(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

MANITOU SPRINGS — Manitou Springs didn’t get hit with quite the bad weather that a lot of the Front Range did on Wednesday. But the Mustangs had no shelter from the blizzard of goals that Jefferson Academy was able to put up.

The fourth-ranked Jaguars (3-1 overall) netted three goals in the first half as they cruised to a 5-0 over Manitou in a Class 3A game at Richardson Field.

“We just came together as a team,” junior midfielder Samantha Spitz said. “Once we get that momentum we just go as a team and work really well together. We encourage each other.”

Spitz put the Jaguars on the board in the ninth minute of the game. On a Jefferson Academy corner, she was able to find space and head the ball past Manitou keeper Monique Heiniger.

And once the Jaguars had the momentum, it was difficult for the Mustangs (1-2) to keep pace. The strength of the Manitou roster comes from its younger players. They return Brooklyn Mack, who stood out as a freshman last season, but five of their six goals on the season have come from current freshmen Bridget Bodor and Olivia McKenna.

The Mustangs were certainly outmatched from a skills perspective, but it was their relative inexperience that really played a role on their end.

“I figured it probably would be,” coach Ben Mack said. “(Jefferson Academy) is a very good team. They played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for a championship last year, so they’re right there as the class of (Class) 3A.”

The Jaguars increased the lead in the first half off goals from Michaelah Ingalls and Tara Nelke and added two more in the second half, including Spitz’s second of the game, to come away with the win.

Even with the Mustangs being inexperienced and not quite the program they have been in years past, coach Denise Sutton knew that a win was anything but guaranteed.

“We wanted to play strong and that’s our goal every game,” she said. “Every team can beat us, so wanted to come down and play our strongest and that’s the expectation. Even if you get beat, as long as you play well, it’s okay.”

The cohesiveness of the offense and the ability to spread the scoring around show Sutton and her players that they are still quite the force to be reckoned with in 3A.

The win over Manitou gives them a confident edge as they face a looming match-up with The Academy, who currently sits at No. 3 in the CHSAANow.com soccer rankings, one spot ahead of the Jaguars.

If Sutton sees more of what she saw from her team Wednesday night, she knows they have a shot to win the battle of two top-10 teams.

“The girls are super unified when it comes to their passing structure,” Sutton said. “They really know where they’re supposed to go and it just helps when a team is able to read each other the way that they’re able to.”

Cheyenne Mountain girls soccer beat No. 1 The Classical Academy on Tuesday. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

COLORADO SPRINGS — Lauren Jones had plenty of good chances to help Cheyenne Mountain score goals.

So it was only fitting that the one that connected was a desperation kick that dribbled by TCA keeper RaeAnn Queener in extra time. That golden goal lifted the Indians over the Titans 2-1 Tuesday night.

It was the first win on the year for the Cheyenne Mountain, who fell to No. 4 in the CHSAANow.com girls soccer rankings after dropping their first two games of the year. What’s more impressive, though, is that the win came over the same Titans team that replaced them at the top of the Class 4A poll.

“This was extremely important for us,” Jones said. “We have six freshmen on the team so we’re kind of recreating ourselves, so coming out and winning against TCA was great. It shows us that we can really play together.”

If there were any nerves from Cheyenne Mountain coach Tomas Martinez, he wouldn’t let it show. While not happy about dropping the first two games of the season, Martinez noted that the did not have a full squad but his team still played good enough to win.

It was an encouraging sign as Tuesday night was the first time the Indians took to their home field to be able to gain the lead, give up a tying goal and still come away with the win in extra time.

TCA’s Aleesa Muir (10) tries to dribble around Cheyenne Mountain’s Lauren Jones (19) in the first half of the Indians’ 2-1 win. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

“It was a huge test of character,” Martinez said. “But we never in doubt with the girls as far as their character and how hard they’ve been woring.

The Indians were pressing on the attack early with Jones doing everything she could to create opportunities for her team. In the 19th minute she had a decent look at a crossing pass, but had it deflected. Four minutes later, she had a look at a breakaway, but the Titans shut off any chance for it to develop.

But as well as the Titans defended, it turned out to be a goaltender error that would doom them. Queener couldn’t grab the ball as it bounced off her hands. The loose ball bounced around in front of the Titans net before freshman Carly Fetters got a foot on it, putting her team ahead 1-0.

“We felt like we were going to come out on top there, but we had to keep working,” Fetters said. “We had to keep playing like it was 0-0.”

In the second half, the Titans came out as a team in desperate need of offense. And when that’s the case, it helps to have a player like Hannah Burgo.

The junior forward let loose of a rocket of a shot from the right side, but Indians keeper Amanda Beach stoned it with ease. So if Burgo couldn’t go through her, she was going to have to try and go over her.

Burgo was able to sneak behind the Cheyenne Mountain defense and was able to chip the ball over Beach’s head, but it also went over the net.

They finally caught their break as the Indians were called for a foul in the box, giving the Titans a penalty kick and a chance to tie the game. Aleesa Muir was able to put in the shot past Beach to tie the game.

“I have a handful of girls that I can pick (in that situation),” TCA coach Blake Galvin said. “Her being a lefty, she’s one that’s going to be at the top of the list for sure.”

But as Jones was able to connect on the game winner in the second overtime, the Titans were dealt a loss at the hands of the defending 4A champions.

A loss is never ideal, but it is a game that Galvin feels his team can use to get better as the season goes on.

“There’s no question about that,” he said. “That’s kind of the way we look at every game for these first 15 anyway. It’s all about learning and getting better and improving.”

(Stephen Priest/CHSAANow.com)

DENVER — Any lingering doubts about whether Denver North is the real deal in Class 4A should be extinguished.

The Vikings are an offensive juggernaut and validated that narrative Tuesday as it was the fourth consecutive game they’ve dropped double-digit runs on an opponent, beating Durango 13-2.

The No. 8-ranked Vikings (5-0 overall) are currently on a three-game run of beating teams via the mercy rule, and continued the streak even though the bats didn’t get off to a hot start.

Tuesday night offered up a unique set of circumstances as inclement weather led to a delay, while the game was also played across Speer Boulevard at the Regency Athletic Complex belonging to the Metropolitan State.

However, the Denver North players seemed to have no problem swapping a home game to play a neutral contest at the facility, which features a turf field which is more resilient to wet weather.

Prior to the third inning, the game seemingly crept along as neither team could keep command of their, pitches leading to full counts constantly. The game advanced to the bottom of the third with the advantage going to Durango (2-5) leading 2-1, putting the Vikings in an unfamiliar position.

“I just told the guys the game wasn’t even close to being over and they just have to respond when something negative happens and that there is a lot of game left,” Denver North coach Ernesto Marquez said. “They’ve been working hard all year, we’ve been working hard on the mental side of the game all offseason and it’s paying off.

The tide would ultimately change quicker than Colorado weather.

Behind the bat of senior Daniel Gurrola, who started things off with a double to right-center, Denver North rattled of five runs in the bottom of the third.

Gurrola went 3-for-4 on Tuesday, scoring once, but made sure to deflect credit for himself and heap it on his squad as a whole.

“My mentality tonight was just win, with my team,” Gurrola said. “I don’t really focus on my hits or my personal stats. I just want to help my team win and at the end of the day the ‘W’ is all that matters.”

Durango managed to slow down some of that offensive momentum from Denver North, but failed to answer back in the top of the fourth. And the slug-fest for the Vikings would continue in the bottom half.

They not only managed to bat through their batting order, but forced two pitching changes in the same inning as the Demons couldn’t find the strike zone. In addition, sloppy throws, numerous walks, and continuous hits to the outfield gaps did Durango a defensive disservice.

Denver North notched seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a commanding 13-2 lead going into the top of the fifth. The Vikings closed the game out after retiring the Demons in order.

When asked about the explosive offensive start to the year, coach Marquez had nothing but praise for his veteran squad.

“The guys are player-motivated and self-driven, they’re the hardest group I’ve ever coached,” Marquez said. “It’s to the point where I don’t have enough time to practice with them because they want to practice 24/7. It’s not uncommon that I see a guy hitting at the park by himself with a tee. It’s just the hard work that those guys have put in all offseason that had paid off.”

The Vikings will look to continue their winning streak as they take on Pueblo East on Thursday, while Durango will face Pueblo Central.

LAKEWOOD — Chatfield girls lacrosse beat Cherokee Trail 17-2 on Tuesday to notch its first win of the season. The Chargers are now 1-3.

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COLORADO SPRINGS — Junior Sam Britton threw six strong innings, allowing only one unearned run, as Palmer Ridge beat Vista Ridge 6-1 on Tuesday.

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COLORADO SPRINGS — Top-ranked Colorado Academy girls lacrosse moved to 4-0 this season with a 15-2 win over Rampart on Tuesday.

Dating back to last season, the defending champions have won 15 consecutive games.

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(Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

LYONS — A snow-filled and blustery March has done its best to delay the track and field season in Colorado.

While a number of meets have been canceled or postponed, the Longmont Invitational, always one of the most stacked invites of the season, was merely pushed from Saturday to Monday and moved from Longmont to Lyons.

With the meet on — in the snow-capped foothills at a venue with magnificent views — many of the state’s top individuals and teams competed like it. In fact, there were two all-classification Colorado records broken.

Air Academy senior Katie Rainsberger, the University of Oregon recruit with an effortless stride, was competing in her first outdoor meet of the season. Just two weeks ago, she shattered the all-time Colorado record in the mile while winning the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet in 4:36.61, the third-fastest time ever by an American high school girl.

Air Academy’s Katie Rainsberger. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

On Monday, the records kept on coming as Rainsberger set a new standard in the 1,600-meter run as her 4:44.31 took down Cherry Creek senior Jordyn Colter’s all-classification best, which was set at state last season (4:46.22). Then, Rainsberger shattered the meet record in the 800 with a time of 2:11.80, winning by five seconds over Chantae Steele (2:16.84), a freshman from The Classical Academy.

Rainsberger, the Nike Cross Country National Champion in the fall, has traveled around the country for competitions during her career for the Kadets, but said it was special running in front of a Colorado crowd again.

“I think this one is definitely special in that it was in my home state,” she said. “Every lap people were cheering and the announcer was pushing me on. Having all these people in Colorado supporting me made it all that more special.”

Rainsberger, who also ran a leg on the winning 4×400 relay (4:06.07, top time in 4A), said she trained through this meet with a hard workout just a couple of days ago. Her time in the 1,600 seemed to catch even her a bit off-guard this early in the season.

“I was actually running it more as a workout,” she said. “I am at the point in my season where I’m fit, but I’m not race sharp. I wanted to come out here today and get some state qualifiers. I trained through this meet. It’s really exciting to see where I’m at, but I think there’s more.”

As for the other Colorado record broken on Monday, Andrea Willis, a senior for The Classical Academy and a two-time defending state champion in the pole vault (4A in 2015, 3A in 2014), inched past a 2008 record set by Elizabeth Stover of Longmont (13-4.0) by going 13-4.25. Willis owns another record of her own as her 13-7.25 at the Air Force Indoor Open on February 6 was the best-ever indoors by a Colorado girl.

The Classical Academy’s Andrea Willis. (Courtesy of the Willis family)

“It means a lot,” Willis, a University of Kansas recruit, said excitedly. “When I started vaulting my sophomore year, my coach said I could someday maybe break the state record. I didn’t think that was possible, but last year I started jumping a little higher. I wasn’t 100 percent last year. I had some back issues. I wanted to jump it last year.

“I landed on the mat and I was like, ‘Wow, I’m now the state record holder.’ It’s one of the best feelings ever.”

On a day with almost no wind and temperatures in the 50s, a number of other Longmont Invite records were broken.

Alex Miller of The Classical Academy (110 hurdles, 14.63), Caleb Ojennes of Palmer Ridge (200, 21.63), Paul Roberts of Lyons (3,200, 9:18) and Gift Chinda of Thompson Valley (triple jump, 46-7.25) all set new standards for a meet that was the state’s most competitive event thus far this spring.

The Classical Academy girls also broke the meet record in the 4×200 relay with a time of 1:43.51.

As for team results, the Loveland girls racked up 108 points in winning a 23-team meet. They won six girls events on the day (200, 300 hurdles, triple jump, long jump, 4×800 relay, 800 sprint medley relay).

The Classical Academy was the girls team runner-up with 67, and the Titans won the boys team crown with 103.5 points. Mountain View was second with 71.

AIR FORCE ACADEMY — No. 8-ranked Air Academy girls lacrosse beat Heritage/Litteton 20-5 on Monday.

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Nutrition messages can be confusing. When you try to balance eating all of your favorite healthy foods while getting enough carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamin A, calcium, even riboflavin, not to mention all of the other essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to run at its best, having an eating guide can not only be helpful, but almost necessary.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate guide to healthy eating is just that: A helpful eating guide to ensure you appropriately balance your favorite foods with the nutrition you need to be healthy and perform at your best.

Odds are, the MyPlate logo is not foreign to you. You’ve likely read about MyPlate in a magazine or have seen a MyPlate poster hanging in your school cafeteria. The reason this simple logo is so popular is because it is the nationally-recognized way to eat to ensure you receive all of the nutrition you need during the day.

Here’s how it works:

The MyPlate guide was designed to represent a 10-inch dinner plate — a typical-sized plate you would serve a meal on. The recommended instructions are to build your plate with the following 3 tips in mind every time you eat:

1. Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables
2. Fill the other half with grains and proteins
3.  Choose one serving of dairy to include at each meal, for a total of 3 servings each day

You may be wondering: Why is it important to eat each of the Five Food Groups and in these specific proportions? The answer comes down to nutrition science.

Each of the Five Food Groups represents foods that have similar nutrients. If you relied on only one food group, your body would only receive the nutrients that are specific to that group. Fortunately, each of the food groups provides different and unique nutrients that, when combined, provide the nutrients your body wants and needs to operate at its best.

When you remove one of the food groups it becomes very challenging to eat 100 percent of your nutrient needs. Good nutrition is eating to fulfill your nutrient needs, which is key for optimal performance.

Children, teenagers, athletes, and adults of all ages can benefit from MyPlate’s guide for good nutrition.

Once you have practiced determining which foods fit into the Five Food Groups and eating them in the correct proportions, here are some other healthy tips to consider trying:

• Choose a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables to fill half of your plate; different colors typically indicate different nutrients.
• Choose a variety of protein foods, such as chicken and turkey, lean beef, eggs, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds.
• Try to choose whole grains, at least half of the time. Remember, brown breads are not necessarily whole grain; read the ingredient list on the nutrition facts label and look for words such as whole grain, oat, etc. towards the top of the list.
• Low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt are the wisest choices in the dairy food group. Even low-fat and fat-free choices provide essential nutrients your body needs. A cup of milk (chocolate or white) provides nine essential nutrients, including calcium.

Athletes can train harder and perform better with proper nutrition. Visit this site to read more about milk as an exercise recovery beverage and learn how to eat for peak athletic performance.

COLORADO SPRINGS — Going into the bottom of the seventh inning, fifth-ranked Bayfield held a 12-4 lead over St. Mary’s. The Pirates rallied, but ultimately fell short as the Wolverines won 12-10.

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