Griffin Barlea competes at the 5A boys golf championship last fall. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

A trio of Colorado golfers wrapped up play at the U.S. Junior Amateur championship this week, but not with the results they were after.

Soon to be seniors Griffin Barlea (Lakewood) and Trevor Olkowski (Grand Junction) both missed the cut on the boys side. Barlea finished at 12-over while Olkowski finished 16-over.

At the Class 5A state tournament last fall, Olkowski finished at 1-over, good enough to finish third at the event. Barlea was only off Olkowski by one stroke, finishing at 2-over which put him in a tie for fifth place.

Both figure to contend for the 5A title in 2016.

Dolores’ Kiselya Plewe (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

On the girls side, 2016 Dolores graduate Kiselya Plewe shot 13-over in two days, missing the cut by four strokes.

Plewe also shot 13-over at the 4A girls state tournament in May, which put her in a tie at fourth place.

A graduate of Montezuma-Cortez, Plewe competed for the Dolores golf team through high school. She will attend Weber State this fall and compete on the golf team there.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Don’t look now, but summer is nearly over. That means the fall season is quickly approaching — and it also means we’re searching for voters for our fall rankings.

All head coaches and media members wishing to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org to sign up. Please include the following:

• Your name.
• Your school (or media organization).
• The sport(s) you will be voting in.
• The classification(s) you will be voting in.

Typically, coaches only vote in their sport’s classification. Media members are welcome to vote in multiple classifications, so long as they cover those classes.

As has been the case for the past three seasons, we’re looking for voters in the following sports:

• Field hockey
• Football
• Boys soccer
• Softball
• Volleyball

The rankings, which are the official polls of CHSAA and are used by the Association in a variety of fashions, will publish each Monday during the fall season. They are house on our Rankings homepage.

(Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

AURORA — Arapahoe and Liberty are set to add field hockey programs this fall, bringing the sport’s total number of teams to 15 schools.

It marks the first expansion for the sport since Regis Jesuit added a program in 2009.

“We have been seeing a growth in participation over recent years, and it’s really exciting to see that transition into a growth of teams,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens. “We’re hopeful that the trend continues.”

Both Arapahoe and Liberty will play varsity schedules this fall.

Like the majority of the teams in the sport, both programs will draw athletes from other district schools.

Liberty is just the third Colorado Springs-area team to house a field hockey program, joining Cheyenne Mountain and Palmer Ridge.

Field hockey begins practice on Aug. 15, and teams may scrimmage on Aug. 20. The season officially begins with games on Aug. 25.

(Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

Faith Christian’s Austin Stone has some individual hardware to add to the state championship he helped the Eagles win in May.

Stone was named to the MaxPreps small schools All-American team Wednesday. He is a second-team selection.

He was a jack of all trades for the Eagles as he batted .462 with three home runs and 29 RBIs. He also shined on the mound, going 7-1 with a 1.29 ERA.

In the Class 3A state championship game against Manitou Springs, Stone threw a complete game in which he struck out 11 Mustang hitters.

His performance this season won him 3A player of the year honors.

He will play baseball at Garden City Community College starting in the fall.

(Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

Any school or school district interested in having a Spirit Rules Clinic in their area after July 30th must attend the CHSAA rules interpreter training on July 28th.

This includes schools or school districts looking to have someone trained to give the Mandatory Rules Meeting.

The CHSAA rules interpreter training is July 28 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel at I-225 and Parker Road. If you are interested in judging throughout the season, there will be a judges training that will take place July 28 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., as at the Radisson.

If you are planning on attending either meeting, please contact Kathryn McOmber at 303-344-5050 or kmcomber@chsaa.org.

The 2016 Olympic games in Rio are right around the corner and former Regis Jesuit standout Missy Franklin couldn’t be more excited.

In a press conference on Sunday at the Team USA training camp media day, Franklin spoke of the honor that she felt representing the United States once again.

“It is the greatest honor there is,” Franklin said. “Especially with everything going on in our world right now, too. I think it’s the perfect time for an Olympics with the way it brings everyone together and brings countries’ pride. I have so much love for our country and I think it’s a different way for us to represent our country.”

(Photo: JD Lasica/flickr)

At the 2012 games in London, Franklin came away with four gold medals to go with one bronze. She set a world record in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:04.06.

Even more impressive is that Franklin competed in the 2012 games prior to entering her senior year at Regis Jesuit.

Click here for a complete list of Colorado high school athletes competing at the 2016 Olympics.

(Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Vista Ridge is sending one of its best to the Pac 12.

Last month, soccer standout, Joel Walker, announced he would be continuing his soccer career with Oregon State University.

In his three years with the Wolves, Walker has scored 22 goals while assisting on 21 others.

In 2016, he’ll look to help Vista Ridge improve on their 8-6-1 record from last year. The Wolves missed out on the Class 4A state playoffs and will be playing at the 5A level this season.

Walker’s commitment has been updated in our recruiting database for the class of 2017.

State Reps and the CHSAA staff met on Tuesday. (Troy Rivera/CHSAANow.com)

FORT COLLINS — Students will have direct voice on select CHSAA committees beginning this school year.

That was the result of a meeting between CHSAA staff and the State Representatives during the annual Student Leadership summer camp at Colorado State University on Tuesday.

The student committee members will be selected by the Student Leadership State Representatives with the help of liaison Troy Rivera, the advisor at University High School. The students will be appointed to serve on various CHSAA committees, including certain sports and activities committees, as well as things like the Classification and League Organizing Committee.

“This is something we’ve wanted to work toward,” said CHSAA commissioner Paul Angelico. “We really believe that a student’s voice will carry a lot of weight in that setting, and add a needed perspective to our committees.”

The State Reps are broken into geographic regions, meaning each student will serve as the voice of a given area during the 2016-17 school year.

The meeting between the State Reps and the CHSAA staff also worked toward further collaboration between the Association and students, including things like social media, and a contest which is taking shape.

It is fun, fast, and easy, to make homemade cheese crackers that are satisfying and healthy!

Cheesy, crispy, crackers are a huge crowd pleaser and many of us love these tasty little snacks. However, the nutrition labels on processed, packaged cheesy snacks are not as enjoyable. Just one box of Cheez-its contains around 2,000 calories, 100 grams of fat, and 2,800 grams of sodium! While you need a small amount of sodium daily to stay healthy, most people already consume much more sodium than they need.

These homemade cheese crackers are great way to help you get your recommended daily 3 servings of dairy. An ounce of cheese provides 7 grams of protein, which provides amino acids your body needs to maintain healthy and strong tissue. It also has other essential nutrients including calcium, protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin B12. Calcium is what keeps your bones strong and is one of the nutrients most likely to be lacking in the American diet. The nutrients in cheese may help reduce the risk for osteoporosis.

This snack is filling, easy to eat on the go, and also extremely versatile. There are many different varieties you can use in this recipe. Cheddar, Romano, and Parmesan cheeses make really tasty crackers and if you’re opting for low sodium, Swiss cheese contains 3 times less sodium than cheddar. The crackers will complement any of your favorite dips, salsas, or salads, and make a great garnish to plates.

Follow these simple steps below to make your own batch of cheesy crisps.

Put a tablespoon of shredded cheese onto a parchment lined baking sheet and lightly pat down. Add any spices or seeds for extra flavor – try chili pepper flakes, flax seeds or garlic. Repeat with the remaining cheese, spacing the spoonfuls about a 1/2-inch apart. Bake on 350° for 5 to 9 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Paul Tillotson. (Chris Fehrm/MaxPreps.com)

Recent Lewis-Palmer graduate Paul Tillotson was named an All-American by MaxPreps on Monday.

A 2016 alum, Tillotson was named to MaxPreps’ Medium Schools All-American Baseball team as a utility player. He was a first-team selection.

Tillotson, a right-handed pitcher, outfielder and third baseman, he hit .562 with 13 doubles, four home runs and 40 RBIs. On the mound, he was 8-1 with a 1.02 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 55 innings.

It’s yet another honor for Tillotson, a Nebraska signee. He was named the state’s Gatorade player of the year in May, and then honored as the Class 4A player of the year as part of the all-state teams in June.

Tillotson was also named an All-American by MaxPreps last season.