THORNTON — Fairview girls swimming won the annual Coaches Invite, renamed this year as the Rex Abelein Memorial Invitational, with a total of 468 points. Cherry Creek (364.5 points) was second, and Arapahoe (219.5) finished third.
JEFFERSON COUNTY — Of the nearly 50 student-athletes from Jeffco Public Schools that signed their National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, two are heading to United States service academics.
Lakewood senior Amber Boll — Class 5A gymnastics all-around state champion — is headed to the Air Force Academy. D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School senior Taylor Gustafson is headed to the United State Coast Guard Academy to continue his lacrosse career.
Boll wrapped up her final year competing on Lakewood’s gymnastics team a few weeks ago in perfect style. She scored the first perfect 10 during the state meet in 30 years while sweeping all five individual events.
“It has been an honor to represent Lakewood through gymnastics,” Boll said during the signing celebration Wednesday morning. “It’s an experience I will never forget.
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Her plans down in Colorado Springs is to continue her gymnastics career, study mechanical engineering to eventually become a pilot.
Gustafson has been a mainstay playing lacrosse at Columbine for the past three seasons, including his two goals and assist performance in last spring’s 5A state quarterfinal game. The Rebels defeated powerhouse Cherry Creek 6-5 to advance to the state semifinals.
The D’Evelyn student-athlete has one more season on the lacrosse field with Columbine before heading to New London, Conn. to play for the Coast Guard Academy.
“I’ve had the desire ever since I was young to service my country,” Gustafson said during D’Evelyn’s afternoon signing ceremony. “I was truly inspired by my grandfather.”
Gustafson’s grandfather was a marine and served in Vietnam.
Gustafson said he started the recruiting process early. As so as his freshman year he started contacting colleges. He made a visit to the Coast Guard Academy two years ago and went through a quasi-military experience over this past summer that confirmed his desire to enter the service academy.
[divider]
Jeffco’s signers on National Letter of Intent (Early Period) — Nov. 14
Lakewood High School
Simon Baumgardt, baseball, Tulane University
Amber Boll, gymnastics, Air Force Academy
Brittany Bui, softball, North Platte Community College
Hannah Hayden, volleyball, Montana State University-Billings
Brayden Roybal, baseball, Concordia University-St. Paul
Macee Thompson, volleyball, Onondaga Community College
Conifer High School
Drew Sims, softball, Colorado Mesa University
Elizabeth Betsch, softball, Otero Junior College
Evergreen High School
Brett Bokelman, baseball, Rhodes College (Memphis, TN.)
Christina Crane, women’s swimming, University of Iowa
Claudia Dillon, volleyball, University of Missouri
Claire Donlan, rowing, University of Wisconsin
Anna LaDow, squash, Cornell University
Mackenzie Obleski, volleyball, Pacific Union College (Napa Valley, CA.)
Columbine High School
Gavin Olson, men’s swimming, University of Minnesota
Libby Spangler, women’s soccer, Minnesota State University
Alea Tooley, women’s lacrosse, University of Denver
Maura Singer, women’s basketball, University of Colorado
Taylor Juran, women’s swimming, University of Idaho
Melaini Jamison, women’s soccer, Wayne State College
Lexi Porter, women’s soccer, Colorado College
Tessa Barton, women’s soccer, University of Colorado
Erin Harnum, women’s swimming, Washington State University
Ralston Valley High School
Madison DeHerrera, women’s soccer, Southern Utah University
Sydney Eye, women’s golf, Metro State University
Nicholas Fox, men’s swimming, University of Florida
Calvin Hunt, baseball, University of Arkansas-Little Rock
AJ Jergensen, baseball, University of San Diego
Zach Lingk, baseball, North Park University
Shelby Nichols, women’s basketball, Colorado School of Mines
Sarah Piper, women’s soccer, Duke University
Abriana Trujillo, softball, Colorado School of Mines
Otto Jones, baseball, Washburn University
Sydney Stewart, softball, Trinidad State College
D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School
Laryssa Hamblen, women’s soccer, Brown University
Shiloh Miller, women’s soccer, Rice University
Isabella Scaturro, women’s soccer, University of Alabama
Taylor Gustafson, men’s lacrosse, United States Coast Guard Academy
Dakota Ridge High School
Logan Triplett, women’s lacrosse, University of Tampa
Sydney Daniels, women’s basketball, Regis University
Olivia Dampier, softball, Metro State University of Denver
Green Mountain High School
Rylie Haussler, women’s soccer, University of Houston
Shelby Ransom, women’s soccer, Colorado State University-Pueblo
Pomona High School
Brooke Weins, women’s gymnastics, University of Oklahoma
Jefferson Academy
Mira Houck, women’s soccer, Metro State University of Denver
Kristen Capan, women’s soccer, Colorado Mesa University
Standley Lake High School
Kelsey Clements, women’s soccer, Presentation College, Aberdeen, SD
Ceceila Elliott, softball, Otero Junior College
Brianna Ynostroza, softball, York College
Golden High School
Elizabeth Henshaw, women’s soccer, Culver-Stockton College (MO)
Katie Dunson, softball, Lamar Community College
Laura Day once shined in the pool for the Lewis-Palmer Rangers. Now, she’s looking for the current crop of L-P swimmers to reach the heights she became accustomed to in her time as a student-athlete.
Day has been named as the new head coach of the boys and girls swimming teams following the retirement of Alan Arata.
“I consider myself fortunate to have been one of the many athletes coached by Alan,” Day said in a statement released by Lewis-Palmer. “Last year, I worked alongside Alan as his assistant coach and had the pleasure of getting to know our swimmers and divers; with Coach Arata’s retirement, the head coaching position has been passed on to me for the upcoming year and I’m excited to see all our returning and incoming athletes when we start the girls’ season in November!”
Day claimed the 2010 Class 4A state championship in the 100-breaststroke and then went on to swim at the Division I level. After her time at San Diego State, she qualified for and competed in the 2012 Olympic trials.
Once her in-pool career was over, she served as a student-assistant coach at San Diego State before graduating and making her way back to the Colorado Springs area.
She joined the staff at L-P last year and became the logical choice to succeed Arata when he announced his retirement following the conclusion of the boys swimming season last spring.
It was about as dominant championship performance as the state has seen across any sport — and gave the squad its second-consecutive team title.
“The girls, we knew they were capable, and they’ve been waiting for this since last year’s state meet,” said Fossil Ridge coach Carolyn Fries. “They were ready to go.”
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The SaberCats kicked off the day by eclipsing the national high school record in the 200 medley relay. Bayley Stewart, Zoe Bartel, Coleen Gillilan and Kylee Alons combined for the time of 1:38.13
That mark broke the 1:38.77 figure set just a day earlier by Harpeth Hall, a school in Tennessee. It also marked the fourth consecutive season that Fossil Ridge had won the 200 medley relay.
“They saw that team break it last night, and that just fueled them today,” Fries said. “It’s been a goal since last year. It was the same medley relay last year, and they just missed it.”
Nearly three hours later, Fossil Ridge set a record in the 200 freestyle relay, finishing 1:34.15. The old record was 1:34.40, set by Cherry Creek in 2011.
The SaberCats nearly set another record in the 400 freestyle relay, going 3:22.53. The record was set in 2011 by a Missy Franklin-led Regis Jesuit squad at 3:22.42.
By the time the meet ended on Saturday night, Fossil Ridge had won seven of the eight individual events, and all three relay races. Combined with impressive depth, the SaberCats finished with 424 points, breaking the state record of 399 by Cherry Creek in 2010.
“We have very, very talented girls, we have great leadership,” Fries said. “They had the motivation, we have really good team culture, and I think that’s what drives their performance.”
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Gillilan (100 butterfly, 200 freestyle), Bartel (200 IM, 100 breaststroke) and Alons (50 free, 100 free) each won two events. Stewart won the 100 backstroke, and was third in the 200 IM.
For Bartel and Alons, it was the second-consecutive year they’d each won those events, while Gillilan repeated in the butterfly.
Chatfield freshman Kathryn Shanley had an outstanding meet with a win in the 500 freestyle, and a second-place finish in the 200. Shanley won with a time of 5:02.44 in the 500, beating fellow freshman and training partner Melinda Johnson of Dakota Ridge (5:07.72).
“It’s pretty surreal, it’s a pretty exciting moment,” Shanley said. “It was really fun. I looked up at the clock and saw I got first, and it was just really exciting. I’m really proud to be part of Chatfield and represent Chatfield in that way.”
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
[divider]
Franny Cable wins diving championship
Franny Cable. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Arapahoe junior Franny Cable captured the 5A diving championship with a total score of 531.45.
Cable, who was second last year, beat out runner-up Samantha Tamborski of Douglas County (499.10), and Anna Kemper of Lewis-Palmer (474.75).
“I’m just in complete shock,” Cable said shortly after she won. “I was just coming in hoping to do my best. I wanted to be in the top 3, but I’ve always dreamed of being the (champion).”
THORNTON — It was clear after Saturday’s diving prelims, that Rampart had some work to do to bring some hardware home. Maggie Buckley, a first year diver for the Rams, answered the call.
She gave her team a big boost, taking a final score of 464.25, finishing second only to Valor Christian’s Izzi Mroz. But it was probably the turning point of the meet. The Rams held off defending Class 4A champion Cheyenne Mountain to claim the program’s first state title.
“Every point matters,” Rampart coach Dan Greene said. “We had a morning swim at our home meet down in Colorado Springs. We decided to go home, sleep in our own beds and come up after our wake-up swim. That was where we talked about where each girl was and where they can move up. And they did it. They did what they needed to do.”
The finals started the same way that Friday’s prelims did. The 200-medley relay team of Catriona Clarke, Edenna Chen, Allana Clarke and Lindsey Immel lowered their state record to one minute, 42.86 seconds and claimed gold.
Cat Wright gave Cheyenne Mountain its first win, going 2:02.53 in the 200-indivdiual medley, showing Rampart that worked needed to be done in order to upend the defending champ.
It was the performances by Buckley and Gabrielle Peltier that gave the Rams the lead after six events and really put control of the meet in their hands.
“It felt amazing to do this for the team,” Buckley said. “I love all the girls on Rampart. I have such a great relationship with all of them and it just felt really great.”
The best chance for the Indians to regain some ground came in the 200-freestyle relay. A win would’ve given them enough points to regain first place and hopefully create some distance with the Rams.
But the Indians came in fourth as Valor Christian set a meet record in the event, finishing in 1:35.90.
“I felt like (we had control) going into the 200-free,” Greene said. “If the girls held their place or got better, we were going to win the meet.”
If there was any doubt that the Rams were on the verge of championship glory, Chen erased them when she upset Air Academy’s Aleksandra Olesiak in the 100-breaststroke.
Adding a solo title to the relay win earlier in the night made the entire experience just a bit sweeter for the junior.
“I really just wanted to support the team,” Chen said. “We were really close to winning so I wanted to get more points for us.”
The Rams were seeded first in the 400-freestyle relay, but finished second to Valor Christian. But it didn’t matter.
As long as they didn’t disqualify themselves, Rampart had all but wrapped up the championship heading into the race.
The failure to repeat for Cheyenne Mountain, while disappointing, doesn’t deter coach Kate Doane from constantly trying to improve the program.
That’s easy for her to do by simply making the swimming team a part of the school that the kids actively want to be a part of.
“I think it’s been people coming out for the team and seeing how fun it is,” Doane said. “And they stay together through the years.”
In all, four record were set at the state meet, the relay records from Rampart and Valor, and Fort Collins’ Audrey Reimer set records in the 100-backstroke (54.22) and the 100-fly.
Heritage’s Kylie Andrews was named swimmer of the year at the conclusion of the meet.
