avenged their previous loss in the title game.

    Players hugged on the sidelines and gazed at the scoreboard to realize what they brought to fruition.

    “This is everything I wanted from high school football in a nut shell,” Hill said. “We went to a (title game) my sophomore year and didn’t win. It was one hell of an experience both times. This one’s a little better.”

  • 3A girls volleyball: Eaton claims seventh title in the past decade

    (Brad Cochi)

    COLORADO SPRINGS – It has been a couple of years since Eaton’s reign atop Class 3A girls volleyball ended, but the Reds are officially back on top.

    The Reds had to knock off the champs to get back there too.

    From 2011-17, the Reds won six state titles and did not lose a single championship match during that span. On Thursday night at The Broadmoor World Arena, the Reds won 25-14, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22 over defending champion Sterling in the Class 3A title match to reclaim the thrown and wear it home from the state tournament for the seventh time in a decade.

    “It’s an unbelievable feeling because my team deserves it more than anyone,” Reds senior Sydney Leffler said. “We’ve rallied behind each other since Day 1. Even when people doubted us and thought that we couldn’t do it, we always believed in the person next to us. I’ve never been on a team where I’ve loved the people next to me more and they’ve loved me back.

    “We’ve just had such a love for each other and that’s what’s allowed this season to end up the way that it did.”

    In what was a rematch of an early-season meeting between the two teams that tipped in Eaton’s favor after five games, the unbeaten top-seeded Reds (18-0) were dominant in the first set on Thursday. After being pushed to the brink of elimination, however, No. 3 Sterling (16-3) responded to force a fourth set. The Tigers nearly forced a fifth, but Eaton held off a late charge to finish the match.

    “We knew that was going to be a battle for us,” Eaton head coach Gwen Forster said. “Sterling is a phenomenal program with a great coach. We met them earlier in the season and we continued to get better since then. Our girls definitely deserve everything because they worked hard this season.”

    Despite being a program that has been expected to contend for state titles now for a 10-year stretch, Eaton had to contend with the same set of unusual circumstances that all teams faced in Season C. Frustrating as it may have been at times, Forster said the additional challenges made this latest championship a special one.

    “This group of kids is so unique that I had complete faith that we would come in holding our chest high and that’s what we did,” Forster said. “We trained early in the summer and into the fall only to get to where we don’t get to play. These girls were hungry and just wanted to get in the gym and we didn’t get the opportunity until just before the season started. Then we were actually in quarantine for a week, so we had to figure out how to get ready for our first match. But we figured out what we needed to do to win this.”

    Eaton defeated No. 4 University in the semifinals to reach the title match. Sterling beat No. 2 Montezuma-Cortez in the Final Four.

  • 2A football: With a torn ACL, Caleb Allen leads Manitou Springs over Flatirons Academy for state title

    PUBELO — Facing 4th down and 12, the pass protection broke down. Manitou Springs quarterback Caleb Allen had to scramble, hoping a receiver could open. His heel got clipped and he thought he was done for but he maintained his balance and hit Davis Mack for a big a first down.

    And Allen did it with a torn ACL in his right knee.

    That play setup a game-tying field goal and after two overtime sessions, the Mustangs beat Flatirons Academy 31-30 and are the Season C Class 2A football champions.

    “Caleb’s just a warrior,” coach Cory Archuleta said. “He tore his ACL late in (Manitou’s regular season finale against Manual) and he’s been a warrior ever since. There was no way he wasn’t going to play in any of these games moving forward. He finished what he started.”

    The Mustangs (7-1 overall) were better for it. They installed some wildcat options – that turned out to be vital in overtime – and relied on athletic trainer Nick Nunley to ensure that Allen was both safe and effective. That proved to be the case when he hit Joah Armour for an 80-yard game-winning touchdown against Buena Vista just to get the Mustangs to the title game.

    “Nunley did a great job of keeping him safe,” Arch added.

    Keeping him safe was vital as the Mustangs needed him for every step of one of the most thrilling football title games in recent memory.

    A big completion from Jacob Dube to Trenton Rowan set the Bison (7-1) up for their first score of the game, but the Manitou defense held firm and the field goal attempt was blocked by Tyler Maloney.

    The Mustangs stalled offensively and the Bison took quick advantage and took a 7-0 lead.

    More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Manitou tied the game on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Armour, their first of two touchdown connections on the day. But the pass defense for the Mustangs continued to falter as Dube found Rowan for a 32-yard score to put the Bison back on top.

    They had a chance to take major momentum into halftime as Dube scrambled and found a gap that directed him toward the end zone. Manitou linebacker Caden Harris caught him and knocked the ball loose and it rolled through the end zone, giving the ball to the Mustangs on their own 20 yard line. They went into halftime down just seven points rather than 14.

    The Mustangs tied the game in the second half the second touchdown connection from Allen to Armour and the defense appeared to have adjusted from the first half. Until Deverick Dow found a hole and rumbled down the sideline, putting the Bison deep into Manitou territory.

    Facing 3rd and 12, Dube scrambled for the first, getting inside the 10-yard line, but the Mustangs limited the damage to a field goal attempt. Rowan’s kick was good, giving the Bison a 17-14 lead with 2:45 left on the clock.

    Allen got the offense moving with a completion to Ethan Boren, getting the Mustangs into Flatirons Academy territory. Facing 4th and 12, Allen scrambled and found Mack for the first down.

    “He hit my heel and I thought I was going down,” Allen said. “Somehow I stayed on my feet and I was lucky Davis caught it.

    That setup an Isaiah Thomas field goal to tie the game and send it to overtime, where Thomas earn his status as the game’s Most Outstanding Player.

    The Bison scored quick, then Thomas came out in the wildcat and got his team into the end zone where they briefly went over their options.

    “We wanted this game to win,” Thomas said. “But we trust in my leg and obviously the defense was showing up every single play.”

    Thomas added another touchdown run in the second overtime and again the Bison found the end zone quickly. They opted for the 2-point conversion.

    Dube found a gab but Jesse Jorstad made contact to slow him down before Parker Salladay wrapped up his legs and kept him just inches shy of the goal line.

    “We knew it was the last play of the game,” Jorstad said. “Everyone was going 100%, especially on that last play.”

    Through all the celebration, the Mustangs acted in the normal way that champions do. They congratulated their opponents on a hard-fought game. Allen did a much better job of hiding a slight limp with a bad knee than he did hiding his emotions.

    When he talked with his family, they evaluated the risk and the reward of playing for three more games. The reward was more than worth it.

    “I’m so glad I risked it,” Allen said. “This was pretty awesome.”

    More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • 3A boys soccer: Colorado Academy tops Frontier Academy to win fifth title

    COLORADO SPRINGS — It just felt like the game was coming to Colorado Academy. That was the case as Nick Maffei scored an early easy goal. He had no idea that he would need another goal, a golden goal, to help the Mustangs come away with the gold.

    Maffei scored again in the second overtime to give his team a 2-1 win over Frontier Academy and the Class 3A boys soccer state championship.

    It’s the first championship for the Mustangs (13-0 overall) since they beat TCA 4-2 back in 2013. And now the seven-year itch has been scratched.

    “It’s hard to put into words how much this means,” coach Gabe Bernstein said. “Way more than for myself but for the school and the program. From how hard these guys worked to how hard my coaching staff worked, it is truly one of the most special moments I’ve had in coaching.”

    Colorado Academy seized momentum early as Maffei got behind the Frontier Academy defense and chipped the ball just by Wolverines keeper Tanner Madden. He positioned himself for a clean shot to give his team the early edge that they held through halftime.

    “There was that feeling that the game was coming to us in the first half,” Maffei said. “We had a lot of opportunities and we didn’t put all of them away. Then the game went on and we got a little more tired.

    And the Wolverines (10-4) took advantage of the fatigue. Madden redeemed himself by booting the ball downfield where Seth Sheppard played it around the defense before drawing Charlie Westfall out of the net and burying his shot into a wide open net.

    “As soon as he hit it, I knew we were in trouble,” Colorado Academy keeper Charlie Westfall said. “I was confident that my center-back would get there, but it was just one mistake and it wasn’t a big deal.”

    Everyone went right back to square one with each team pressing to try and break the tie before time ran out.

    But neither team found a way to put an equalizer into the net before regulation and the game had to be settled in extra time. The Mustangs had a few early opportunities but found their shots missing either wide or high.

    The first 15-minute overtime period went without a goal and the game felt destined for a shootout. But Maffei didn’t want to leave it to chance. He got his golden goal, sending the Colorado Academy crowd into a frenzy.

    “It was a great feeling,” Maffei said. “I had a lot of opportunities tonight so to put that one away felt nice.”

    And among the now five state championships that Colorado Academy has won, this had to be among the most exciting way to bring a trophy home.

    “Golden goals make it really exciting for the fans,” Bernstein said. “It’s not really exciting for the coaches. It’s really nerve racking, but again I’m just excited for our guys.”

    (Brad Cochi)

  • 2A boys soccer: Late goal gives Crested Butte second title in three seasons

    COLORADO SPRINGS — As a middle schooler, Jacob Bernholtz watched as Crested Butte won a state soccer championship. He sat in the stands, vowing to himself that one day he would get to do for his school what he was seeing unfold right in front of him.

    Two years later, he came through on his promise. His goal was the difference as Crested Butte claimed its second Class 2A boys soccer crown in the last three seasons.

    Coming off a 6-0 win in the semifinals, the Titans had to battle with Thomas MacLaren, a Colorado Springs area school, to complete the journey they set out on two months ago. A shift in the season and the uncertainty of what COVID would do to the boys soccer season made things a bit more difficult. But the 2-1 win over the Highlanders was the payoff that the boys were hoping for since the moment the season began in March.

    “I’m just bless to be able to play on this field with this group of guys,” Bernholtz said. “Look at these fans, they drove five hours to be here. Our coaching staff is unbelievable. Look at (head coach Than Acuff), he’s been here for so many years and I love this guy.”

    More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    The early minutes of the game saw two seemingly evenly matched teams trying to capitalized on every opportunity they could get. An early shot from the Titans (10-1-2 overall) was snagged by Highlanders keeper Jeth Fogg, keeping the game scoreless. Each team had a header chance in the first half, but neither capitalized.

    The scoreless tie was broken on a brilliant header from Blue Gardner that shot by the outstretched arms of Fogg.

    “It was great momentum,” Gardner said. “It got us that lead in the first half and helped push us forward.”

    The Highlanders (9-4) got the momentum back in the second half, scoring on a header of their own. Junior Michael Brophy slammed it into the net to score his 20th of the year, but more importantly equalizing the score and keeping their hopes for a first state championship alive.

    “MacLaren came out win a A-plus game in the start of the second half,” Acuff said. “They had us on the ropes and when they scored I realized we were back to a real game again.”

    Right away the Titans had two chances to regain the lead, but just couldn’t get the ball on the net. It wasn’t until the 73rd minute that a centering pass set Bernholtz up for the winning goal. Just a sophomore, he can still recall the day he saw the Titans win a state title and that feeling means as much to him now as it did then.

    “I just remember watching my captain Gabi Marmolejo bang one into the top corner,” he said. “I remember watching that and thinking that I want to get one for my school too.”

    And he did just that. And for a five-hour drive, he gets to enjoy that feeling with his teammates and celebrate a championship with the Crested Butte community.

    (Brad Cochi)

  • 4A boys soccer: Windsor caps undefeated season with first state title

    COLORADO SPRINGS — For over 60 minutes, there was a lot physicality, just very little scoring. That all changed when a flurry in front of the net found the sure foot of Matt Hansen.

    John Burnett, Windsor’s leading scorer, was good for more than a goal per game all season long, but to win the Class 4A boys soccer title, he opted for an assist.  His header sent the ball into the direction of the net where Hansen converted the lone goal of the game, getting a 1-0 win over Denver North. For the first time in school history Windsor is a boys soccer state champion.

    “It is the history of Windsor High School,”Windsor coach Philip Weiser said. “They have drawn the map to greatness. They have drawn the map for everyone who comes after them to get to the top. That’s the definition of greatness.”

    The Wizards (14-0 overall) knew that physicality was going to be a part of their battle at Weidner Field, the home of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

    More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    It was a challenge they were happy to embrace. Each team was dealt mulitple yellow cards and there were will likely be a few score body parts in the coming days. But being handed the state championship trophy in front of a rowdy Windsor crowd made every bump and fall worth it.

    “It’s always worth it,” Burnett said. “You always have to fight for that. No one’s going to give it to you.”

    It was in the second half of the battle that the Wizards were able to break the scoreless tie. A corner kick went right into Burnett’s direction and he fired a header toward the direction of the net. The second touch came from Hansen who put it into the net, unleashing a wave of emotion through the Wizards roster.

    “Happiness, excitement,” Hansen said. “I can’t really explain it, it’s a state final. The first one in school history and it’s good to get our name in the history books.”

    While they played at a fast pace, the Vikings (12-2) could never get settled on the offensive side and generate many great scoring opportunities. Lukas Williams had been solid in net all year, allowing just seven goals heading into the championship game.

    “We don’t really talk too much about the other team, we just talk about us,” Hansen said. “Going into halftime, we just knew we had to tuck in and stay more connected in the middle.”

    This was the first state championship game in school history for the boys soccer team. The Wizards are normally a high-scoring team, averaging 3.7 goals per game heading into Saturday. But in order to make history for the school, all they needed was one.

    “Every time we walk through the gym, there’s an empty spot for a state championship flag,” Burnett said. “We keep saying that is where the flag is going to go. And that’s where it’s going. It’s amazing.

    (Brad Cochi)

  • 5A boys soccer: Mazur’s deep strike gives Fairview first state title

    COLORADO SPRINGS — For the last 60 years, the walls of Fairview have been missing a boys soccer state championship banner. Only once had the Knights gotten the opportunity to get one, but that was 36 years ago and they were on the losing end of a title game against Northglenn.

    Standing in their way this time was a No. 16 seed that had beaten No. 1, No. 8 and No. 4 and looked to cap off one of the most magical runs in Colorado boys soccer history. But it wasn’t meant to be. Sebastien Mazur scored early in the second half and the Knights held on to beat the Bruins 2-0 to claim the Class 5A boys soccer state championship.

    “We know the quality of Cherry Creek,” coach Eric Schuler said. “They did all the work to get to the championship and it wasn’t by accident. They’re unbelievably well-coached, they’re unbelievably talented and they went through murderer’s row to get here.”

    They showed why in the early minutes of the match. They built chances to score and Blake Wellington saved a shot that came from a rebound on a Knox Quarles save. The Bruins (9-5 overall) weren’t going to be an easy team to beat.

    But the Knights (13-0-1) were determined to try.

    In the 13th minute, Jake Milanski ripped a free kick toward the top of the Cherry Creek goal and just over the reach of Quarles, but it also carried just over the crossbar.

    The first 10 minutes of the second half provided the most drama as Cyrus Gulati was taken down in the box, giving the Bruins a penalty kick. Loui took the opportunity but his shot carried high.

    More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    “(I let out) a very big (sigh of relief),” Fairview sophomore keeper Shane Williams said. “I’ve faced a lot of PK’s and it’s not often that they miss so it always feels good when they do.”

    The ensuing Fairview possession was when Mazur found his alley ripped a shot toward the Creek net.It was just his second goal of the season, but it will be one he’ll remember for the rest of his life.

    “”We’re going to have a banner on the wall now,” Mazur said,. “Our names are in Fairview history which is awesome. I feel so proud of my school.”

    Down a goal, the Bruins pressed late in the second half getting two late corner kick opportunities, but neither resulted in a true scoring chance.

    With just under 10 minutes to go, Wellington took a free kick from about 35 yards out that was punched away by Williams who seemed more than up to the task of keeping the Bruins out of his net for the course of 80 minutes.

    “It’s fun because when I started playing here, it was scary,” Williams said. “They’re all big and I had never played against anyone that old. Now that I’ve been here for 10 months, it’s fun.”

    Tristan Hird then added a goal in the 79th minute to push the lead to 2-0 and close the door on Creek’s Cinderella run.

    This was the second appearance in a state soccer championship game for Fairview. The Knights lost 2-1 to Northglenn back in 1984.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • History made as Pueblo East crowned CHSAA’s first Unified Bowling champion

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    ENGLEWOOD — In a setting usually reserved for recreational fun, the Colorado High School Activities Association broke ground on history.

    Across several bowling lanes, competitors from nine schools made a run at a state Unified Bowling championship. Pueblo East might’ve walked away with the first-place trophy, but everyone came away as winners.

    The Eagles scored a total of 431 pins to hold off district rival Pueblo Central, who finished with 389. But loud applause greeted each team who qualified for Friday’s state tournament as awards were handed out. It was a monumental moment in the growth of high school sports in Colorado.

    “This is very beneficial for our athletes,” Eagles coach Levi Martinez said. “It’s about time we get something for the ESS and United program going. These kids deserve it. It’s a great day and it’s amazing everybody here cheering for everybody.”

    They were all certainly competing against each other, but the kids never once celebrated anyone’s misfortune on another lane. It started as a bit of a nerve-racking experience but once the athletes got settled in, it turned into the same atmosphere that the kids have experienced all season long.

    There was only happiness flowing through the AMF Belleview Lanes, no sadness or disappointment.

    “It was a really special experience for me and my teammates,” East’s Diego Anaya said. “The teamwork we had was amazing, so was the compassion and sportsmanship that everyone had for each other. It was a special day today.”

    Anaya, Precious Guerra and Kyle Meyer made up the primary athlete group for the Eagles with Ebony Padilla-Andrews Orlando Trujillo or Miles Chaves serving as alternates. Martinez, Chuck Blagg and Jeremiah Blaha coached the team in their championship run.

    Championships were hardly the primary takeaways for the day. The competition itself will serve as a foundation in which other Unified programs can build on.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

     

     

     

    “Over the years we have had the opportunity to watch these amazing athletes put it all out there, in exhibition matches and  games,” assistant commissioner Jenn Robert’s-Uhlig said. “This year we were able to have a culminating state event to showcase their talents and crown them with a state title. It was a Monumental occasion. It was a great day for unified athletes and the continual growth of the CHSAA.”

    The season and state tournament was also made possible with the effort of Special Olympics Colorado. The program was instrumental in organizing the event and making every athlete feel like a champion once it was concluded.

    “It’s setting the example that all the students in the building can contribute in sports and leadership,” senior VP of Sports and Unified Schools Chaka Sutton said. “So often the special needs get overlooked and this goes to show that they can accomplish great things for their schools.”

    Both Sutton and Ben Wrubel were recognized for their contributions to the event, but it was seeing the athletes competing that served as the main reward for them.

    They saw history made from the moment warmups began to the time that Pueblo East was crowned state champion. For all the athletes, Friday marked an accomplishment that can never be taken away from them.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)