Smoky Hill’s Blake Yount wins the boys 800-meter run. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
LITTLETON — Colorado has a long-standing tradition of producing excellent girls distance runners.
But the recent group of transcendent stars, equally capable in cross country and track, make a case as the greatest high schoolers to ever run on Colorado soil.
Just look at the past three weekends.
On April 10 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in California, Fort Collins sophomore phenom Lauren Gregory ran a 4:48 in the mile, good for fourth place in the race and sixth place in the country. But Gregory was only third among competitors from her own state. Cherry Creek senior Jordyn Colter won in a national-best 4:45, while Air Academy junior Katie Rainsberger placed third in the race in the fourth best time in America, 4:47.
If that’s not enough to impress you, consider Colter broke the Colorado record in the 800-meter run with a 2:05.48 at the Stutler Bowl Twilight Invite on Friday, smashing Tara Mendozza’s 2:07.53, set in 1999. Colter is now number one in the country in the 800, as well.
The Liberty Bell Invitational, hosted by Heritage High School at Littleton Public School Stadium on Friday and Saturday, followed suit with some eye-popping times.
Gregory, already a three-time individual state champion in cross country and track, came within shouting distance of setting a Colorado record in the 3,200 on Friday with a ridiculous time of 10:25. Her winning margin was 39 seconds over Denver North’s Kayla Young (11:04) and Legacy’s Emma Gee (11:06), standout runners in their own right.
The all-time best is 10:17, set by Niwot’s Elise Cranny at the 4A state championships a year ago. Cranny recently broke the American junior record in the indoor 3,000 meters as a freshman at Stanford, so it’s fair to say Gregory is in good company. The sophomore broke the Fort Collins’ school record and the meet record and now boasts the best time on Colorado soil this spring by 28 seconds over Rainsberger.
Air Academy’s Katie Rainsberger. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
Not to be outdone, though, Rainsberger cruised to a comfortable victory in the 1,600-meter run on Saturday with a 4:56. She was a mere four seconds off the meet record and won by 16 seconds over Fort Collins’ Devynn Miller.
Count Rainsberger as one of those who embraces the competition.
“I think it’s always awesome when Colorado girls go out and represent,” she said. “It’s kind of a pride thing.”
That being said, Rainsberger shies away from comparisons between her, Gregory, and Colter — the elite trio.
“I think it’s hard to compare yourself to someone, because you are all at different points, but I definitely look up to them,” she added. “I aspire to run 2:05 or 10:25. I don’t necessarily compare myself to them, but I admire them. We’re all really good friends too.”
The girls distance events at Liberty Bell were exceptional all around as 25 young ladies broke 12 minutes in the 3,200 and Fort Collins’ Becca Schulte won a stacked 800 in 2:14. Shining Mountain’s Ginger Hutton, a 1A competitor, ran an 11:28 in the 3,200 Friday and came back to get second place in the two-lapper in 2:15.
On the boys side of things, SkyView Academy’s Ben Butler handled a worthy 3,200 field with a time of 9:23. The 3A runner ranks second for all classifications in the event.
Regis Jesuit’s Javan Lanier ran the second quickest time in all classifications himself in the 100 meter dash in 10.73. Four others broke 11 seconds.
Pine Creek’s Dionne Taylor won the high jump with a mark of 6-8. Trevor Rex of Highlands Ranch also went 6-8, but in more attempts.
Castle View’s Mackenzie Pettit broke the meet record in the girl high jump, clearing 5-7.
Gateway’s Mike Ware (48.25) and Lakewood sophomore Brock Miller (48.99) impressed in the 400 meter dash.
Fountain-Fort Carson boys, speaking to their dominance in 2015, won the 4×100-meter relay in a time of 41.64 — a new best mark in the state — the 4×200 relay in 1:27.99, the 4×400 relay in 3:26, and the 4×800 relay in 7:59. Entering the weekend, the Trojans were ranked No. 1 in 5A in all four relays.
They are the heavy favorites to defend their team crown.
Dylan Day, a future Ole Miss Rebel and one of the cogs in the Trojan machine, placed third in the 3,200 (9:40), second in the 1,600 (4:23), and ran a leg on that winning 4×800. The senior says one of Fountain-Fort Carson’s goals is to dominate the relays at Jeffco Stadium.
“I don’t know if it’s ever happened before, but we would like to win all four relays at state,” Day said. “That would be one of the best ways to end my senior year.”
Smoky Hill senior Blake Yount, a 1:51.63 runner in the 800 a season ago — the state record — crushed the field Saturday with a 1:52.61. That’s the new No. 1 in 5A in 2015 and should give him the top seed at the state meet.
Fort Collins girls pushed past fellow 5A title favorites Pine Creek to win the Liberty Bell Invite as a team. Fountain-Fort Carson, as expected, were the boys champions.
DENVER — The Mullen Runners Roost Invitational has long been deemed one of Colorado’s finest track meets.
So when an athlete wins two events and places second in another, it’s noteworthy. But when that competitor is only a freshman, brand new to the high school track world, it’s rather remarkable.
Maya Evans, a sprinter and jumper for the Vista Peak Bison, a Class 4A school in Aurora, displayed her extreme talents Saturday with victories in the 100-meter dash (12.26), long jump (18-3.75), and a runner-up finish in the 200-meter dash.
Vista Peak’s Maya Evans. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
Maybe more remarkable is that Evans’ long jump mark wasn’t even a personal best. She went 19-3.5 at the Runners Roost of Fort Collins meet on March 21, currently the fourth best mark of any freshman in America during the outdoor track season.
Evans also leaped a ridiculous 19-4.25 in an indoor meet in January. Only three other Colorado girls — in any classification — have cleared 18-0 this season and Evans is the only one in the 19’s.
The freshman placed first at Mullen by a wide margin over Thompson Valley’s Ali Artzberger (16-8.50). The Vista Peak superstar also had a personal best in the 100, quite a day for a girl who just got her feet wet to high school track.
Evans’ jumps coach, Myka Greene, wasn’t the least bit surprised by her performance, though.
“I know there are a lot of people who want an athlete like her,” Greene said. “She’s really a great athlete and a real coachable one.
“I’m pretty confident that she can jump 20s at state,” Greene added. “In the 100, I believe she can run 12.00. In the 200, I believe she can get to at least 24.4. Her training that she’s doing, she’s getting there.”
For now, Evans is focused on the process.
“My goal is to drop my times more and jump further in long jump,” the freshman phenom said.
At an invitational the caliber of Mullen, Evans was certainly not the only one to impress.
Mountain View’s Riley Cooney, a senior and University of Kansas signee, won a distance double with the 1,600 and 800 crowns over stacked fields.
In her first event, the 1,600, Cooney tamed the field with a wire-to-wire victory in a time of 5:02.
In the 800, another win was far from a done deal as Thompson Valley’s Emily Leidig, a cross-town rival of Cooney’s in Loveland, broke off for a large lead on the second lap. Cooney, who was in second place, appeared out of contention with 100 meters left. But the senior had a furious finish to catch Leidig with five meters remaining, winning in 2:14 as Leidig ran 2:15.
“I thought maybe I had a shot at it, but it was a pretty big gap. I tried and I guess I got it,” Cooney said with a smile.
Isaac Green of Monarch. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
“I haven’t had a super awesome meet here in the past, so I just wanted to have my last one be a good one,” she added. “I hadn’t run an 800 that was I satisfied with this season. I needed that race today.
“In the mile, I just wanted to get out and take control and run my race. I’m happy with it.”
Monarch super sophomore Isaac Green, one of the best freshman distance runners in the nation a season ago, claimed a thrilling come-from-behind 1,600 meter race over Chaparral’s Dominic Compoz, who led throughout.
Regis Jesuit’s Javan Lanier won both the 100 and 200-meter dashes.
An athlete who can excel and dominate in a manner that earns them recognition as one of the nation’s best is a rare breed.
Pine Creek’s Ally Watt is unusually gifted on both the soccer pitch and as a sprinter in track. The fact both sports are in the same season, in the spring, makes it that much more impressive.
“I really can’t say it’s easy, but my coaches help me a lot,” Watt said of her time-management balancing act. “My club coach understands that I’m very serious about high school track, because we’ve built so much at Pine Creek.
“When I get any chance to play soccer, I practice with my team. But, during the month of May I’m not allowed to touch a soccer ball according to (track) coach Max Oliver, because he just wants me to focus completely on track, which I understand. Having two coaches who understand my love for both sports and allow me to do both is great.”
Watt has signed to play soccer at Texas A&M University. The senior, a year after leading Pine Creek to the Class 5A final four, has decided not to suit up for the Eagles in 2015 because she doesn’t want to risk injury.
Watt will be playing club, though, and was recently named to U.S. Soccer’s under-20 Women’s National Team that will play in a U19 invitational tournament in Spain from Feb 28-March 10.
When she returns home, Watt has business to take care of on the track for a program that was strong before she arrived, stronger yet with her in the lineup.
“She took the team to the next level,” Oliver said. “The very best athletes inspire and make teammates better and Ally does that.”
As a junior, all Watt accomplished were state titles in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, and was the anchor leg of the 400- and 800-meter relays.
Her 800 relay team dusted the field and easily beat the previous all-classification state record time of 1:38.09. The Eagles went 1:37.05 in the preliminary round and 1:37.57 in the finals. Her 400 relay also delighted the crowd with a 46.55, only a mere .04 seconds off the Colorado record of 46.51, set by George Washington in 2007.
(Alan Versaw/Colorado Track XC)
Watt won the 100 and 200 double as a freshman and finished second in the 200 and the 400 as a sophomore. The only one to beat the Pine Creek phenom? Ana Holland of Regis, a senior in 2013 who won the 100, 200, 400 triple crown.
Watt’s personal bests on the track of 11.41 seconds in the 100, 23.65 in the 200, and 53.78 are all considered elite on the national level.
If she is this fast of a sprinter, why doesn’t Watt pursue track in college too? Actually, she might.
“That’s my hope,” she said. “The coaches at A&M are open to me doing both. I hope I will be able to do both.”
Former Wheat Ridge star Annie Kunz also runs track and plays soccer at Texas A&M. She’s now a senior.
While Watt isn’t one hundred percent sure about sprinting at A&M, she is open to the idea.
“For track, I just want to see how develop and see if I am meant to run,” she said. “I can do well in high school, but collegiately I would have to see how I compare and if I’m able to compete at that level. If I go far in it, my dreams might alter.
“I’m just going to take it one step at a time. My goals are never set in stone.”
Watt and Pine Creek placed second, only four points behind Fort Collins, in the 5A team race last year. Both teams are expected to be excellent again. Cherry Creek may challenge.
In Class 4A, Niwot won it all in 2014, while Thompson Valley, Broomfield (moved up to 5A), Palmer Ridge, and Sand Creek were all within shouting distance. Several teams figure to be in the mix.
The Classical Academy claimed the 3A crown a season ago in dominant fashion. Eaton was the runner-up with Lamar and Coal Ridge finishing in third and fourth, respectively. TCA has been a power in the sport for years and figures to be in the thick of it. Eaton will be one of the favorites, as well.
In 2A, rivals Paonia and Hotchkiss battled for the championship in 2014. Paonia held the Bulldogs off 102-86. Both teams should be strong. Lyons is always a factor in 2A, too.
Shining Mountain Waldorf inched past Heritage Christian, Dove Creek, and Vail Christian for the 1A title last season in a wild team race. Expect another enticing battle in 2015.
[divider]
Girls track and field preview
Class 5A
Season begins: March 6
State meet: May 14-16, Jeffco Stadium
Returning all-state athletes: Jordyn Colter, senior, Cherry Creek, 800 meters, 1600 meters; Lauren Gregory, sophomore, Fort Collins, 3200 meters; Carly Lester, senior, Rocky Mountain, 300 hurdles; Ally Watt, senior, Pine Creek, 100 meters, 200 meters.
INDIANAPOLIS — Effective with the 2015 high school track and field season, the prohibition of jewelry will be eliminated. This was one of several rules changes recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Track and Field Rules Committee at its June 16-18 meeting in Indianapolis. The committee’s recommendations were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
Becky Oakes, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Track and Field Rules Committee, said the committee determined that prohibiting jewelry in high school track and field and cross country is not necessary.
“The wearing of jewelry ordinarily presents little risk of injury to either the competitor or opponents,” Oakes said. “Elimination of the rule allows officials to focus on meet administration directly related to actual competition. Coaches continue to have the obligation to see that competitors are properly equipped.”
In other changes, language regarding the time limit to initiate a trial in the throwing and jumping events was revised. Previously, competitors in these events had to initiate a trial and carry it to completion within one minute. Beginning next year, participants must only initiate the trial within the one-minute time limit. Completion of the event will be allowed beyond the prescribed time.
Another change was made in field events involving implements. In events such as the shot put, discus, javelin and pole vault, an additional trial will be allowed when an implement breaks – and thus becomes illegal – during competition due to no fault of the competitor.
The revised note in Rules 6-2-17 and 7-2-17 reads as follows: “If a legal implement breaks during an attempt in accordance with the rules, no penalty shall be counted against the competitor and a replacement trial shall be awarded. If the implement breaks upon completion of the trial, a replacement attempt shall not be awarded and the results of the trial shall be recorded, provided it was made in accordance with the rules.”
In the discus throw, it no longer will be a foul if a competitor is out of control when exiting the back half of the circle. Also, in the discus, shot put and javelin, the requirement for the judge to call “mark” was eliminated.
Another change involves the high jump and pole vault events. A new article in Rule 7-2 will state that “a crossbar displaced by a force disassociated with the competitor after he/she is legally and clearly over the crossbar shall not be a fault and is considered a successful attempt.”
In Rule 8 involving special events, the committee approved the 1,500-meter run as an alternate for the 1,600-meter run in the decathlon and pentathlon. Oakes said when using the IAAF standard scoring, the 1,500-meter run is the standard distance. In addition, the indoor weight throw was approved for the listing of special events.
The final change involves Rule 1-4 on indoor track. Since many indoor meets are held in college facilities, the committee approved the 60-meter high hurdles and dash as alternates for the 55-meter high hurdles and dash. Oakes said this option eliminates special marking of the facilities for the hurdles and dash.
Track and field is the second-most popular sport for boys with 580,672 participants in 16,001 schools and is the No. 1 sport for girls with 472,939 participants in 15,962 schools during the 2012-13 season, according to the NFHS Athletics Participation Survey.
LAKEWOOD — George Washington’s Dior Hall has been a national phenom in the 100-meter hurdles for many years, but accomplished something Saturday that no one in Colorado history had at the State Track and Field Championships.
She ran a 13.09 100-hurdles in the Class 5A finals, smashing the 1996 all-classification record of 13.23 held by Denver South’s Dominique Calloway. The time was the third fastest in U.S. history for a high school girl.
Perhaps the most amazing thing is that Hall’s 13.09 wasn’t even a personal best. The senior holds the national record in the event with a 13.01, a time she ran to win silver at the World Youth Championships last summer. At a March meet in New York, Hall set the 60-meter hurdles national record with a time of 8.11.
George Washington’s Dior Hall. (Brock Laue)
On Saturday, Hall put on a show in the first event of the final day of State at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood. Her competition was Cherry Creek’s super sophomore Ashley Miller, already one of the fastest Colorado girls hurdlers in history herself.
From the gun, Hall and Miller took control but the George Washington star’s speed and picturesque form cruised her past the field to the near sub-13 performance. Miller placed second in the fourth-fastest time in state history, 13.38.
“I just wanted to complete my race plan,” Hall said of her preparation for the final. “Going into finals I wanted to run 12.9, but I ran 13.09. It’s pretty good.”
Hall, who has mostly focused on the 100 hurdles and the Patriots’ always blistering relay squads during high school, displayed versatility senior year.
“I split a 54 on the sprint medley (relay),” Hall said. “It was my first event of the year. I was actually not supposed to run as fast as I did, but I felt like someone was behind me, so I felt like I had to go faster. I was really happy with a 54.”
Hall’s performance was enough to help George Washington become the first Colorado sprint medley relay team to break 1:43. They own the all-classification record with a 1:42.98, the top time in America when they ran it.
The Patriots chose not to stack the relay at State, but Hall was certainly busy Saturday. Less than an hour after her 100 hurdle performance, she placed second in the 100-meter dash in a time of 11.69, a new personal record. Pine Creek’s Ally Watt claimed the 5A crown in a time of 11.53.
Hall also placed fourth in the 200-meter dash in 24.26 seconds. Watt won the double with a blistering 23.73.
Hall even ran a leg on George Washington’s second place 400-meter relay (47.13). Pine Creek claimed the title in 46.55, a mere .04 seconds off the Colorado record of 46.51, which GW set in 2007.
Hall’s impressive weekend helped the Patriots place fifth in the 5A girls team standings with 51 points. Fort Collins won the state championship with 84 points, four points ahead of Pine Creek.
Elise Cranny-led Niwot won its second straight 4A championship with 66 points. Thompson Valley finished second with 57.5 and Broomfield was third with 55 points.
The Classical Academy won its third consecutive team title in 3A with a dominating 111-point tally. Eaton was second with 82.5 points.
In 2A, Paonia held off a game Hotchkiss 102-86 to claim back-to-back team crowns.
Jennifer Celis did her best to give Hotchkiss a chance at victory with 30 individual points in the 400 (57.84), 800 (2:11.43), and 1,600 (4:58.55) by herself. She also anchored the state championship 1600-meter relay in a time of 3:59.78.
Hotchkiss’ Jennifer Celis. (Brock Laue)
Celis broke her own 2A records in the 800 and 1,600. She closed with a scorching fast kick in both races to beat West Grand’s Tabor Scholl. Celis’ 800-meter race was especially impressive.
“The past few years I would take it on pace and then slow up to make sure I had enough for the kick,” Celis said of her 800-meter state championship. “This year I really just wanted to run my own race. I knew I wanted to break 2:13 this year, but for that race I kind of just wanted to run it to win it and hopefully the time would come.”
One event later, Celis won the 400-meter dash despite admittedly tired legs.
The Hotchkiss star might be a 2A athlete, but will be competing for a big-time college program next season — Oklahoma State University — after winning six individual state titles and three relay titles in her career.
In 1A, Shining Mountain Waldorf won an exciting battle for the State Championship with 74 points. Heritage Christian (71), Dove Creek (68), and Vail Christian (65) were all in the mix late into the weekend.
On a day filled with spectacular performances, Hall’s 100-hurdle state championship run stood out. The senior exudes humility and class, but is honest about her long-term goals.
“To make the Olympics in 2016, win, and break the world record,” Hall said of her ultimate dream.
The George Washington star seems capable of anything after a breathtaking Saturday morning at Jeffco Stadium.
Shining Mountain won the 1A girls track championship. (Whitney Webermeier/CHSAANow.com)Paonia won the 2A girls track championship (Whitney Webermeier/CHSAANow.com)The Classical Academy won 3A girls track’s championship. (Whitney Webermeier/CHSAANow.com)Niwot won 4A girls track’s championship. (Whitney Webermeier/CHSAANow.com)Fort Collins won 5A girls track’s championship. (Whitney Webermeier/CHSAANow.com)
Niwot’s Elise Cranny huddles with teammates on Saturday. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
LAKEWOOD — Niwot’s Elise Cranny, one of the most decorated girls distance runners in the country, completed her brilliant high school career Saturday. She provided three memorable performances at the State Track and Field Championships at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood.
One season ago, Cranny won the Class 4A distance triple crown with state titles in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter, and 3,200-meter races. This year, she did it again and in spectacular fashion.
Cranny started her final high school meet Friday by cruising to a new 3,200-meter all-classification record time of 10:17. Her performance bettered legendary Boulder High star Melody Fairchild’s 10:21, set back in 1991. Cranny’s time also beat her own 4A meet record best of 10:38 from 2013.
“I wanted to be a little bit closer to 10 (minutes), but it ended up being kind of windy and I didn’t feel as good as I thought, but I still got it so I’m happy about that,” Cranny said of the record-setting run.
The Niwot senior claimed the 4A 3,200 crown by 53 seconds over D’Evelyn’s Lexi Reed, but the 800 and 1,600 titles didn’t come so easy.
Friday afternoon, a couple hours after Cranny’s 3,200, she found herself in a peculiar situation in the 800.
Content to tuck into the lead pack and conserve energy behind Palmer Ridge’s Alison Dietsch and Air Academy’s Katie Rainsberger, the field stayed close together through a slow first lap.
Dietsch, Rainsberger, and Cranny took off from the pack soon after 400-meters and made it a three-horse race. Before Cranny knew what hit her though, Dietsch scampered away from her and Rainsberger as the crowd roared with the anticipation of a possible upset. Dietsch had about a 5-meter lead on Cranny with 50-meters to go, but Cranny closed hard and nipped her at the line, 2:12.05 to 2:12.24. Rainsberger placed third in 2:12.92.
“Yeah, that was really stressful and I don’t even know what happened,” Cranny said of the gap between her and Dietsch late in the race. “I think I was half-asleep or something, but we went out slow and then I don’t even know where she came from. I thought it was Katie (Rainsberger), but then it was Alison. It was a really stressful finish.”
“I got stressed, because I was trying to speed up, but the finish line was getting closer and closer and I was like, I don’t know if there’s going to be enough ground, but then it worked out,” Cranny added.
The final push was enough to seal Cranny’s second straight title in the 800. The 1,600 was an even better race.
Rainsberger and Cranny, who would face off in the 1,600 as well, have been rivals since one of the most memorable finishes in the state cross-country meet in many years during the 2012 4A State Championships.
In that race, Rainsberger led by a wide margin with 300 meters left, but Cranny turned on the jets and nipped her at the line by 0.10 seconds to win her first ever state title.
Cranny says that was the turning point in her Niwot career after placing second as a sophomore in cross-country.
“I wanted to win (the 800) and I didn’t want to get second again and I think when I caught her I had that realization that you always have something left,” Cranny said of her first state championship in cross-country or track. “That definitely helped me a lot and helped me learn that you always have something left at the end.”
Throughout the weekend, Cranny had something left.
In the 1,600, the two rivals ran away from the field on the second lap and looked poised for a special finale to Cranny’s Niwot career.
“Going into it, I knew that she was really good competition,” Cranny said of Air Academy’s ultra-talented sophomore. “I knew that she would run really fast. She took the pace out pretty hard and I just stayed behind her and tried to stay relaxed. I knew that if I would make a move, I had to make a strong one.”
Cranny’s strong move came with 200-meters left after running even with Rainsberger throughout. The kick was enough to hold Rainsberger off and claim her sixth state championship. Cranny broke another 4A state meet record and set a new all-classification best of 4:47.54. The time was merely 0.02 seconds faster than Cranny’s record time set at the Boulder County Championships last season.
Rainsberger placed second with a time of 4:48.84, also beating the state meet record of 4:54.59, a record held by Thompson Valley’s Laura Tremblay since 2009.
Cranny’s three individual titles and 30 points helped lead the Niwot girls to their second straight team championship by a slim margin over Thompson Valley, 66-57.5.
The phenom recently ran the second-fastest 1,500 time in the nation among high school girls. She is also No. 1 in the nation this season in the 800 meters with a blistering time of 2:04.81 at the Mt. Sac Relays in California.
Cranny has accomplished much on the national level, but says she has most enjoyed competing with her high school teammates.
“I think these meets are just a lot more fun, because you have all your teammates here and I know Katie and a bunch of people,” Cranny said. “It’s really fun to be able to run against people that you know. I think it’s just more fun and there’s more energy.”
The energy and excitement certainly rippled through the stadium during Elise Cranny’s last three races of her Niwot career. She delighted the crowd with an indelible senior season.
LAKEWOOD — Pine Creek junior Alleandra Watt burst onto the Class 5A track and field scene as an ambitious freshman in 2012. She became the school’s first state champion in the 100- and 200-meter dash that year and hasn’t looked back since.
Watt, one of the premier sprinters in America, anchored the fastest 800-meter relay in Colorado history Thursday in prelims. Pine Creek broke George Washington’s record of 1:38.09 by a full second with a time of 1:37.05. Watt dusted the field on the last leg in finals Friday as the Eagles won their second straight 800-meter relay championship.
“It was great to defend our title from last year and to be able to break the record,” Watt said. “We were so close last year, but it was more just a good time racing with my team again and to get some points up on the board.”
“Relay records, four people have to do what they’re supposed to do perfectly,” Pine Creek coach Max Oliver said. “That’s just a testament to these kids that they can do that.”
Watt, who also anchors the 400-meter relay, helped lead the Pine Creek girls to the fastest time in prelims with a new school record of 46.86. The Eagles would love to overtake George Washington’s Colorado record of 46.51 in the event during Saturday’s finals, but know it won’t be easy.
“Setting the record Saturday is probably a little tougher,” Oliver said of the 400 relay. “Everyone’s tired and really our goal tomorrow would be to win and if the record comes, it comes.”
Watt seems poised to give them a chance. The junior, who is also the leading scorer on the Pine Creek soccer team, has fresher legs this weekend after taking the past two weeks off from soccer to focus on track. The Eagles are playing tomorrow in the 5A semifinals against Ralston Valley, but Watt won’t be able to attend because of track, she said. Watt knew she had to make sacrifices to be able to have a crack at claiming the state titles in the 100- and 200-meter Dashes.
Watt, who placed second to Regis’ Ana Holland in the 200 and 400 meters as a sophomore, handled high-level fields in prelims of the 100 and 200 on Thursday. She ran 11.68 in the 100, 0.23 seconds ahead of Denver East’s Chyna Ries, and 23.59 in the 200, 0.43 seconds clear of Ries again.
“First goal is obviously to just win them,” Watt said of Saturday’s 100 and 200 finals. “I want to PR again and have legible times that aren’t wind-aided. All my PRs are wind-aided, but mostly my goal is just to win, because I know how great competition is and I want them to push me and I want to push them.”
Asked what makes Watt so good, Oliver said, “Genetics. She works really hard at it. She’s limited by her time commitments. She’s not really training year-long, but its genetics and then good coaching. We have the best sprints coach in the state and I believe that wholeheartedly. Whatever the potential is, he gets it.”
Watt has great potential and talent on the soccer pitch as well, as she is already a Texas A&M University commit in soccer. She hopes to play both sports at the next level and said the A&M coaches would love to add her to the mix in both.
Former Wheat Ridge soccer and track star, Annie Kunz, currently competes for the Aggies in both sports. Watt wants to follow in her footsteps.
In the immediate future though, the Pine Creek junior desires to add to her already lofty track legacy Saturday with 5A crowns in the 100 and 200, and 400 relay.
Oliver knows Watt can do special things anytime she steps on the track and said the best is yet to come.
“I don’t think we have any idea just how fast she is capable of,” Oliver said excitedly. “I think she has a big top end still with a lot of room to grow. She’s split time with soccer this year and she’s not a full-time track athlete and so there’s still a lot of potential there.”
LAKEWOOD — Heat sheets for the second day of the boys and girls track and field meets are below. Find Day 1 results, as well as live Day 2 results, on this page.
