CHSAANow

Month: February 2019

  • Gucker leads the way as Evergreen wins 3A girls state swimming championship

    Evergreen girls swimming
    (Photo courtesy of Sara Hertwig)

    FORT COLLINS — As Davy Brown strolled to the podium with a smile, she slapped hands with all the other championship finalists. It was her way of celebrating another state crown.

    A title-winner both individually (100-yard backstroke) and as a team (Aspen) during the first-ever 3A state finals in 2017, Brown has been a force for years. She added to that status Saturday in her prep finale while clinching victories in the 200 individual medley (2 minutes, 08.65 seconds) and the 100 backstroke (57.58).

    “I had a really big plateau for awhile,” Brown admitted. “It’s incredible to have overcome all that and to actually be back on my game.”

    With a backstroke crown in her grasp as a sophomore, Brown seemed destined to claim further golds. Instead, she was eclipsed by Sydney Silver (St. Mary’s) in the 2018 final. That result led to some soul-searching, especially as Aspen dealt with adversity as a group.

    “We’ve had a lot of unfortunate circumstances to bring us down, but it seems that we really know how to overcome things, especially with having relationships with each other and being able to hold each other up when falling,” she said.

    On Saturday, emotion spilled out of Brown and why wouldn’t it? She was even part of a 3A record-setting relay group in the 200 freestyle (1:40.46) as the Skiers inched past a Pueblo County (1:40.60) team that also blew away their previous school and classification record of 1:41.06 from 2017.

    “I think it’s a symbol of how far we have come as a team and I think it’s a symbol to me to show how far I can go,” Brown said. “I can succeed, I can overcome.”

    Brown, Emily Kinney, Laila Khan Farooqi, and Kayla Tehrani broke new ground in Class 3A for Aspen.

    Even so, Evergreen was able to secure the 3A team championship as Remi Gucker clinched both the 200 and 500 freestyle titles. Christina Crane snagged her share of points as well with runner-up finishes of her own (100 breaststroke, 100 free). Gucker, Crane, Maggie McDonald, and Hope Atkins also won the 400 free relay (3:39.31).

    The Cougars, who piled up 428 points, topped the 4A state fields in 2014 and 2015. Pueblo County tallied 297 and matched their 2018 runner-up showing. The Hornets also claimed the win in the 200 medley relay.

    As for the diving competition, a bit of magic happened when Rachel Alexander made a late charge to win her first state championship. The Discovery Canyon junior was in fourth after the prelims and third after the semifinals, but her 424.90 points surpassed Campbell Patteson’s (Kent Denver) 419.50.

    “I had a few rough rounds this morning so I didn’t know if there was still a chance,” Alexander said. “Going into finals I was just going to give it my all and see how it went.”

    She finished fourth at the state meet as a freshman and fifth as a sophomore, but shattered her own school record Saturday.

    La Junta senior Emily Moreland made history for her school as well in winning the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:06.05.

    “It means everything to me,” she said. “There’s only been two girls that have ever gotten state championships for swimming, so I just really like that I get to represent our community in a great way.”

  • Photos: No. 3 Grandview girls basketball cruises to win over Mullen

    DENVER — A 21-point difference in the second quarter paved the way for Class 5A No. 3 Grandivew in its 72-49 win over Mullen on Saturday.

    [divider]

    [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”1547″ display=”pro_mosaic”]

  • Photos: No. 5 Grandview boys basketball holds off Mullen

    DENVER — A strong second half helped Class 5A No. 5 Grandview boys basketball hold off Mullen 52-42 on Saturday.

    [divider]

    [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”1548″ display=”pro_mosaic”]

  • Wrestling rankings: Pueblo West joins in 4A

    Below are this week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat.

    [divider]

    On The Mat Wrestling Rankings

    Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.

    To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.

    To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.

    [divider]

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Wray 1
    2 Rocky Ford 2
    3 Paonia 3
    4 Cedaredge 4
    5 Highland 5
    6 John Mall 6
    7 Crowley County 7
    8 Centauri 8
    9 Hotchkiss 9
    10 Lyons 10
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Alamosa 1
    2 Eaton 3
    3 Jefferson 2
    4 Eagle Valley 4
    5 Pagosa Springs 5
    6 Lamar 6
    7 Fort Morgan 7
    8 Valley 8
    9 Brush 9
    10 Berthoud 10
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Windsor 1
    2 Pueblo East 2
    3 Pueblo County 3
    4 Broomfield 4
    5 Pueblo Centennial 6
    6 Cheyenne Mountain 8
    7 Grand Junction Central 5
    8 Thompson Valley 9
    9 Longmont 10
    10 Pueblo West –
    Dropped out
    Discovery Canyon (7).
    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pomona 1
    2 Grandview 2
    3 Grand Junction 3
    4 Ponderosa 4
    5 Brighton 5
    6 Monarch 6
    7 Rocky Mountain 7
    8 Legacy 10
    9 Castle View 8
    10 Arvada West 9
    Dropped out
    None.

  • 3A girls swimming: Prelim results to make for fun final day of state meet

    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    FORT COLLINS — Epic. The four letters are an acronym for the Edora Pool Ice Center in Fort Collins, the site of the Class 3A swimming championships this season. The word is also a fitting way to describe the state meet.

    With teams like Pueblo County, Evergreen, Aspen, and Kent Denver in the mix, Friday’s preliminary rounds set the stage for an entertaining final day.

    “It seems like a faster pool for some reason,” Evergreen super junior Remi Gucker said. “It’s state so we’re all high on adrenaline.”

    Gucker rode the rush to a pair of first place finishes in her individual preliminary events, the 200-yard freestyle (one minute, 56.47 seconds) and the 500 freestyle (5:11.68). In the process, the rising star shaved nearly two and six seconds off her seed times.

    “I’m very happy with how I swam, because I haven’t swam that fast in awhile now,” she beamed. “I’m closer to my actual best times. I’m hoping I can drop some time tomorrow night.”

    If she does so, Evergreen will be in an even more favorable position as one of the front-runners for the team championship. Gucker, Christina Crane, Maggie McDonald, and Hope Atkins displayed the power of their group in Friday’s final prelim, the 400 freestyle relay, as the Cougars’ time of 3 minutes, 43.57 seconds nipped Kent Denver’s 3:44.57.

    The No. 1 ranked team in 3A entering the state meet, Evergreen qualified numerous swimmers for the A and B finals. Crane, a senior, was third in both the 100 breaststroke (1:07.42) and the 100 freestyle (54.87).

    And, the same relay group, except for Margaret McDonald in place of Maggie, will be the No. 2 seed in the finals of the 200 medley (1:52.57), only about a second behind Aspen. The Cougars feel confident heading into the season finale, and for good reason.

    “We did really well at leagues,” Gucker said. “We won by like 80 points, so that was a really good sign that we could win state, especially because we hadn’t won leagues since I was a freshman.”

    The junior, a finalist several times at state, is hoping to win her first individual, relay, and team titles on Saturday. She is quick to credit the coaching staff, as well as her teammates, for the group’s success though.

    “There’s the regular high school girls and they’re doing really well,” she said. “A few of us have the added bonus of club practice where we can just do some more yardage that helps us get ready for these bigger meets. We all just feed off each other’s energy at the actual meet.”

    Davy Brown, a senior for Aspen, notched the No. 1 seed in the 200 IM (2:08.70) and St. Mary’s junior Caitlin Cairns swept the prelims of the 50 free (24.19) and the 100 butterfly (56.26), events that were back-to-back.

    Competition will resume at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with the dive prelims.

  • Record-setting day gives Rampart 4A girls swimming and diving state title

    Rampart girls swimming
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    THORNTON — The Rampart girls swimming team has a fool-proof formula. Set a record in the 200-yard medley relay then win a state title.

    For the last two years, it’s been that easy. Rampart’s time of one minute, 42.49 seconds is a time that no one else in 4A has recorded.

    After breaking the mark they set at the same meet a year ago, the Rams went on to have a banner night that resulted in their second-straight Class 4A state swimming championship. The Rams scored 366 points to secure the win. And even if the title wins looked the same, they were in reality very different experiences for the team.

    “It’s different,” coach Dan Greene said. “It’s satisfying to get a second one. The first one is really awesome because you’ve never done it before. The second one is gratifying in a different way.”

    Lindsey Immel then put up a valiant effort in the 50 freestyle, coming up just short to Mullen’s Sofia Zinis. But the tone had been set and Rampart knew that momentum was on its side.

    “This is based off months of hard work,” Immel said. “It’s a team effort and it’s amazing. There’s not another team I’d rather be on.”

    Immel got her second win of the night in the 100 freestyle and teammate Edenna Chen came in right behind her. But Chen’s night was far from done. She eventually claimed gold in the 100 breaststroke and in doing so, put her name on another classification record.

    Her time of 1:01.4 beat Windsor’s Morgan Friesen’s record of 1:01.9 set back in 2015. Even thought that race was an individual accomplishment, Chen doesn’t feel like she could’ve done any of it without the push from her teammates.

    “This team is so amazing,” she said. “I couldn’t have done any of this without them.”

    Niwot claimed second place as a team and had an impressive showing at finals. Freshman Mary Codevilla grabbed a win in the 200 individual medley and also took second in the 500 freestyle. The winner of that race was Loveland’s Erin Lang who came away with two gold medals on the night, also claiming the 200 freestyle.

    Rampart girls swimming
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    What may have been the deciding factor in the race to claim the runner-up trophy was the final event of the night. The Cougars took second behind Rampart in the 400 freestyle relay and a fourth-place finish for Cheyenne Mountain wasn’t enough to give the Indians second place status.

    There was no doubt at the end, though, that the night belonged to the defending champions. Rampart’s early record established the tone for the night which is something that Greene certainly feels after his swimmers accomplish such a feat.

    And when they establish that momentum early, it becomes a major factor for his time as the night plays out.

    “It totally sets a tone for the girls,” Greene said. “We do something awesome in the beginning that gets everyone amped up and ready to go. You start strong and it just becomes a pattern.”

    The 2019 championship is the second in Rampart’s history with the first coming in 2018. The most prominent senior on the team is Chen which only means that the rest of 4A will have a battle a strong Rams team for years to come.

  • No. 9 Wheat Ridge boys basketball continues to dominate 4A Jeffco

    DENVER — The first boys basketball conference title in a dozen years in almost in the hands of the Wheat Ridge Farmers.

    Wheat Ridge (17-3, 9-0 in Class 4A Jeffco League) continued plowing through league play with a 87-42 road victory Friday night against D’Evelyn.

    Wheat Ridge junior Dominic Bronk (00) drives the lane on D’Evelyn senior Conor Sampson (4) during the Farmers’ 87-42 road victory Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “Three more (wins) to go and hopefully we can stick those all to win that conference title,” Wheat Ridge junior Alex Morales said of the Farmers aiming for an undefeated conference mark and first league title since 2007.

    Friday night was the seventh straight victory for the Farmers — No. 9 in the current CHSAANow.com 4A boys hoops rankings. Wheat Ridge has a two-game lead over rival Golden (11-9, 7-2) with three conference games remaining for the Farmers.

    It’s been a remarkable turnaround season after Wheat Ridge went 2-12 in conference play last year. The Farmers took a 35-point home loss to D’Evelyn last season and returned the favor Friday night.

    “That home last year they beat us really bad,” Morales said. “We weren’t going to let that happen again.”

    Morales spearheaded a 24-4 run from midway through the first quarter until early in the second quarter. The junior made three of his five 3-pointers during the run, including a half-court shot to end the first quarter with the Farmers up 28-10.

    Wheat Ridge senior Blair McVicker (2) cuts toward the basket while being guarded by D’Evelyn junior Jack Grant (11) during the Farmers’ seventh straight victory Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “When he (Morales) is hot we have a whole new dimension then,” Wheat Ridge coach Tommy Dowd said.

    Morales finished with a game-high 15 points. Seniors Blair McVicker and Julian Claussen added 13 points apiece. Junior Dominic Bronk poured in a dozen points. The Farmers finished with 11 players scoring in the 45-point win.

    It was the fifth straight road victory for Wheat Ridge.

    “We’ve been on the road for so long, it really doesn’t matter,” Dowd said playing in D’Evelyn’s gym. “Our kids just play with the energy. They don’t care who you are cheering for. I thought we handled it really well. We put it on (D’Evelyn).”

    The only disappointment in the win for the Farmers was a pair of technicals Claussen picked up. One came in the first half when Claussen and D’Evelyn senior Mac Brandon were tagged with technical fouls. Claussen picked up a second in the third quarter that will for him to sit out the Farmers’ home game against Evergreen on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

    Wheat Ridge senior Julian Claussen (24) and D’Evelyn senior Mac Brandon (2) get up close and personal during the first half Friday night at D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “It’s irritating not having our leading scorer in there,” McVicker said of having to play Tuesday without Claussen. “We have guys and next man up. I think we can come together as a team and get it done.”

    Dowd added that is a hard lesson for Claussen to learn.

    Wheat Ridge closes out the regular season next week with home games against Evergreen and Golden before a road game at Standley Lake on Saturday, Feb. 16.

    “We know we can get the job done for the next three teams,” McVicker said. “We go win out, finish undefeated in league would be nice and league champs would be even nicer.”

    The Farmers were No. 9 in the RPI ranking heading into Friday’s games. Wheat Ridge is likely looking at a first-round bye for the 48-team state tournament that begins Wednesday, Feb. 20. If Wheat Ridge grabs a top-8 seed it would host second-round and Sweet 16 games.

    D’Evelyn is fighting to get to get into the big dance. The Jaguars (6-14, 3-6) were No. 44 in the RPI before the loss to Wheat Ridge. A solid strength of schedule could made the different in getting D’Evelyn into the state tournament.

    The Jaguars wrap up their regular season with road games at Golden, Standley Lake and Littleton next week.

    D’Evelyn junior Sandy Dinegar (00) attempts to cut off Wheat Ridge senior Isaiah Lucero’s path to the basket Friday night. The Farmers had four players in double-digit points in the 45-point victory over the Jaguars. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Three score in double figures as No. 1 Chaparral boys basketball tops No. 4 ThunderRidge

    PARKER — Bryce Matthews led the way with 19 points and two others scored in double figures as Class 5A No. 1 Chaparral beat No. 4 ThunderRidge 60-49 on Friday.

    [divider]

    [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”1546″ display=”pro_mosaic”]

  • 4A girls swimming: Rampart’s state title defense off to fast start

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    THORNTON — On the final day of the Class 4A state swim meet in 2018, Rampart began the finals setting a classification record in the 200-yard medley relay.

    They got close to breaking that record in this year’s prelims. They have every intention of breaking it when finals begin on Friday at the VMAC.

    The preliminary time of one minute, 43.41 seconds gave the Rams the top seed for the finals and they’re hopeful that the 2019 meet begins in a similar fashion to last year.

    It won’t just be the medley relay that can wrap up back-to-back titles. Rampart also has Lindsey Immel and Edenna Chen as the top two seeds in the 100 freestyle. Later in the day, Chen took the top spot in the 100 breaststroke. Team points will be coming at a premium for the defending champions.

    Maggie Buckley and Gabrielle Peltier will also look to contribute on the diving end as they got through prelims and semifinals at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

    “Today is all about getting the opportunity to swim again tomorrow,” Rampart coach Dan Greene said. “So I still tell them to swim fast today. There are a few individuals who can hold back, but a lot of these kids are just trying to get in tomorrow. So if they don’t swim fast today, they might not be here tomorrow.”

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Elsewhere, Loveland’s Erin Lang set herself apart in the distance races as she grabbed top spots in the 200 and 500 freestyle. Highlands Ranch’s Aimee Burton also earned two top seeds. She’ll go for gold in the 50 freestyle and turn right around and go for the championship in the 100 butterfly.

    Cheyenne Mountain, a fixture in the 4A title hunt, also had a strong day. Harper Lehman’s 2:06.43 was the best time of any swimmer in the 200 individual medley. Sophia Bricker came in at No. 2 in the 100 breaststroke behind Chen.

    Rampart capped the day by topping the field in the 400 freestyle relay. The Rams didn’t look nervous or anxious at any point of the day, a sign that the Rams don’t have the same nerves they did a year ago when chasing a state championship rather than defending it.

    “The jitters with the girls aren’t as bad as they were last year,” Greene said. “Last year there was a lot more nervousness from the girls and this year they got over that early in the year. It’s still very exciting, but they’re a lot more comfortable and less nervous.”

    They’ll try to keep that composure when the 4A finals begin Friday at 4:30 p.m.

  • Ball Fever: Recapping boys basketball action in the early part of this week

    (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The weather cancellations and closures slowed our mid-week action but the sun is shining and we are back in action!

    We delayed the early report by a day to get a few more games in, and with the down time with had a little fun with our first ever “Power 10” … yeah, we know: “Can’t make everybody happy” when it comes to rankings!

    Let’s take a look.

    [divider]

    The Look Back

    Monday, Feb. 4

    • How about a “30-piece” to start the week?!! Orlando Westbrook-Sanchez III did just that, dropping 33 points for Harrison on 75% shooting as his team took down Widefield 68-60. Another of those “super sophs” Donta Dawson contributing to their squad with 15 points in the win, as well.
    • Another soph, Kendale Johnson, over at GW led the Patriots to a needed win as they cruised past West by 31.
    • Keyshawn Maltbia led three in double figure scoring for Fountain-Fort Carson with 16 points as the Spartans beat Rampart by 13 on the road.
    • Don’t look now but Coach Carey has the East Angels on the verge of another DPL title and they have averaged 93 points in their LAST 3 games, out-pacing Lakewood by 34 points with senior Caulin Swain dropping 22 points.
    • David O’Connell and Kevin Mulligan combine for 26 points, scoring 13 each, in Golden’s 12-point win at Littleton.

    Tuesday, Feb. 5

    • First trip to the renovated gym at Centaurus for the Fever Crew as we joined Blake Olson on the 9News “Game of the Night”! Beautiful facility and fun place to watch a game…catch it in its entirety here.
    • Along with the beautiful facility, No. 10 Centaurus also has a great looking junior in Owen Koonce, who had a game high 26 points scoring from all angles. But this game was about undefeated No. 2 Longmont, who had Calvin Seamons and Brady Renck combine for 33 points leading to a 20-0 record and league title!
    • No. 1 Lewis-Palmer got a couple of “20-plus” games in a row from senior Matt Ragsdale last week, and Tuesday night Joel Scott was up to his scoring ways dropping 26 points, 8 rebounds in another lopsided win for LP…this time over Discovery Canyon.
    • Many were hoping a trip to Brighton could provide a test for visiting Rangeview but not the case as Jodaun Dotson showed up big again with 18 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 1 steal for the No. 6 Raiders, who are rolling.
    • Fairview is holding steady at the No. 8 spot in 5A and earned a tight two-point win. Senior Joseph Urynowicz leading the way with 20 points for Rocky Mountain but it wasn’t enough to take down the Knights.
    • FIVE Grizzlies in double figure scoring for No. 4 ThunderRidge, headed by senior Austin Holt’s 16, in the 35-point thumping of Heritage in league play.
    • Down by 8 at halftime Regis, now No. 10 in 5A, used a 20-10 third quarter advantage to change the “mo” and lead the Raiders to a 72-70 win at Castle View. It was key in keeping them at one loss in Continental play. It just seems usual now for Daniel Carr’s 22 point, 11 rebound double-double with Jamil Safiedienne’s 16 and big Matt Wheelock’s 14 in the key win.
    • Brett Finnegan scores 11 for Pueblo West in league play for the No. 4 Cyclones, who beat Pueblo Central by 4.
    • Wanted to see a “statement” game from No. 2 Mountain Vista and they delivered in a double digit win over surging Legend with seniors Ben Grusing and Simon May combining for 39 points! That’s the way a No. 2 is supposed to step up…
    • There’s our BallFever 4A “sleeper” keeping the momentum rolling with 44 points from the firm of Maher, Ward, & Ayers in 15-point road win at Frederick for No. 3 Mead!
    • There’s that man! TJ Bamba with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal in 4A No. 7 Lincoln’s 27-point DPL win over Denver South.
    • Javonte Johnson with a “monsta” double-double of 20 points, 15 rebounds for No. 6 Cheyenne Mountain who got the 4-point road win at Sand Creek!

    Wednesday, Feb. 6

    • The snow and cancellations hurt our mid-week action but Harrison and The Classical Academy still made it happen! Harrison advanced to 17-4 with tight 57-53 win where the 14-7 second quarter shut down did the trick! Sophomore Donta Dawson leading Harrison at 17.1 points per game.
    • Senior E. Whitmore scored 19 for for Sierra who are down this year and his 19 was matched by the home team Widefield’s Randall Days who spurred the 10-point win.
    • Steamboat Springs, 4A No. 8, found itself down 13-8 at the end of first quarter but got defensive in the fourth only allowing Battle Mountain three points in the final stage! Mac Riniker “stat-stuffin” 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals.

    Thursday, Feb. 7

    • There’s that squad again! We like the make up and attack of this No. 4 Mead crew and they were out on the wing again, 69-32 over Fort Morgan, and held the Mustangs to 8 first half points. If the Mavericks add this type of “D” to their up tempo style we see more success on the way.
    • Pueblo County lost a home league game to No. 4 Pueblo West, who is now 17-4 overall and a perfect 8-0 in league play!
    • Can’t wait to get a late season game on the new black court at Aurora Central but tonight they took care of their road business beating Thornton by 14 to advance to 14-7 overall.

    [divider]

    Mid-Week Thoughts

    Hey, let’s have a little fun. Snow day thoughts with our guy Blake Olson and we went out on a limb with each of our “Power 10”! Power 10? Who are your top 10 regardless of 4A and 5A? Here’s Ball Fever’s take (these are Ball Fever solely — not Blake’s):

    1. Chap (Kobe’s left hand with a crew that can get it done)
    2. Grandview (Prim & McGill inside along with consistent guard play)
    3. Overland (Graham Ike – DOMINANT!)
    4. Smoky Hill (#kennythingspossible)
    5. Lewis-Palmer (Joel and Matt Ragsdale won’t be happy with us about this 5 spot — can’t blame em!)
    6. Rangeview (will the league play hurt post season success? We don’t think so!)
    7. Mountain Vista (Bad night on the big stage at Chap but that could mean nothing)
    8. Eaglecrest (Bokol…Robinson: THAT IS ALL!)
    9. T-Ridge (Length, coaching, under the radar!)
    10. Longmont (Can you be 20-0 with a chip on the shoulder as a defending champ? Admit they could be higher here…)

    Wish we could see Longmont and Lewis-Palmer vs. more 5A top squads but they have taken care of everyone in their path! Our 4A sleeper, Mead, could play with a few of our favorite 5A’s too…

    Yes, yes…our Lewis-Palmer faithful will be extremely upset with the Fever Crew for this after knocking off Chaparral after winter break but we’re trying to pretend if each of these teams had to play each other on a neutral court (something like the Denver Coliseum)!

    It’s all in good fun…and we switched teams around like 2,037 times! The good part is many of these teams will be playing it out on the court soon, but it was fun to PRETEND!

    Get out and see all these teams in person, folks!