Strasburg is the No. 1 team in the preseason 3A softball ranking. (Kelly Thornburg/MVPSportsPics.com)
Grandview, Valor Christian and Strasburg are the No. 1 teams in the preseason CHSAANow.com Softball Polls, which were released on Monday.
Both Grandview (Class 5A) and Valor (4A) are defending champions, while Strasburg was runner-up in 3A last season.
Grandview is atop the 5A ranking with six of the 10 first-place votes, and 84 total points. Fossil Ridge, last season’s runner-up, is No. 2 with one first-place vote and 79 total points.
Broomfield is third in 5A, Eaglecrest is No. 4 and Brighton rounds out the top five.
In 4A, Valor Christian got seven of the nine first-place votes. The Eagles edged Frederick, the team it beat to win 4A last season.
Also in 4A’s top five are No. 3 Erie, No. 4 Wheat Ridge and No. 5 Pueblo West.
Strasburg was a unanimous No. 1 selection in 3A, getting all seven first-place votes. Sterling is No. 2, and defending champion La Junta is No. 3.
Brush is fourth in 3A, while Skyline is No. 5.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Chaparral 19, Mountain Range 13, Arvada West 10, Columbine 8, Horizon 8, Cherokee Trail 6, Ralston Valley 6, Chatfield 5, Rock Canyon 3, Regis Jesuit 2, Fort Collins 1, Smoky Hill 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Valor Christian (7)
0-0-0
88
2
Frederick (2)
0-0-0
76
3
Erie
0-0-0
62
4
Wheat Ridge
0-0-0
59
5
Pueblo West
0-0-0
35
6
Windsor
0-0-0
34
7
Falcon
0-0-0
26
8
Air Academy
0-0-0
25
9
Mullen
0-0-0
25
10
Niwot
0-0-0
19
Others receiving votes:
Discovery Canyon 16, Berthoud 6, Silver Creek 6, D’Evelyn 4, Ponderosa 4, Vista Ridge 4, Delta 1, Mountain View 1.
The margin of victory wasn’t as big at Monday’s Spartan Invitational, but the Cougars ended their round even as a team, good enough for a runaway win against 14 other Colorado Springs high schools.
“I think they were a little nervous at first, being tagged with that label of state champs,” Coronado coach Marty Cornell said. “But eventually they all settled down and played their game. They played well today.”
It helps that the Cougars return every member of the 2014 squad that walked away as state champions. They were paced by the play of senior Isaac Petersilie who was the runner-up to the individual state championship last season.
“Isaac’s a solid player,” Cornell said. “He shot what he shot.”
He started the round just as he wanted to with a birdie on the par-5 1st. He was able to par the next seven holes and it appeared that he would par the 9th, making the turn at 1-under.
But his putt on the 9th green ran away from him and heading into the last nine holes, he was back to even.
“That second putt coming back, I hit exactly how I wanted to,” Petersilie said. “It just didn’t do what I thought it was going to do.”
He bounced back two holes later on the par-5 11th. He put his second shot about 10-feet from the pin, but two-putted for birdie. He birdied 15 as well, giving him a score of 3-under on the par-5s.
The back nine turned into an intense battle between Petersilie and his friend and district rival Chadd Vasquez from Doherty. Vasquez shot 2-over on the front, but got back into the match by hitting three-straight birdies after making the turn.
“I just started hitting fairways,” Vasquez said. “I was hitting fairways and hitting good iron shots. I didn’t hit those fairways on the front.”
Doherty’s Chadd Vasquez putts for birdie on the 18th green at Colorado Springs Country Club. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Going into the par-4 18th, Vasquez trailed Petersilie by one stroke. Petersilie’s approach shot was just off the back of the green while Vasquez landed his about 14-feet from the hole.
Petersilie was able to get up-and-down for par to finish with a 69 on the round. Vasquez was able to knock down his birdie putt to also come in with a 69 and send the individual match to a playoff.
The two friends (and members of the Colorado Springs Country Club) went back out to the 1st of what they both consider their home course. Just like the start of the round, Petersilie was able to birdie the hole, giving him the individual title to go along with the Coronado team title.
There were no hard feelings between the two, however, as they both love competing against each other, regardless of the outcome.
“We just have to play our game. It’s just birdie, birdie, birdie,” Vasquez said. “When we get lucky we’ll talk some trash, but it was a good round today.”
Custer County cross country. (Courtesy of Jack Swartz/Custer County)
Custer County cross country will have a new look this fall thanks to a scholarship from Brooks Booster Club.
The Bobcats are one of 25 teams in the nation to win the scholarship, which will provide the team with $14,000 in Brooks running gear. Included are 30 uniforms, warmups, trainers and spikes, and some money for the program.
“To be honest,” said Custer County coach Jack Swartz, “all I did was apply. It was pretty straight forward.”
Brooks started the program to help teams “so that more young runners can sign up, go to meets, and compete in the sport we love most.”
Last season, Custer County’s Corey Lewenkamp placed second in the Class 2A boys state race, and Michael Franta was 37th. Both have since graduated.
Custer County’s girls return seniors Kayli Short and Katlyn Freeburg, who both participated at state last season. Short was 56th, and Freeburg was 71st.
Braxton averaged 9.3 points as the Falcons reached the Class 5A Great 8 last season.
Seattle is coached by the well-respected Joan Bonvicini, who is closing in on 700 career wins. The Redhawks won the regular season WAC title in 2013-14.
Braxton is the latest girls basketball player from the Class of 2016 to announce her college choice.
Carlie McCrillis, a sophomore at Rock Canyon, committed to Winthrop to play lacrosse at Winthrop last month, according to her mom, Laurie.
McCrillis, a defensive midfielder, plays for the co-op team girls lacrosse team at ThunderRidge. During her freshman season, she recorded 17 ground balls, won five draws, and also scored a goal.
McCrillis plays club lacrosse for Team 180.
Winthrop, a Division I program in South Carolina, made the NCAA tournament last season after going 17-4. According to the program, it was the most successful season a Big South Conference member has ever had in women’s lacrosse.
ThunderRidge went 13-4 last season, and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Longmont senior Sydney Wetterstom. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Athletes like Sydney Wetterstrom don’t come around very often. And in today’s world focused on sport-specialization, her type is becoming increasingly rare.
Wetterstrom, a senior at Longmont, is a three-sport athlete. Well, more accurately, she’s a three-sport star.
Q: Senior year’s got to kind of feel different for you. Can you pinpoint what it is?
Sydney Wetterstrom: It feels different in the sense that it’s your last year. Every year prior to this, you’re like, “I can look forward to next year.” Like, if something were to go wrong, “Oh I always have next year.”
But this is my last year, and just knowing that after this I have a new start, and I know that I want to leave my legacy and some tradition for Longmont High School — the idea that you never give up and you’re always doing that extra repetition to get better. And just making sure that girls who come after me know that it’s an honor to play with the Trojan on your jersey.
It’s different because it is the last one. In year’s prior, I’ve given it everything I’ve got, but this year, I’m just going to really be scrappy and give it even more.
Wetterstrom helped Longmont’s girls basketball team reach the 4A Final 4 last season. (Pam Wagner)
Q: Are you going to continue to play volleyball, basketball and track this season?
Wetterstrom: Yes. I actually had a tough decision. I played for a club team down in Monument, and in year’s past, they’ve allowed me to play multiple sports and they’ve worked with the schedule, but this year, they said, “It’s either volleyball or you don’t play for us.” And knowing that I am a three-sport athlete, and I take pride in that, I said, “I’m sorry, I can’t play for you if you’re going to restrict me like that.”
So I’m playing for a club about 25 minutes apart with a great coach and a great team, and I’m going to get the best that I can out of that. So that was a really tough decision for me.
Q: You’ve played on varsity for all three sports every year since you were a freshman. Your brother [Forrest Wetterstrom, a 2013 Longmont grad] did that as well, didn’t he?
Wetterstrom: He was varsity for everything except football his freshman year, when he was on JV. He did play some varsity playoff games.
Q: So that’s kind of a nice family legacy you guys have going there.
Wetterstrom: Yeah, and I have a younger sister who’s going to be a freshman this year. She has big shoes to fill, but she’s a tough kid and she’ll get it. Even if she doesn’t, she’s her own person and she should have her own thing.
Q: As far as volleyball goes, you guys have coach (Holli) Stetson back after a year away. How has that been?
Wetterstrom: It’s been really good. She sets the standard really high, even in open gyms where it’s a relaxed playing situation. But she just has that attitude and that mentality where we win, and we don’t get beat. It’s different to lose a game, but you should never get beat. Does that make sense?
If you give it your all and you lose, that’s acceptable, but if you are making silly mistakes and not fixing it and not adjusting, and you get beat, that’s where we need to take a step back and look at our goals and see how we need to improve on that.
I love coach Stetson, I think she’s an amazing coach. She has a really calm presence on the court, which I really admire. And she knows how to pump people up without being in their face and without being an aggressor.
Q: Do you guys have goals or ambitions for the season?
Wetterstrom: I think we could win regionals and make it to state. We have really good girls this year, and I think everyone has that mentality and that chip on their shoulder from last year. We want to win and we need to prove ourselves.
Wetterstrom: Oh, I still deal with recruiting. (Laughs) I’ve gotten offers for basketball and track. Volleyball people kind of say, “Oh, I can’t really touch you,” but basketball people are like, “Hey, if that doesn’t work out, you can still come here.”
Wetterstrom. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Q: Well, that’s got to be humbling and an honor that they’re still after you.
Wetterstrom: Oh, yes, it is. I really like knowing that I have opportunities elsewhere. Not that I’m looking forward to going anywhere but Michigan. I love Michigan. That’s where my heart is. It’s an amazing school. But you never know what’s going to happen. Say a family member gets sick and you need to stay home? It’s just nice knowing that you have options.
Q: Was it tough for your to choose to stick with only volleyball in college?
Wetterstrom: Yeah, it was tough, but I think I’ll have more success with that, for sure. And after college, there are more opportunities to play volleyball professionally. Not really in the States, but you can go overseas and travel. It’s just something that’s a great addition for that.
Q: You already mentioned last season, and losing in the regional round. What lessons do you guys take away from that season?
Wetterstrom: I think last year, we didn’t take advantage of practice. Our team chemistry wasn’t all there, and I think this year, we’re a lot more forgiving. Last year, we were kind of sensitive.
With a new coach [Thomas Hunter, now the coach at Poudre], we didn’t know what he expected from us or how to interpret him. And he did an amazing job, he taught me some great technical things. He’s an amazing, high-level coach. But I think we weren’t ready for that high of a level, in the group of girls. We were very inexperienced. I don’t think many people played club, and if they did play volleyball, it wasn’t their first priority.
Q: But going through that last year, aside from the motivation, some of those inexperienced girls will learn from playing at a regional.
Wetterstrom: Yeah, and I think the vibe I get from this year is totally different. I feel like we’re way more supportive this year even though the season hasn’t even started. It just seems like everyone is really trying to help each other, and we just see where a problem is on the court and adjust really well.
Grandview’s girls soccer team, the defending Class 5A champion, is shaping up to be scary next spring.
Already, the Wolves’ roster has three seniors committed to Division I college programs, and two juniors. On Tuesday, a sophomore made for a total of six D-I commits — so far.
Natalie Beckman, a midfielder, announced on Twitter that she had committed to the University of Denver.
Beckman had one goal and eight assists for Grandview as a freshman last season. She joins Grandview teammate Taylor Parker, a junior, in pledging to the Pioneers.
Other commits for the Wolves include seniors Mandi Duggan (Kansas), Bailey Cook (San Diego State) and Maddy Germann (Murray State), and junior Nicole Lyubenko (Alabama).
Grandview went 18-1-1 en route to the 5A title last season. That team graduated two players who went on to play Division I soccer — meaning the roster featured at least eight current or former Division I players.
Beckman is the second known player from the Class of 2018 to make her college choice known. Chaparral’s Ally Schlegel has committed to Penn State.
New Cheyenne Mountain golf coach John Carricato (right) gives his players instructions as they prepare for fall practice. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
COLORADO SPRINGS — Longtime coach Bill Paulson meant the world to his golfers — both boys and girls — at Cheyenne Mountain High School.
It was clear when the girls clinched their third-straight state championship in May that the about-to-be-retired coach was going to be sorely missed for the Indians.
Paulson retired in May, but the world kept spinning. The Indians were without a golf coach and had to find someone to fill that void. Cheyenne Mountain athletic director Kris Roberts began searching for a coach who would embrace the Indians’ golf tradition, while putting his own stamp on the team.
He found someone to do just that in John Carricato.
Carricato spent years running youth sports for the Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation department. His impact on sports has had a ripple effect on generations of athletes in the Pikes Peak region.
But that’s not why he was chosen to pick up where Paulson left off.
“We were fortunate to have a great applicant pool,” Roberts said. “John was clearly the best one on all levels and for him to accept is really fortunate.”
While Roberts did his duty in considering all applicants, Carricato had one more intangible on his side that none of the others did. He had the endorsement of Paulson himself.
“Bill has made the transition really smooth,” Carricato said. “He’s mentoring me into the program. Bill came to me in the spring and said he wanted to endorse me for this program and that was an honor.”
John Carricato gives instructions to his players on the driving range at the Country Club of Colorado. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
For Carricato, this job wasn’t about just about coaching a premiere program. When he was able to gather his team, he was thrilled to hear that they share his long-term vision for the Indians.
He and his players want to establish a legacy and pass it down, much the same way Paulson did.
Paulson will indirectly play a big part in that legacy. He has created the reputation of a team that will always be a threat to contend for a state title and built a team-oriented mentality with his players that continues to rear its head, even today.
“When you start thinking about premiere state-wide programs for boys and girls, there’s not a better program,” Carricato said. “There’s that added commitment that (the players) have. They have their own motivation.”
It will be weird to go into this season without Paulson for some of the upperclassmen. But the energy and attitude that Carricato has brought to the team is well-received.
“It’s a different style of coaching, but I like it,” junior Aiden Detloaf said. “We more set practices, we work on drills more often. It helps with the freshmen and the sophomores compared to what I had coming in.”
There may not have been a more defining image of what Paulson truly meant to his players than at the girls’ state championship tournament in May. When senior Kylee Sullivan sank her putt on the 18th hole, she broke down knowing that both Paulson’s and her career were over.
As a result, players like senior Charley DeVries will have to go through their final year without the man who had mentored them early.
“Personally, it’s a little disappointing,” DeVries said. “He really coached me through my entire game.”
But the time to dwell is over. Just like any other team, the Indians are teeing-off their season and only looking to win. It’s now on Carricato to try and secure the first boys’ state golf championship since 2004.
“(Carricato) brings the team a lot closer together,” junior Everett Dwyer said. “I think we’re going play well. If one person doesn’t play well we can’t dwell on it. The other three have to go out there and make shots.”
Cheyenne Mountain junior Aiden Detloaf (blue) chips on to a practice green at the Country Club of Colorado. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
5A: David Packer (Sr.) Arapahoe, Hunter Paugh (Sr.) Fort Collins, Daniel Pearson (Jr.) Fairview, Isaac Petersille (Sr.) Coronado, Trevor Olkowski (Jr.) Grand Junction, A.J. Ott (Sr.) Fort Collins
4A: Braden Bentley (Sr.) Mesa Ridge, Britt Walton (Sr.) Steamboat Springs, Coby Welch (Sr.) Valor Christian
3A: Will Hazen (Sr.) Aspen, Oliver Jack (So.) Kent Denver, Yale Kim (Jr.) Dawson School, Max Messner (Sr.) Colorado Academy, Sam Taylor (Jr.) Peak to Peak
INDIANAPOLIS – The number of participants in high school sports increased for the 26th consecutive year in 2014-15 – topping the 7.8 million mark for the first time – according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
Based on figures from the 51 NFHS member state high school associations, which includes the District of Columbia, the number of participants in high school sports reached an all-time high of 7,807,047 – an increase of 11,389 from the previous year. Colorado ranks 20th nationally with 128,600 participants.
While boys participation dipped 8,682 from the previous year, girls participation increased for the 26th consecutive year with an additional 20,071 participants and set an all-time high of 3,287,735. The boys participation total of 4,519,312 is No. 2 all-time behind the 2013-14 total of 4,527,994.
Six of the top 10 girls sports registered increases in participation this past year, led by competitive spirit squads (5,170 additional participants) and cross country (3,495). While track and field remained the No. 1 sport for girls with 478,726 participants, volleyball (432,176) moved ahead of basketball (429,504) to secure the No. 2 spot. Ten years ago, basketball was No. 1 for girls, followed by track and field, and volleyball.
Among the top 10 boys sports, soccer registered the largest gain with an additional 15,150 participants, while wrestling (11,306) and 11-player football (9,617) had the largest declines in participation. Besides soccer, other top 10 boys sports that had increases in the number of participants were baseball (3,938) and basketball (425).
“Overall, we are pleased with this year’s participation report indicating an increase for the 26th consecutive year,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “And while football participation dropped this past year, the decrease is not that significant when you consider more than 1.1 million boys and girls are involved in the sport at the high school level.
“Despite other out-of-school opportunities that exist in some sports, this year’s survey is yet another confirmation that our model of education-based sports within the high school setting is the No. 1 choice for boys and girls nationwide. We applaud the more than 19,000 high schools across the country for continuing to provide these important programs despite the funding challenges that exist in some areas.”
Eleven-player football remains the runaway leader in boys participants with 1,083,617, followed by outdoor track and field (578,632), basketball (541,479), baseball (486,567) and soccer (432,569). The remainder of the top 10 is wrestling (258,208), cross country (250,981), tennis (157,240), golf (148,823) and swimming/diving (137,087).
After outdoor track and field, volleyball and basketball, the remainder of the top 10 girls sports are soccer (375,681), fast-pitch softball (364,103), cross country (221,616), tennis (182,876), swimming/diving (166,838), competitive spirit squads (125,763) and lacrosse (84,785).
Among some of the non-traditional high school sports on this year’s survey, archery and riflery registered significant increases in participation. An additional 2,877 participants (boys and girls) in archery brings the overall total to 7,744 with schools in eight states sponsoring the sport. Riflery was up 1,010 participants for a total of 4,238 with competition in 10 states. Also, while boys wrestling was down by more than 11,000 this past year, the number of girls participating in the sport increased by 1,592 for a total of 11,496.
The top 10 states by participants remained in the same order as last year, with Texas and California topping the list with 804,598 and 797,101, respectively. The remainder of the top 10 was New York (389,475), Illinois (340,972), Ohio (319,929), Pennsylvania (319,562), Michigan (295,660), New Jersey (279,377), Florida (267,954) and Minnesota (235,243).
The participation survey has been compiled since 1971 by the NFHS through numbers it receives from its member associations. The complete 2014-15 High School Athletics Participation Survey is attached in PDF format below.
