CHSAANow

Category: Girls Track

  • Familiar faces emerge as state track and field champions

    Niwot celebrates first and second place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)
    Niwot celebrates first and second place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)

    LAKEWOOD — On the last day of the state track and field championships at Jefferson County Stadium, old powers continued to rule and new powers emerged.

    The Fountain-Fort Carson Trojans, as expected going into the week, obliterated the Class 5A boys field with 94 points, more than double Cherry Creek’s 44.5. FFC has now won four of the last six state championships in the highest classification and have racked up 17 crowns in the program’s illustrious history.

    Tevin Donnell, a senior who won his first individual titles Saturday in the 100 and 200-meter dashes and ran legs on the winning 400 and 800-meter relays, said camaraderie has fueled the Trojans’ success.

    “We’ve been lucky enough to stay together and that’s not something that’s common in a school with a military presence,” Donnell said. “I’ve grown up with a lot of these people.”

    Fountain-Fort Carson not only finished first in the 400 and 800-meter relays, but also the 1,600 relay, and scored plenty of points in the individual sprint and middle distance events. They wanted to win all four relays, but settled for third in the 3,200 relay, running a 7:55.48.

    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)
    Cherokee Trail’s Shayna Yon. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)

    On the girls’ side, Cherokee Trail, a power in track and field in recent years with two boys championships, earned their first girls state championship in any sport with 99.5 points, holding off 2014 champion Fort Collins, who had 86.

    Shayna Yon, a soon-to-be LSU Tiger, scored 30 points by herself for CT as she won a triple crown in the long jump (18-9.25), the 100 (11.79), and the 200 (24.17). Yon and her team set a new standard for the Cherokee Trail girls.

    “It felt really good, because I’m the first female at my school to win any state title,” she said. “It was really nice to be able to put my school on the map, as well as be a leader for my teammates who are younger than me. I just really wanted to leave my mark here before I leave for school. I’m really excited for our girls team next year, because we are going to be just as strong.”

    In 4A, Palmer Ridge, a school in Monument that was founded in 2008, finished first in four of six championship finals on Thursday—the high jump (Jordan Swango, 6-6), the pole vault (Kyle Rex, 15-0), the 3,200-meter run (Eric Hamer, 9:22), and the 3,200 relay (7:57)—and kept the momentum rolling through the rest of the weekend as Caleb Ojennes won the 200 and 400-meter dashes on Saturday. He also anchored the 1,600 relay that defended their crown from 2014.

    Ojennes, who posted a 21.75 in the 200 and a 47.35 in the 400, helped the Bears tally 98 points and win their second consecutive state championship. The Classical Academy finished as the 4A runner-up with 52 points.

    “I can’t really complain right now,” Ojennes said. “It’s just such a rush, because we just won back-to-back team titles.”

    “Just winning the first state championship for Palmer Ridge meant a lot last year.”

    The new school also triumphed for the 4A state championship in cross country last fall.

    Niwot claimed their third girls state championship in a row in 4A on the strength of their relays and hurdles. The Cougars won the 800-meter relay in a new 4A state meet record of 1:41.13, they placed second in the 1,600 relay in 3:54.95, and they finished first and second in both the 100 and 300 hurdles.

    Kela Fetters, the 300 hurdle champion just ahead of teammate Mackenzie Fidelak, a freshman, was proud of herself and her teammates.

    “My goal going into the season was to make Niwot the best at 4A girls hurdles in the state and I think that’s what we accomplished,” Fetters said.

    Niwot finished with 85 points. Mountain View was the runner-up with 59.50.

    The Lutheran boys, in their first season up one class after claiming the 2A crown in 2014, won 3A with 82.5 points. They dominated the sprints and won handily over Platte Valley (63).

    Eaton, after finishing as the state runner-up in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 broke through for their first state championship in girls track by snatching the 3A crown with 95.5 points. As usual, the Reds scored plenty of points in the field and on relays. Lamar placed second with 80.

    As for 2A, the Lyons boys collected their fourth state championship in five years as junior distance runner Paul Roberts added to his legacy with state titles in the 1,600, 3,200, and 3,200 relay. The Lions are the power in the classification. Not much changed this weekend. Lyons tallied 111.5 points and edged out Cedaredge (100).

    The Paonia girls won their third state title in a row in 2A with a monstrous 132 point total. Lyons was the runner-up with 73.5. Paonia excelled on relays and in field events, as well.

    Finally, in 1A, Springfield boys conquered the crown with 109 points as Pikes Peak Christian finished with 85. Pikes Peak mostly dominated the individual sprints, but Springfield rolled over everyone in the field.

    Heritage Christian and Shining Mountain Waldorf dueled in distance, but HC came through with the 1A girls state championship with 129 points. SMW scored 100, as Ginger Hutton won the 400, 800, 1,600, and 3200 in her final season.

    [divider]

    Notables

    • Tevin Donnell and Christian Lyon placed first and second for Fountain-Fort Carson in the 5A 100-meter dash finals. Donnell also won the 200.
    • Monarch sophomore phenom Isaac Green won the 5A 1,600 crown in 4:19.56, his first state championship.
    • Andrew Barlow of Monarch cleared 16-8.5 to win the 5A pole vault. The senior’s mark ranks No. 11 in the nation.
    • Becca Schulte of Fort Collins won the 5A 400-meter dash in 53.64, the fourth quickest time in Colorado history.
    • Rock Canyon freshman Emily Sloan won the 5A 100-hurdle crown in 14.11.
    • William Mayhew, one day after running 1:50.74 to crush the 4A record in the 800, claimed the 1600 in 4:15.
    • Longmont boys won the 400-meter relay in 42.08, an extremely quick time.
    • Thompson Valley girls shattered the 4A record in the 1,600 relay with a time of 3:50.73.
    • Freshman Brittany Fuchs of Calhan won the 2A 200-meter dash in 25.70.
    • Jenna Anderson of Lyons capped off her high school career in style by winning the 2A crowns in the 800 (2:14.86) and 1,600 (5:12.61). Teammate Sierra Tucker placed second in the 1,600 in 5:28.35.
    • South Park’s Kacey Buttrick won the hurdle double, the 100 and 300, in 2A.
    • Cedaredge girls shattered the 400-meter relay record in 2A with a 49.73.
    • Baca County’s J.D. Chenoweth won the 110 and 300-hurdles in 1A.
    • Springfield’s Andy Borunda finished first in the shot put (47-01) and discus throw (150-10) in 1A.
    • Freshman Zariah Mason of Kim blew past the field in the 100 and 200 to earn her first 1A state championships. Her 100 time of 12.72 was a new classification best.

     

  • Group of senior girls will be hard to replace on the track

    CHSAA state track and field
    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    LAKEWOOD — Senior classes are always difficult to replace. This particular group in girls track and field, not only for their teams but also state-wide, may leave a hole.

    Sure, it’s not like the other grades lack for talent. Just look at Lauren Gregory (Class 5A 3,200 champion twice), Katie Rainsberger (4A 800, 1,600, 3,200 champion), Emily Sloan (5A 100-hurdle champion as a freshman), and Maya Evans (4A long jump champion as a freshman).

    But this senior group has been one of the best — by any measurement — in Colorado history.

    Take, for instance, where these young ladies will be competing in college. Valor Christian thrower Haley Showalter will be a Wisconsin Badger, Cherry Creek distance runner Jordyn Colter is a future California Golden Bear, Pine Creek sprinter Ally Watt has the opportunity to play soccer and run track for Texas A&M, Cherokee Trail sprinter Shayna Yon has signed with LSU, Shining Mountain Waldorf distance runner Ginger Hutton is off to Vanderbilt, Lewis-Palmer sprinter Nicole Montgomery will be a Kansas Jayhawk, and so on and so on.

    On top of that, check out how many state titles they’ve won individually. Colter has six on the track and one in cross country. Montgomery has totaled seven. Hutton has even more with eight.

    Hutton has shattered 1A state records and then shattered them some more. Colter finishes with two Colorado records in the 800 and 1600-meter runs. Montgomery is the fastest 400-runner in 4A history by a wide margin.

    And that’s just state-wide. Nationally, Colter, Watt, Montgomery, Showalter and Rocky Mountain hurdler Carly Lester have ranked among the nation’s best in their respective events.

    In this group’s last hurrah at the track and field state championships at Jefferson County Stadium, several rose to the occasion.

    Colter anchored Cherry Creek’s 5A winning 3,200 relay in 9:07, won her third consecutive state championship in the 800 in a Colorado record of 2:04.56, and then claimed her third straight 1600 crown in another all-classification best of 4:46.22.

    She is currently No. 1 in America in the 800 and No. 11 in the 1,600. The Bruin was ecstatic to see her time in the 1,600 and to be ahead of legends like Elise Cranny and Melody Fairchild in the record books.

    “I was telling everyone, ‘Are you sure they got that right?’ because I didn’t believe it,” Colter said of her time. “I didn’t think I could get the record, because I was feeling kind of tired from yesterday.”

    “I look up to them so much,” she said of Cranny and Fairchild. “They are amazing runners and just to be a part of that is so surreal.”

    Montgomery anchored Lewis-Palmer’s 4A winning sprint medley in a classification record of 1:45.06. Then on Saturday, she won the sprint triple crown — the 100, the 200, and the 400. She became the first 4A girl to ever run sub-53 seconds in the 400 with a sizzling 52.95, a time that ranks No. 2 in the nation.

    “It’s really exciting to end my senior season having a sweep in the sprints,” Montgomery said. “I run kind of to the crowd and when I hit that 52, it was my goal and it was so exciting.”

    Showalter won the 4A shot put (47-00.5) and discus throw (158-05). Both marks were very close to 4A state meet records. She is top-15 in America in each event.

    Hutton won the 400 (new 1A record), 800 (new 1A record), 1,600, and 3,200.

    Yon won the 100, 200, and long jump in 5A and ran a leg on the winning 400-meter relay.

    The only downside was that Watt had to pull out of the 100 and 200 on the final day of her prep career for Pine Creek with an injury and Lester scratched all her events at the state meet while nursing an injury herself.

    Nonetheless, a sensational group of young ladies capped off their final high school seasons, most in style. Colter, Montgomery, and company won’t soon be forgotten.

  • Records fall in exciting series of 800-meter races

    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
    More photos. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    LAKEWOOD — Inspiration wasn’t hard to find Friday.

    During the second day of the state track and field championships at Jefferson County Stadium, one event was as spectacular as any in recent memory.

    The 800-meter run, with every classification running back-to-back, had five classification records and three all-Colorado records — three, because the boys record was broken in 4A, then about forty-five minutes later, broken again in 5A.

    William Mayhew of Cheyenne Mountain, a senior with an impressive resume, but no state championships to show for it, earned his first crown, his first 4A state meet record and his first all-classification record with a time of 1:50.74. He also became the first 4A boy to run sub-1:52, not to mention sub-1:51, in the 800.

    “The state championship means more to me, because that’s been the goal for so long,” Mayhew said. “Records are meant to be broken. Winning the race was all that was on my mind.”

    Pueblo West’s Zack Retzlaff finished second in 1:53.35.

    Mayhew, who said his time was icing on the cake, kept the all-time Colorado best for less than an hour as Smoky Hill’s Blake Yount stepped onto the track for the 5A finals.

    Yount, another senior and a future Oklahoma Sooner, held the all-classification record before Friday with a 1:51.20 at the Cherry Creek/Grandview Invite two weeks ago. He was also the record holder last season with his 1:51.63.

    Cherry Creek's Jordyn Coulter is all smiles after winning the 5A girls' 800-meter race Friday. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)
    Cherry Creek’s Jordyn Colter is all smiles after winning the 5A girls’ 800-meter race Friday. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)

    He knew what it was like to be on top in the record books, but he had never won a state crown either, finishing only as a 5A runner-up in 2014. Even though, like anyone, Yount wanted the title, the senior’s main focus was snatching back his all-classification best.

    “Time means more to me,” he said. “There’s kids in other classifications, like Mayhew and Paul (Roberts) in 2A, there are people who can race fast across the state. Time is a universal measurement to compare everyone.”

    Yount proved too much for a field of Monarch’s Isaac Green (1:52.62), Denver East’s Hayelom Fitsum (1:52.86), Fountain-Fort Carson’s Dylan Day (1:53.79), and Cherry Creek’s Daniel Book (1:54.30), perhaps the most competitive group in 5A history. The Smoky Hill star cruised 1:50.59, a new 5A and Colorado record, and joined Mayhew as the only high school boys to ever post 1:50.

    The University of Oklahoma recruit said he has been hoping to race Mayhew for awhile. While they aren’t in the same classification, they did test themselves against one another.

    “I wanted to race him head-to-head on the same track on the same day,” Yount said. “Today was the closest we’ve gotten.”

    “It would be interesting to race him,” Mayhew chimed in. “I would like to go at it.”

    Big schools tend to get the most attention, but the smaller classifications can’t be ignored, especially on a day with exceptional performances at every level.

    Erick Enriquez-Acosta of Idalia, only a sophomore, became the first sub-two minute runner in 1A history with a 1:57.86. The all-time best was set in 2012 by Robert Ryland of Sierra Grande, who went 2:00.53.

    On the girls side, Shining Mountain Waldorf’s Ginger Hutton, who already held the 1A record in the 800 with a 2:15.95 at the Liberty Bell Invite this season, dropped a 2:12.81 to finish nearly 12 seconds ahead of Heritage Christian’s Rebekah Rairdon (2:24.00). The time would have placed fifth in 5A.

    Ginger and Birdie Hutton, a 2012 grad from SMW and currently a runner for the Princeton Tigers, are sisters who hold the classification records in the 400, 800, 1,600, and 3,200.

    “She was one of the main reasons why I came out for track freshman year, because all through middle school, she was like, ‘you have to come run,’” Ginger Hutton said. “Then, I came out in high school and fell in love with it. It was her from the start.”

    “I always try to beat her state records,” she added with a laugh.

    Ginger, a senior, claimed her third consecutive state championship in the 800 and her sixth title overall. She hopes to add to her legacy on Saturday in the 400 and 1,600.

    If the 800 hadn’t dazzled enough already, Cherry Creek’s Jordyn Colter was in the final heat.

    Colter, of 800 supremacy with the Colorado record of 2:05.48, the nation’s No. 1 time this season, ran 2:04.56 on Friday to easily win 5A.

    The senior fed off the momentum.

    “I was warming up and I kept hearing all these records,” she said. “I feel like it’s the best thing to get a record on this track at the state meet. I’m so glad I was able to pull it off. The crowd is so awesome.”

    Monarch’s Elissa Mann was the runner-up in 2:10.39. Lauren Gregory of Fort Collins, after defending her 3,200 crown in 11:01 earlier in the day, finished third in 2:11.45.

    Colter also won her third consecutive championship in the 800 and fifth overall on the track. She won cross country as a freshman and will look for another 1,600 crown on Saturday.

    Air Academy’s Katie Rainsberger was the 4A 800 champion in 2:08.87, just off Elise Cranny’s 4A state meet record time of 2:08.50. Rainsberger was the 3,200 winner and helped lead Air Academy to the 3,200 relay championship on Thursday.

  • Lewis-Palmer’s relay team highlights day two of state track

    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)
    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)

    LAKEWOOD — In track, one relay leg can make a difference.

    On Friday at the state track and field championships at Jefferson County Stadium, Nicole Montgomery was the difference between ninth place and a state meet record.

    The Lewis-Palmer senior, a sprint dynamo, got the baton for the 400 anchor leg of the 800-meter medley relay and took the Rangers from last to first in the Class 4A championship finals. They were ninth, but ended up winning with a classification record of 1:45.06, inching past Harrison’s 1:45.38 at the state meet in 2014. Montgomery split 53 seconds.

    “I’m definitely overjoyed right now,” she said. “It was just such a fun race. I’ve never had a group of girls that I’ve wanted to run for so much.”

    Montgomery, the two-time defending 4A champion in the 400-meter dash and a one-time champ in the 200, has tasted plenty of individual success. But, she wanted to share it with her teammates.

    “It’s definitely a lot more special,” she said, when asked how the relay title compared to her other crowns. “This group of girls deserved it. Last year I was pulled out of the medley, because my coach wanted me to focus on the 400. It was so much fun for me to be a part of that.”

    Maddi Smith, Emily Roma, and Laura Still were part of the winning medley relay for Lewis-Palmer. Thompson Valley was the runner-up in 1:46.74.

    On the first day of championship finals for sprint relays, records were shattered.

    Springfield boys broke the 1A state meet record in the 800-meter relay with a 1:33.25. Plateau Valley girls set a new 1A best in the 800 medley relay with a 1:53.90.

    In 2A, Cedaredge girls blew past the classification record in the 400 relay with a 49.71, the first 2A team to ever run sub-50 seconds. Paonia had a 2A best time of 1:45.03 in the 800 relay.

    No relay records were broken in 3A on Friday, but in 5A, Denver East and Mountain Range both shattered the 800 medley state meet record. The East Angels won the crown in 1:43.31 and the Mustangs were the runner-up in 1:43.74.

    Oh, and another one of those special talents, Ally Watt of Pine Creek, helped the Eagles defend their 800 relay crown in 5A with a sizzling 1:38.03, clear of Cherokee Trail’s 1:39.94.

    Fountain-Fort Carson boys won the 5A 800 relay in 1:26.82, the first of what could be three relay championships over the weekend. The Trojans are favorites in the 400 relay and co-favorites with Smoky Hill in the 1,600 relay on Saturday.

    Valor Christian boys cruised 1:26.31 to earn the 4A crown in the 800 relay, another standout performance, and Niwot girls posted a new 4A state meet record in the same event with a 1:41.13.

    Relays didn’t exactly disappoint on the second day of the track and field state championships.

    Expect more of the same Saturday as more individuals and relays will be crowned and team champions will be decided. The meet begins at 9:30 am with the 100-meter hurdle finals for every classification.

    [divider]

    Other notable performances:

    • Palmer Ridge boys won 4A in the 1,600 prelims with a blistering 3:17.36. The Bears are looking poised to defend their team championship.
    • Rylee Anderson, a freshman at Silver Creek, won the 4A high jump with a mark of 5-05.
    • Sangre de Cristo’s Jenna McKinley broke the 1A state record in the shot put with a 41-8.5 and earned her first state championship.
    • Merino’s Jorden Jole won a thrilling 800-meter race in 2A in 1:58.64 over Evan Anderson of Resurrection Christian (1:58.85).
    • Burlington’s Ellie Berry (128-03) and Miryah Jones (127-02) placed first and second in the 2A discus.
    • Ben Butler of Skyview Academy, the 3A cross country champion last fall, won his first title on the track with the 3,200 crown in 9:25. Butler is a junior.
    • Eaton excelled in the 3A field events in winning the boys discus (Garrett Coalson, 163-03) and the girls shot put (Tarynn Sieg, 43-05.25).
    • Marcelo Laguera of Pomona won the 5A 3,200 in 9:24, his first state championship in track. He won 5A cross country last fall.
    • Shayna Yon (first, 18-09.25) and Sydnee Larkin (second, 18-02.75), a Cherokee Trail tandem, dominated the 5A long jump.

  • State track and field: Day 2 heat sheets

    This season’s boys and girls state track and field meet runs May 14-16 at Jefferson County Stadium. Find heat sheets for the second day of events below.

    These heat sheets are for Friday’s events.

    [divider]

    All classes

    Download: PDF
    https://old.chsaanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/spring/track/StateTrack—FridayHeatSheets2015.pdf

  • Photos: State track and field second day

    LAKEWOOD — The 2015 state track and field meet continued on Friday.

  • State track and field: Day 3 heat sheets

    This season’s boys and girls state track and field meet runs May 14-16 at Jefferson County Stadium. Find heat sheets for the third and final day of events below.

    These heat sheets are for Saturday’s events.

    [divider]

    All classes

    Download: PDF
    https://old.chsaanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/spring/track/StateTrack—SaturdayHeatSheets2015.pdf

  • Final results: State track and field meet at Jeffco Stadium

    LAKEWOOD — Final results, via co.milesplit.com, from the 2015 state track and field meet are below. Navigate to the event of your choosing with the menu at left.

    Watch the event live on the NFHS Network.

  • State track, ever the spectacle, kicked off in a big way Thursday

    State track Jeffco Stadium
    More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    LAKEWOOD — Schools from all five classifications, everyone from Idalia to Cherry Creek, come together at Jefferson County Stadium each year for the state track and field championships.

    The three-day event is a spectacle. From the multi-colored team tents dotting the stands, to the splendid new stadium scoreboard with videos and instant results, to the podium for state placers lined with flowers underneath, the state track meet is one of the premier prep events in Colorado.

    Although Thursday was the first of three days, serving as a stage-setter on the track with only two events as championship finals, the 3,200-meter run and the 3,200-meter relay in a few of the divisions, and the rest preliminary rounds to earn spots in finals, the day was not bereft of memorable performances.

    Maya Evans, a freshman at Vista PEAK, won prelims in the Class 4A 100-meter dash in 12.00. She also placed third in the 200-meter dash prelims in 25.25. Off the track, Evans won the state championship in the long jump with a 19-9.25, the third-best mark nationally by a freshman in 2015.

    “My goal was a 20, but every time I jump I get closer and closer,” Evans said.

    “It feels really good,” she added. “I’m new to state and it was a challenge for me, but I believed in myself and I knew I could do it.”

    Valor Christian, sporting their white Nike speed suits, blistered a time of 1:26.37 in the boys 800-meter relay. They easily won 4A prelims over Littleton (1:28.81) and Windsor (1:28.85).

    A few minutes later, Fountain-Fort Carson — resembling Superman in their red, white, and blue — ran 1:26.99 to win 5A prelims. Pine Creek girls, the defending state champions in the 400- and 800-meter relays, posted 1:38.44 in their preliminary round in 5A, easily outdistancing Cherokee Trail’s 1:41.05. They own the Colorado record of 1:37.05, set in 2014 at the state meet.

    The 800-meter relay finals for the big schools could be as entertaining as any event on Friday.

    As for those championship finals on Thursday, another team decked in red, white, and blue — Cherry Creek — swept the 5A boys and girls crowns in the 3,200 meter relay. The girls were in a battle with Monarch and ThunderRidge through three legs, but unleashed Jordyn Colter — the No. 1-ranked girl in America in the 800 meters and the mile — on the anchor to cruise a 9:07.54. Monarch (9:15) and ThunderRidge (9:21) finished second and third.

    The Bruin boys hovered around fourth place through the first two legs, but picked off the leaders and won in 7:51. Chaparral (7:54), Fountain-Fort Carson (7:55), and Liberty (7:57) all dipped under eight minutes.

    In a state with the track and field talent of Colorado, plenty of athletes performed well on the biggest stage. Perhaps none performed better, or at least in more dramatic fashion, than Air Academy’s Katie Rainsberger.

    After running away from a stacked 4A field in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:49, ahead of Mountain View’s Riley Cooney (10:56), Denver North’s Kayla Young (10:56), and Canon City’s Aubrey Till (10:58), the junior saved enough for something special in the 3,200 relay.

    Thompson Valley, a traditional power in the relay, led through three legs and by a sizeable margin. But Air Academy was lurking in the top five.

    State track Jeffco Stadium
    More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The Kadets moved into second with Rainsberger’s anchor leg to go, but the Eagles had Emily Leidig, a state qualifier in the 800-meters, countering. Rainsberger measured Leidig on the first lap and started gaining, but the gap was still several meters.

    She eventually caught her with around 200 to go, and brought the baton home in 9:25. Canon City snuck past Thompson Valley for second in 9:31 to TV’s 9:32.

    “They stepped up really big today,” Rainsberger, who split 2:10, said of her relay mates. “We were in pretty good position when I got the baton. I knew I just needed to finish as hard as I could and try to get the win.”

    Kayla Wiitala, Lilliana Hamilton, and Carly Wilborn were also members of the winning 3,200 relay for Air Academy.

    Rainsberger nearly ran down Mountain View on the anchor leg a season ago, but came up just short as the Kadets were the runner-up in 9:17 to the Mountain Lions’ 9:15.

    The 4A champion last fall in cross country got her first state of winning on the track after several runner-up finishes individually, as well. She’s the favorite to win the 800 and 1600-meter runs over the weekend.

    Events begin again at 8:30 am on Friday morning with the 3A 3,200 meter-run.

    [divider]

    Notables

    • Valor Christian’s Haley Showalter, a senior, defended her 4A crown in the discus throw with a mark of 158-5. The future Wisconsin Badger was the runner-up in the event her freshman and sophomore seasons.
    • Cherokee Trail’s Amazing Ashby won the 5A triple jump with a 39-4, a nice boost to the Cougars’ title hopes as a team. CT, Fort Collins, and Pine Creek are expected to contend.
    • Rampart placed 1st and 2nd in the 5A high jump as Ashlyn Hare (5-6) won the crown and Kiara Kearny (5-6, more attempts) was the runner-up.
    • Mountain Range’s Patrick Byerly won the 5A discus throw with an impressive 54-6. He became the first track and field athlete to win a state title in the school’s history.
    • Palmer Ridge’s Eric Hamer, the 4A cross country champion last fall, won 4A in the 3,200 meter run in 9:22. He came back soon after to anchor the winning 3,200 relay in 7:57. The Bears’ Caleb Ojennes crushed prelims of the 400-meter dash with a 47.31.
    • Bayfield’s Conner Kennedy nearly broke the 3A state meet record in the long jump with a mark of 23-00. Josiah Baker of La Junta holds the all-time best with a 23-1.25, set in 2003.
    • Cedaredge broke the 2A state meet record in the girls 800-meter relay with a time of 1:44.76 in prelims. Akron held the previous best of 1:45.29 from 2011.
    • Shining Mountain Waldorf’s Ginger Hutton was a mere four seconds off her sister’s 1A 3,200-meter record of 11:49. Ginger ran 11:53 on Thursday, Birdie went 11:49 in 2012. Older sister runs for Princeton, while Ginger, a senior, is a Vanderbilt recruit.
    • The Chaparral boys, who were 2nd Thursday, have placed either 1st or 2nd in the 5A 3,200 relay six times since 2007.
    • Paul Roberts of Lyons, a junior, won the 2A 3,200 meter crown in 9:38. The title was Roberts’ fourth on the track and seventh overall as an individual, including cross country. He also anchored the winning 3,200 meter relay Thursday.

  • Photos: State track and field first day

    LAKEWOOD — The 2015 state track and field meet got underway on Thursday.