DENVER – The stage is set, and it looks extremely familiar.
For the fourth straight year, Colorado Academy and Cherry Creek will square off for the girls lacrosse state championship. Each team punched their ticket to the title game with convincing victories in the semifinal round of the playoff tournament on Saturday at the University of Denver.
Top-seeded Cherry Creek led the way with an 11-6 win against No. 5 Chaparral in the first game of the afternoon.
The Bruins (18-0) were tested early by an eager Wolverines (15-3) team that snagged the first lead and threatened to test Cherry Creek’s streak of finals appearances. But after shaking off the initial nerves, the Bruins went on to score five of the six goals leading up to halftime to take a 6-3 lead into the break.
“We started nervous. This stadium is just unreal; it’s so different than any other environment we play in the regular season and we have a young team. It took a little bit of adjusting,” senior midfielder Isabel Anema said.
“We have this connection. Once one person started clicking, we all hopped on board and started to let loose.”
Once on the same page, Cherry Creek started to show exactly why it was the top-ranked team of the tournament. They continued their roll into the second half, scoring four of the first five goals after halftime.
The win provided the Bruins with their 21st state title berth, reaching the final game of the season every year in the sanctioned history of the sport. Cherry Creek leads all programs with 10 championships.
“It comes with a lot of pressure. But at the same time, we’re thankful to get there every year,” coach Bailey Zerr said.
“I think the expectation sometimes is that Cherry Creek just shows up there (in the title game), when in reality they work really, really hard – day in and day out – to be able to play for a state championship.”
Anema led all scorers with four goals. Teammates Katie Collins and Hali Sibilia added three and two goals, respectively. Chaparral had six players contribute one goal apiece.
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Colorado Academy 11, Denver East 7
The second semifinal game was followed up by another usual suspect in Colorado Academy, the three-time defending state champion in search of its program’s fifth overall title.
It pits Cherry Creek against Colorado Academy in the title game for the fourth straight year, this edition between two undefeated teams both 18-0 on the season.
In their semifinal win, the Mustangs were quick to respond to a pair of early goals from Denver East before blowing open their lead midway through the first half. Powering Colorado Academy offensively was scoring trio Katherine Merrifield (four goals), Lauren Russell (three) and Eleanor Greene (two).
Five straight goals in the first half lifted the Mustangs to a 7-4 halftime lead. They were then able to play reserved after the break to secure their victory.
Lucy McHugh was the highlight of the Denver East offense, scoring four of her team’s seven goals. The Angels end their season at 13-5.
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Girls lacrosse state championship
Cherry Creek and Colorado Academy will return to the University of Denver for the title game at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
PARKER — Stellar shots from Grandview’s Natalie Beckman and Lauren Juul in the second half Saturday afternoon were enough to defeat No. 5 Mountain Vista 4-2 and send the Wolves to the Class 5A girls soccer championship game.
“I’m feeling happy and tired,” said Beckman. “This weather is not very fun and the first half we were going into the wind and the rain, but we pushed through it and took care of business.”
Despite the rain and wind, Beckman came in big time for her team on Saturday, after her shot tied the game at 2-2 early in the second half for the top-seeded Wolves. The University of Denver recruit fired a rocket from 30 yards out that found the back of the net and provided Grandview with the momentum that would carry through the rest of the game.
“I was really debating on whether I should put it on the back post or shoot it on frame,” Beckman said. “Finally, I was just like, I’m going to shoot it on frame and hope for the best, and when I made it, I was surprised as anyone.”
With 30:16 left in regulation, Grandview (16-3) took the lead after an errant corner kick was passed by Lauren Holleran and volleyed in by Lauren Juul. Not long after, Tori Parker redirected Lauren Juul cross just inside the post to give Grandview a safe lead of two goals.
Even with the two-goal deficit, last year’s state champs, Mountain Vista (14-4-1) put a lot of pressure on Grandview’s defense throughout the game. But Grandview wasn’t going to lose to No. 5 Mountain Vista again this year, and their three-goal second half was just the trick to get the job done.
“This is the best team chemistry we’ve had in a long time,” said Beckman. “I’m just so excited that we are getting the chance to be back at State and compete for that title.”
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(2) Broomfield 3, (3) Rock Canyon 2
(Kelsey Lowry/CHSAANow.com)
In a hard-fought battle, defense and penalty kicks took center stage.
No. 2 Broomfield took a 3-2 victory over No. 3 Rock Canyon at Echo Park in the second 5A girls soccer state semifinal. The Eagles (17-1) now face Grandview in the championship game Wednesday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
With only 37 seconds left in the first half, Broomfield was given a foul and Rock Canyon’s senior Jamie Tatum was given a penalty kick. She saw the door of opportunity open and went right for it and shot a dagger that gave the Jaguars a lead of 1-0 going into halftime.
With only 10 minutes left in regulation, Broomfield’s Gia Lemley came up big with a goal that tied the game up at 1-1. Not to long after, it was Broomfield who took the lead with a goal from Haley Stodden on a penalty kick with 2:35 left.
A minute later, Rock Canyon answered with a goal that sent the game into overtime.
Halfway through overtime, another penalty kick was awarded to Broomfield and just as Tatum took her opportunity, Stodden didn’t waste her shot and came in clutch again and punched a one-way ticket to the state championship game.
After losing in the semifinals in last season’s tournament to Arapahoe, this trip to the state championship game is the icing on the cake for Broomfield.
LAKEWOOD — Long before siblings Max and Mia Manson swept the Class 5A pole vault competition at the 2018 state track and field championships, their father left his own mark on the event.
Pat Manson, a prep phenom at Aurora Central, flashed a brilliant smile as his son swiped one of his longstanding records on Thursday at Jeffco Stadium — the 5A state meet record.
Max’s chest just skimmed the top of the bar while attempting 17 feet, 3.5 inches, causing it to bounce slightly before falling back into place. The personal record vault topped his father’s 17-3 from 1986, a 32-year old record. The mark also ranks eighth in the nation at the moment.
“I’ve always thought of it as a far-off goal,” the younger Manson, yet another dynamic athlete for Monarch, said of the state meet best. “In the past couple years I knew it could be a reality. It was the most emotion I’ve ever felt after a vault. I was ecstatic.”
And yet, the elder Manson still holds an edge to Max in high school bests with an all-classification state record of 17-7.5. That may not be true by the end of next season with the promise Max has shown throughout his career.
He was the runner-up at state as a freshman with a personal best of 15-7, then finished second behind teammate Cole Rowan (a Duke University recruit) last year. They switched positions this year as Rowan dealt with an injury, but still managed to claim 2nd (15-8).
One of Max’s goals is to clear 18 feet as a senior, an extraordinary accomplishment for a high schooler.
About three decades after the birth of Pat’s illustrious career, which included a trio of gold medals at the Pan American Games, a sixth place showing at the 1997 World Championships, and a personal best of 19-2.25, another Manson is cementing himself as a Colorado prep legend.
But, he’s not the only one.
Monarch’s Mia Manson. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Mia, a sophomore, has already won back-to-back state crowns after clearing 12-6 on Thursday. The former avid rock climber is a top-flight sprinter and jumper as well. Manson’s rare mixture of speed and strength allowed her to shatter the freshmen national record in pole vault last year (13-4.25).
The underclassman was troubled with a foot injury down the stretch of this season, forced to scratch her other state qualifying events. Nonetheless, no one could match her Thursday as she bettered Rock Canyon senior Tameryn Coryell (12-3), the runner-up.
With a touch of rust though, Manson had to stay composed early.
“The first two bars I cleared on my third (and final) attempt, which is kind of stressful but after that the jumps kept getting better,” she said.
Within Boulder County, athletic lineage in track and field has been a trend of late. This is the case at Broomfield perhaps more than any other school.
Joe, Jake, Katelyn, and Emily (4th in 3,200 Thursday) Mitchem have all been standouts in distance events for the Broomfield Eagles. Ethan and Ivy (6th in 3,200) Gonzales are in the same mold.
Broomfield senior Michael Mooney. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Now Michael and Madison Mooney, a pair of national caliber athletes themselves, are leaving their own footprint on Broomfield and the entire state.
Michael Mooney (9:12) fended off a last lap charge by Denver East’s Harrison Scudamore (9:13) to claim his first 3,200 crown. Rock Canyon sophomore Easton Allred (9:15) was also in the thick of it until the very end.
“I tried to stay as close as I could to the lead,” Mooney said of his strategy. “Once he passed me that last lap, I had to give it everything I had to finish that race out.”
He was pleased to be the first state champion in his family as his other sister, Megan, a 2016 Horizon graduate, finished second in the 3,200 her senior year and now competes for Florida State University.
“I get to brag about this now,” Michael said with a laugh. “I did it first.”
Mooney also ran an 8:50 3,200 (No. 2 in nation) at the prestigious Arcadia Invite in California earlier in the spring. The Colorado State recruit has chosen to pursue cross country and track at the next level despite being named the 5A soccer player of the year and leading his team to another crown as a senior.
Later in the opening day of competition at Jeffco Stadium, Madison Mooney received the baton around 30 meters behind Mountain Vista in the 3,200 relay as the anchor leg. The Eagles rode the wings of Mooney to a state trophy, posting a time of 9:16. Mountain Vista was the runner-up in 9:23.
Madison, a future Wisconsin Badger, will be the No. 1 seed in the 800 (2:10.19) and the 1,600 (4:55.24) on Friday and Saturday. She has nabbed runner-up honors in each event before. Michael will be the No. 1 seed in the 1,600 with a time of 4:11.99, almost exactly one second off the Colorado record.
The state track and field meet will resume on Friday at 8:20 A.M. at Jeffco Stadium.
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Class 5A notes
Denver East’s Arria Minor set records in the 200 and 400, and now also holds the top time nationally in the 400.
Jequan Hogan (6’8) has now won back-to-back crowns in high jump for Fountain-Fort Carson. Teammate Jawuan Tate (158-9) was the discus champion, claiming 10 points for a Trojan dynasty (four crowns in past five seasons).
Fort Collins junior Micaylon Moore (22-10.25) leapt farther than anyone else in long jump, securing his first state title.
Mountain Vista (7:49) fought off Continental rival Legend (7:52) to win the boys 3,200 relay.
Gabriella McDonald of Rocky Mountain, a brilliant multi-sport athlete who signed with Colorado State for soccer and track and field, defended her discus crown (148-2). She’ll be after her third consecutive shot put championship later in the weekend.
The Cherokee Trail tandem of Sydnee Larkin (18-11.25) and Chian Deloach (18-6.5) swept the top two places in long jump for a Cougar group hoping to secure a team title.
The girls 3,200 was a sophomore showdown between Mountain Vista’s Jenna Fitzsimmons (cross country state champion) and Legacy’s Brynn Siles. Fitzsimmons finished on top again, but both ran stellar times (10:35 and 10:39).
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Class 4A notes
Pueblo East junior Kain Medrano (56-10.5) won shot put.
The Vista Ridge tandem of Raymon Harper (46-10) and Micah Hilts (46-1) conquered triple jump for a program that has excelled in the discipline in recent years.
Widefield junior Aaliyah Ricketts (36-6) claimed the triple jump crown.
Silver Creek senior Rylee Anderson, a Kansas University recruit, became a rare four-peat winner of high jump with a mark of 5-7.5. Vista Peak sophomore Raina Branch cleared the same height, but Anderson won on attempts. Niwot freshman Taylor James and Pueblo West freshman Shayla Padilla, third and fourth on Thursday, have bright futures themselves.
Roosevelt junior Logan Derock (40-0.75) was the only 40+ foot shot putter in the classification for girls.
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Class 3A notes
Steamboat Springs junior Eric Casey (14-0) was first in pole vault.
Reece Davidson, a Faith Christian senior, launched a farther throw than anyone in discus (159-0).
Roaring Fork has quite the pair of senior triple jumpers in Justin Thompson (45-11.75) and Jasper Germain (45-4). They proved to be the class of the field this year.
The Classical Academy’s Ryan Moen (9:38) and Mason Norman (9:41) swept the top two places in the 3,200. The Titans have flourished in distance events for years.
SkyView Academy (8:01) and Peak to Peak (9:20) ran away in the boys and girls 3,200 relays, although Frontier Academy (8:03) did pose a serious threat.
Frontier Academy senior Hannah Ellis (11:19) surged to a 3,200 title.
Bayfield junior Jordan Lanning (5-7.75) shattered the classification record in girls high jump, a record previously held by D’Evelyn’s Sarah Cerrone (5-7.50 in 2017).
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Class 2A notes
Resurrection Christian freshman Tanner Applebee announced himself as a force to be reckoned with for years to come by winning long jump (21-3.50).
Jacob Tu’ufuli of Ellicott, a senior, won shot put with a mark of 48-8.75.
Lyons (8:12, school record) and Paonia (9:57) claimed the boys and girls 3,200 relay victories. Each program has had substantial success in relay races.
Highland sophomore Remington Ross, the defending champion in the 100, announced herself as a threat to the classification record of 12.05 seconds with an eye-opening 12.09 (1st in prelims).
Dayspring Christian senior Katie Kurz claimed first in high jump (5-3).
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Class 1A notes
Levi Kilian (10:04.98) and Seth Bruxvoort (10:12.26) both shattered the previous 1A state meet record of 10:14.46 by Bryce Grahn (South Baca) in 2014. They are teammates at Heritage Christian. Sophomore Jaden Johnson (20-7) also won long jump for the Eagles.
Shining Mountain had winners in the girls 3,200 (Emma Schaefer, 12:11) and girls pole vault (Marina Flandrick).
Otis junior Keylan Dracon won boys shot put with a mark of 42-9.50.
Eads senior Mariah Smith (133-8, new 1A record) did the same in girls discus. The previous record was held by Sangre de Cristo’s Jenna McKinley (131-6, 2016).
LAKEWOOD — Soleil Gaylord is no stranger to piling up accolades. This last winter, she claimed the Wendy’s High School Heisman in recognition of all that she had accomplished at that point in her academic and athletic career.
Friday, she got back to work doing the things that got her national recognition.
She claimed the Class 2A 3,200-meter run state championship with a time of 11 minutes, 16.52 seconds. It’s the third win of her career in the event.
Gaylor followed up her win in the 3,200 with a fifth-place finish in the 800 at 2:22.97. She is set to run in the 1,600 finals on Saturday. She is the two-time defending champion in that event as well.
These feats were not lost on her or the crowd at Jefferson County Stadium as they were read off as she continued her pursuit of more gold medals.
“I love this meet and I love this venue,” she said. “I think Colorado state has a magic to it and it brings out the best in people. It’s cool to see all the inspirational stories and be amongst all these great athletes in Colorado.”
On top of being a standout runner, she has given back to her community and serves as Telluride’s student body president. It was her contributions on these fields that led to her selection as the High School Heisman winner.
The award itself is no stranger to Colorado athletes as Wiggins’ Kyle Pollock won it back in 2009.
All around, Gaylord has become one of the most notable competitors to represent Colorado at the state meet and hopes to transition her feats when she attends college at Dartmouth
“It will all translate nicely,” she said. “Dartmouth is pretty similar to home in terms of atmosphere. And it will be nice to have girls to run with. I’ve never really had a team and when I have, it’s been really small. I’m excited to have girls to run with, I think that will push me.”
Looking back at her time at the state track meet, it’s been a tough week to reflect on her success while still going trying to add gold medals to her stack at home.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Overall, Gaylord has six wins and a second-place finish at state. She finished second in the state cross country meet in November. But any time she thinks about her high school career, she’ll always look fondly at the state track meet as the true breeding ground of her accomplishments.
“It all comes down to what you can do at state,” she said. “It’s a long season and it’s hard to keep yourself healthy. Everything comes down to a state race and that’s what so cool about track.”
Her athletic career will continue at Dartmouth, but given her body of work, athletically or otherwise, it’s been her time in Colorado that has made her a special athlete and one that will be talked about at future state meets.
THORNTON and AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Final results from the 2018 boys state swimming and diving championships are below. Navigate to the classification of your choosing below.
DENVER — At Dawson, the girls soccer program has adopted a saying: “Fourth time’s a charm.”
Now, the Mustangs have one more step to prove that to be true.
Dawson, seeded No. 1 in the state tournament, topped No. 4 Crested Butte 3-0 on Wednesday in the semifinals at All-City Stadium. It will be the program’s fourth consecutive appearance in a championship game, and fifth overall. They’ve never won a title.
“We’ve been saying, ‘Fourth time’s a charm,’” said Dawson junior Cameron Epstein, who scored two goals. “We have a great group of girls this year, and we all want to win so badly — for kids who have not won in the past, for seniors who have left, and just because we’ve all worked so hard to get there.”
Said Dawson coach David Criswell: “They were so motivated to get there after the last three years, and they’ve been playing and practicing so hard. I’m so proud of them.”
Epstein gave Dawson an early spark with a goal from in close in the game’s first five minutes.
“I think that was a really important goal, just because our team really thrived off the momentum,” said Epstein, who now has three goals in the postseason, and 11 this year.
Added Criswell: “She’s such an aggressive player and so quick, and she used that to her advantage here.”
Epstein added another midway through the second half to put an exclamation point on the win.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Kaitlyn Day also scored for Dawson, adding to the lead with a goal 8:34 into the second half.
This is the fourth consecutive season that Dawson has advanced to the championship game, meaning the Mustangs have appeared in every 2A girls soccer title game that’s ever been played. It will be the program’s fifth overall appearance — they also went to the 3A championship in 2009.
Crested Butte keeper Rachel Potoker was big for her team all game, and kept the Titans within striking distance.
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(2) Denver Christian 2, (3) Fountain Valley 1
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The returning state champions will get a crack at defending their title.
Though, they needed some dramatics to get there.
Grace Phillipps headed home what proved to be the winning goal with two minutes to play to lift No. 2 Denver Christian to a 3-2 win over No. 3 Fountain Valley.
Phillipps’ goal came off a great set piece from Miranda Kortenhoeven, who took a long free kick from near midfield. Phillipps got to the ball in the box to deflect it just past the Fountain Valley keeper.
The Thunder, who won the program’s fourth state championship last season, grabbed a 2-0 lead when Hally Herder headed home a pass from Kortenhoeven ten minutes in. Kortenhoeven followed that with a beautiful free kick goal that bent into the top right corner a few minutes after that.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Before Denver Christian could finish celebrating its second goal, Fountain Valley’s Eryn Mitchell cut the lead in half.
Fountain Valley knotted the game at 2 with eight minutes to go in regulation when Ani Love scored on a long free kick of her own.
But Denver Christian responded in dramatic fashion minutes later, and punched its return ticket to the title game.
Denver Christian’s win sets up a rematch in the state championship game. Last season, Denver Christian beat Dawson 4-3.
This year’s 2A title game will be played at 5 p.m. next Tuesday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Dawson and Denver Christian met earlier this season, a 4-1 Dawson win on April 18.
Note: This story was updated at 4:25 p.m. to reflect the postponements in 4A and 5A in addition to 3A.
The Class 3A, 4A and 5A state baseball state tournaments have adjusted their schedules to avoid wet weather forecast for the weekend.
Each tournament’s first two dates have been moved from this Friday and Saturday to next Monday and Tuesday, CHSAA assistant commissioner Bert Borgmann said. The second weekend was shifted by a day, and is now scheduled for May 26 and 27, a Saturday and Sunday.
In Greeley and Niwot, sites of the 3A state tournaments, the National Weather Service is predicting a 50 percent chance of rain on Friday, and a 60 percent chance of rain at both sites on Saturday.
In Denver, where host sites are located for the 4A and 5A tournaments, the National Weather Service is forecasting a 50 percent chance of rain on Friday, and a 80 percent chance of rain on Saturday.
A desire to ensure both sites completed all games in the same time frame was a factor, Borgmann said.
“To have one team or two teams play games on Friday and use up a pitcher, and have others not have to use a pitcher until Monday undermines pitch counts and interferes with the competitive integrity of the tournament,” Borgmann said.
If fields are not playable on Monday due to moisture that remains from the rain, the tournaments would at that point move to a May 25 and 26 start, and shift their schedules one week, finishing up on June 1 and 2.
Should that happen, further updates will be posted on CHSAANow.
Borgmann sent the following communication to schools on Thursday afternoon:
Good afternoon:
CHSAA has been monitoring the following weather online sites to make its determination on playing games this weekend: National Weather Service, Weather Bug, Weather Underground and Weather.com. All have provided less than promising forecasts for Friday and Saturday. The most promising forecast shows a 40% chance of precipitation after 2:00 p.m., while others are noting 50%-80% chances of precipitation Friday and Saturday.
I surveyed all 4A and 5A schools this morning for graduation dates next week and discovered that, while many have already graduated, there are no graduations scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
The main goals of this tournament are to maintain the health and safety of the players (pitch counts) and to maintain the competitive integrity of the tournament. With the dicey forecast, we have determined to move the tournament. The following schedule will be put into place:
All 4A and 5A games have been moved to Monday, May 21 and Tuesday, May 22 – Same schedule and site. If those games are played, then we will play Saturday, May 26 (Semifinals) and Sunday May 27 (Finals), if possible. This schedule also allows for a day for fields to dry and be ready for play.
If we cannot get games in on either Monday or Tuesday, then we will move the tournament to Friday, May 25 and Saturday May 26, with Semifinals and Finals on Friday June 1 and Saturday June 2.
AURORA — Three minutes can make all the difference in lacrosse game.
Class 5A No. 1 Regis Jesuit scored four goals in the third quarter – three in a three-minute span – en route to a 8-2 win over Columbine in the state semifinals.
With the win, the Raiders advance to Friday’s title game, which will be held at Mile High Stadium.
Neither offense could generate any solid looks in the first quarter, but it was just over two minutes into the second when Will Dennen got Regis on the board. The 1-0 score would hold through halftime, but the Raiders came out firing in the second half.
Anders Erickson, Jack Ringhofer and Alec Breeden made it a 4-0 about midway through the third quarter.
“That was huge especially after halftime to swing momentum back our way,” Erickson said. “That was a crucial moment in the game for sure.
Jake Taylor got one more for Regis before the third quarter concluded. Tanner Hollens got Columbine on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, but the Rebels couldn’t generate much offense after that.
The Raiders advanced to last year’s state title game, but fell to Cherry Creek. That game left a bitter taste in the mouths of the players and coaching staff and they’ll look to come into this Friday ready to avenge that loss.
“We’ll have a different kind of preparation,” coach Jim Soran said. “You want them to remember that (loss). You want them to think about what they didn’t do right and learn from it.”
The Raiders will meet Kent Denver in a rematch of the 2011 state championship game.
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(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
(2) Kent Denver 12, (6) Arapahoe 10
A seven-year championship game drought for Kent Denver is over. The No. 2 Sun Devils were able to put just enough distance between themselves and Arapahoe to reach their first boys lacrosse title game since 2011.
Kent Denver prevailed 12-10 in the later of the two 5A semifinal games on Wednesday.
Michael Bowler put Kent up early, scoring less than four minutes into the game. The Warriors countered just 30 seconds later thanks to Dillon Linhardt.
Rhys Zoldi regained the lead for the Sun Devils before the first quarter ended. They went on a bit of a run in the second, scoring three of the four goals of the quarter. George Kandel accounted for two those Kent goals.
Arapahoe found some offensive rhythm in the third quarter, twice cutting the Kent lead to one goal. Ben Carpenter and Kandel were each able to pad the lead back to two and hold the Warriors at bay.
Kandel added another with 2:35 left in the third to once again make it a three-goal game.
The Warriors tried to rally late in the fourth as Bobby Baltzer scored to make it a 12-9 game with 1:45 left in the game.
The Warriors added one more to cut the lead to two, but they just couldn’t battle all the way back and it was Kent Denver who advanced.
The Sun Devils last won a boys lacrosse championship in 2008 when the sport was played under one classification. They beat Fort Collins 15-6 to claim their then-record fifth title.
In its last title game appearance, Kent lost to Regis Jesuit 11-10. Seven years later, it’ll get its shot at redemption. If the Sun Devils win Friday’s game, they’ll tie Cherry Creek with the most boys lacrosse championships in state history with six.
The 5A boys lacrosse championship game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start on Friday.
