The Rampart girls’ swim team asserted its dominance in the Colorado Springs Metro League, claiming seven new league and pool records on the way to another CSML title.
Month: February 2019
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Pueblo County girls swimming takes sixth consecutive South-Central League title
Being about 10 points back of qualifying for state, Pueblo County’s Preslei Hankins took to the board for her third and final dive, which is also her toughest.
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Dakota Ridge girls basketball charges back versus rival Chatfield
LITTLETON — Dakota Ridge sophomore Alexis Thornton’s 3-point shots looked like beautiful rainbows falling from the rafters to the eyes of Eagles’ girls basketball fans Friday night.
“I was just praying that they all go in,” Thornton said of her making a trio of 3-pointers on her way to a season-high 16 points. “I think that really got the team some energy and got us riled up.”
Dakota Ridge junior Taylor Legault (12) goes up for a shot over Chatfield senior Emma Talbot on Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) Thornton’s biggest 3-pointer came with 6:15 left in the fourth quarter. Her final basket gave Dakota Ridge its first lead of the night against rival Chatfield. The Eagles grabbed it third straight Class 5A Jeffco League victory with an eventual 67-59 win on the road.
“I told the girls to keep chipping away and once we get the lead we won’t lose it,” Dakota Ridge coach Diane Thompson said.
That is exactly what happened. The Eagles had a 11-0 run to start the fourth quarter that ended with their biggest lead of the night at 60-52. Junior Emily Doolittle put an exclamation point on the come-from-behind win with a 3-pointer with 2:30 left.
“It meant a ton,” Dakota Ridge senior Sydney Daniels said of pulling off a win in likely her last game against rival Chatfield. “It was so cool to see everyone rally as a team. It was a big team win for us.”
Daniels finished with 15 points, including going 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. She also kept from Dakota Ridge from falling too far behind in the opening quarter. The senior’s three field goals all came in the open quarter where Chatfield scored 27 points.
Chatfield senior Tedy Reed (23) is guarded by Dakota Ridge sophomore Alexis Thornton on Friday night. Reed scored a game-high 18 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Eagles took the road victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) All five starters scored in the first quarter for the Chargers (12-6, 2-3 in 5A Jeffco). Chatfield’s sister combo of Emma and Grace Talbot combined for 17 points in the first quarter. Senior Tedy Reed, who recently went over 1,000 points for her prep career, poured in a game-high 18 points.
“At that point you have nothing to lose,” Thompson said of the Eagles facing a 13-point deficit less than three minutes into the game. “Chatfield was hot early. They threw everything in.”
Dakota Ridge (11-7, 3-1) went on a key 9-0 run to start the second quarter to cut the deficit to single digits. How the Eagles’ defense begin in final quarter was big too. Chatfield was scoreless in the fourth quarter until Grace Talbot scored with 2:15 left in the game.
“We threw a lot of defenses at them. We had some grit. That is all I can say,” Thompson said of the defensive turnaround. “The girls didn’t lose hope.”
The Eagles have three straight conference wins under their belt after suffering a tough 1-point loss to Lakewood to open league play. The goal is pretty straight forward now. Dakota Ridge is planning on winning its final five regular-season games over the next two weeks.
Chatfield sophomore Madison Shepard (33) tries to squeeze past Dakota Ridge senior Maggie Hawley during the second half Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “People underestimate us a lot,” Thornton said. “Our goal is to win league this year. We’ve worked so hard. People overlook us, so that makes us fight harder.”
Everything is in front for the Eagles. They get a shot against league-leading and No. 6 ranked Valor Christian, along with No. 8 Ralston Valley left in conference play.
Before finishing off league play Dakota Ridge hits the road Saturday to face Legacy. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
“We are taking one game at a time. Tomorrow is Legacy so we are focusing on that one,” Daniels said. “We definitely want to get to five more wins.”
Dakota Ridge’s Maggie Hawley (2) and Emily Doolittle (11) battles with Chatfield senior Emma Talbot (3) for a rebound during the Class 5A Jeffco League game. The Chargers opened up an early 15-2 lead, but the Eagles soared back with an eventual 67-59 victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
Photos: No. 3 Grandview girls basketball cruises past Smoky Hill
AURORA — Third-ranked Grandvew girls basketball opened a big lead in the first quarter, and then went on to beat Smoky Hill 92-31 on Friday.
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No. 10 Wheat Ridge boys hoops closing in on first league title since 2007
LITTLETON — The five starters for Wheat Ridge’s boys basketball team has earned a nickname.
How does — Farmers Fab Five — sound?
Wheat Ridge senior Blair McVicker (2) drives the lane as Littleton senior Logan Leimeister tries to get the block. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) Seniors Julian Claussen, Blair McVicker, Zeke Van Tuyl, along with juniors Dominic Bronk and Alex Morales have brought the right mix of talent this season. Nearly all five are averaging double-digit points and have the Farmers in position to win their first conference title in 12 years.
“They are just so unselfish, sometimes to our demise. They will overpass trying to get someone else the shot,” Wheat Ridge coach Tommy Dowd said of the Farmers Fab Five. “They just play well together and it’s a nice blend of kids. They like to play and get after it.”
Wheat Ridge’s 76-49 road victory Saturday against Littleton pushed the Farmers’ winning streak to six games and extended their lead in the Class 4A Jeffco League to two games over rival Golden.
The Demons (10-9, 6-2 in league) lost to Evergreen on Saturday, giving the Farmers (16-3, 8-0) a bit of a cushion with four conference games remaining. Despite having a little more margin of error, Wheat Ridge would love to complete a 12-0 league record.
“We should run it,” said Bronk of the final conference stretch. “To win a league title for the first time in 12 years would be fun.”
Wheat Ridge — No. 10 in the Class 4A boys basketball CHSAANow.com rankings — claimed its last conference crown back in 2007, winning the Jeffco 11 League when the Farmers were in the 5A classification.
Wheat Ridge junior Dominic Bronk (00) scored a game-high 18 points in the Farmers’ 76-49 victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “We’ll just use the old adage ‘one game at a time,’” said Dowd, who has headed the Farmers’ basketball program of more than two decades. “We know what lies ahead. We aren’t afraid to talk about it or say it. We are trying to make it fun, put it out there and go get it.”
The Farmers got the road victory Saturday afternoon thanks to a dominating effort in the third quarter. Wheat Ridge led by a dozen points at halftime, but really got some separation scoring 28 points in the third quarter.
“We wanted to turn it up on defense and turn that into offense, share the ball on the (fast) break and get some buckets,” McVicker said of the third quarter. “We have a lot of guys who can score so its tough to cover once we all get going.”
Van Tuyl — Wheat Ridge’s 6-foot-10 big man — scored six points in the paint in the opening two minutes of the quarter. Bronk and McVicker combined for 17 points in the third quarter. Claussen finished it off in fashion with a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to put the Farmers up 60-36 heading to the final quarter.
“We are a great passing team,” said Bronk, who finished with a game-high 18 points. “We get the ball to everybody.”
Wheat Ridge senior Isaiah Lucero (14) shoots a floater over Littleton senior Jack Kail (4) during Saturday’s Class 4A Jeffco League game. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) McVicker (16 points), Van Tuyl (11 points) and Morales (11 points) all finished in double digits. Morales poured in nine points in the first quarter hitting a trio of 3-pointer in the same corner in front of Littleton’s bench.
“At least two or three guys really going each night for us. We just have that type of team,” said McVicker, Wheat Ridge’s point guard. “I just like to find people and get them the ball where they like to score.”
Wheat Ridge wraps up its string of six straight road games next week. The Farmers face Standley Lake (Wednesday, Feb. 6) and D’Evelyn (Friday, Feb. 8) before finally returning to The Barn to finish the regular season against Evergreen (Feb. 12) and Golden (Feb. 14). All games are scheduled for 7 p.m. starts.
“It’s a good test,” Dowd said of the 6-game string of road games. “I’ve told them in the playoffs you could play them all on the road. We are well-tested and played some good teams on the road.”
Littleton (3-15, 2-7) has dropped seven in a row. The Lions still have a chance to get out of the cellar of 4A Jeffco with four conference games left.
Wheat Ridge’s Dominic Bronk, far left, and Zeke Van Tuyl (42) converge on Littleton senior Jack Kail (4) during the second half Saturday. Wheat Ridge’s sixth straight victory put the Farmers two games up on rival Golden for the 4A Jeffco League title with four conference games remaining. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
Sports drinks, gels and bars — oh my!
High-intensity endurance exercise depletes the body of electrolytes, fluid and fuel (carbohydrates). But with so many sports nutrition products on the market, which one(s) should you choose for your specific sport?
Sports Drinks
Research shows sports drinks can delay feelings of fatigue by replenishing carbohydrates, fluid and electrolytes (mainly sodium) when consumed before, during and after activities lasting longer than 30 minutes. If exercising less than 30 minutes, water is the best choice. Sports drinks are also beneficial during stop-and-go activities – such as basketball, tennis, soccer or hockey – to maintain fluid and energy levels for optimal athletic performance.
Choose a sports drink with about 14 grams of carbohydrate per eight ounces of fluid and look for ones that have a combination of carbohydrate sources (e.g. sucrose, glucose, dextrose). You can find these in the ingredient list. A combination of carbohydrate sources is more easily absorbed for energy. A drink with its sole carbohydrate source as fructose or galactose is not absorbed as easily and may cause stomach discomfort. Look for a drink with around 100 mg sodium per eight ounces.
Did you know that milk is nature’s sports drink? Emerging research in adult athletes has demonstrated that one serving of milk post-exercise may help reduce muscle damage and improve muscle recovery – which in turn, may help the body perform better during its next workout. In fact, research shows that drinking milk after a workout can be as effective as some sports drinks in helping the body refuel, recover and rehydrate after exercise.
Sports Bars
A quick source of energy, sports bars work best as a snack before or after physical activity. Sports bars can be a rich source of vitamins and minerals, in addition to carbohydrates and protein. However, they do not provide fluid for your workout. Make sure to enjoy plenty of water with your bar of choice.
Choose a bar based on your caloric requirements as they can range from 120 to 300 calories per bar. The longer and more intense your workout, the more calories you will need. Consider the amount of carbohydrate in the bar. Choose a bar that provides 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate before or after a prolonged workout. Look for bars with six to 20 grams of protein from sources such as whey, casein, soy and/or egg if you are not eating enough protein during the day.
Sports Gels
A gel can be consumed every 30 to 60 minutes during physical activity, depending on calorie needs and intensity of workout, to provide energy. Keep in mind, gels don’t provide the fluids athletes need, so always drink plenty of water with sports gels.
Sports gels typically contain between 100 and 120 calories and 22-25 grams of carbohydrate. Some sports gels may have brown rice syrup as an ingredient – complex
carbs take longer to digest and absorb than simple sugars such as glucose and sucrose. Athletes want quick energy during activity, so it is best to avoid complex carbohydrates.
Why is caffeine added to some sports bars, gels and beverages, and how does it affect my performance?
Studies show that caffeine may enhance performance by improving alertness. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against the use of caffeine containing products for children and adolescents up to 18 years of age because in excess amounts, caffeine has been associated with harmful cardiovascular and neurological effects. Instead, it’s important to choose nutrient-rich foods and beverages and build balanced meals – let these serve as your fuel for athletic success.
As an athlete, it is important to focus on enjoying real foods throughout the day. Sports drinks, gels and bars should not be used as meal replacements, but rather as a supplement to a well-balanced diet.
Athletes can train harder and perform better with proper nutrition. Visit WesternDairyAssociation.org to read more about milk as an exercise recovery beverage and learn how to eat for peak athletic performance.
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No. 1 Pomona wrestling putting the pieces together before state
ARVADA — Claiming the Class 5A Jeffco League wrestling title has been a regular occurrence for Pomona over the past 15 years.
The Panthers won nine straight conference crowns from 2005-2013. Pomona wrapped up its fourth league title Thursday night at Arvada West High School. The Panthers defeated rival A-West 60-22 to flex their dominance in 5A Jeffco.
“You always want to win this dual because you never want to lose to your rival,” said Pomona freshman Roman Cruz, who pinned Arvada West’s Anthony Stack in the third period to take the victory at 160 pounds. “It’s my first year in high school, but I’m pretty excited from watching these teams wrestle since I was six.”
Arvada West’s Elijah Olson, left, and Pomona’s Christian Bucholtz shake hands after Olson pinned Bucholtz in the first period. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) A-West actually prevented Pomona for even a longer league title streak. The Wildcats took back-to-back conference crowns in 2014 and 2015.
Pomona reeled off six straight wins to start the dual against A-West with Daniel Cardenas (126), Kenny Perez (132), Brandon Taylor (138), Gage Bernall (152) and Cruz (160) all picking up victories by fall or technical fall.
Senior Theorius Robison (145) took a win by forfeit with the Wildcats not having a wrestler at his weight class. Robison has dealt with injuries on the football field and wrestling mat this season. He is attempting to enter the select group of becoming a four-time individual state champ.
Only 21 Colorado wrestlers has accomplished that feat and he would becoming the first Pomona wrestler to do it.
The Panthers have been No. 1 in Tim Yount’s On the Mat rankings all season with some solid returning talent and a handful of promising freshmen. However, injuries has prevented Pomona from being a full-strength.
“We are doing good as a team, but we are still missing some pieces,” Cruz said.
Arvada West’s Dylan Kruse, left, works on Pomona’s Jacob Judd during Thursday conference dual. Kruse placed sixth at the state tournament last year at 113 pounds. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) A new piece the Panthers this season was featured in the closest match of the night against A-West. Freshman Elijah Olguin faced A-West senior Mitchell Romero in the 106-pound match. Olguin is ranked No. 2 and Romero came in No. 4.
“It was a good match,” Olguin said after his 6-0 victory. “I did start off a little slow. I just have to work off the whistle quicker, but for the most part I felt good. There was high energy.”
Olguin was consistent scoring two points in each period. It was first meeting of the season between Olguin and Romero, who just missed placing at state last season.
“I just go through the same mindset as another other match,” Olguin said of facing another highly ranked wrestler. “You just have to stay composed. For me, I just stay focused on my technique and keeping my moves tight.”
A-West did take four individual wins during its senior night. Mike Kacay (170), Elijah Olson (195) and Justin Lepke (285) got victories at the heavier weights. Junior Dylan Kruse (113) got an impressive 13-1 victory over Pomona’s Jacob Judd.
“Going in I always have the mindset that I can beat anybody. I can’t be scare of anybody,” said Kruse, who is ranked No. 4 at 113 pounds. “I try not to look at what a kid has done or who he has beat. So far this season that has been working out for me.”
Kruse comes into the final few weeks before regionals (Feb. 15-16) and state (Feb. 21-23) with confidence after placing sixth at 113 pounds down at Pepsi Center. He also knows what needs to be done to make it higher on the podium.
“There is definitely a little more work I can get done,” Kruse said. “I need to get my stamina where I need it to be. I need to be out here running every day. I plan on using these next three weeks on getting that done and getting where I need to be.”
A-West and Pomona both travel to Grand Junction for the 5A Region 1 tournament at Fruita-Monument High School in two weeks.
Pomona’s Brandon Taylor, top, finishes off a technical fall victory over Arvada West’s David Lopez on Thursday night. The Panthers took a 60-22 team victory to wrap up a fourth straight Class 5A Jeffco League title. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
Wrestling rankings: Lyons and Legacy are newcomers
Below are this week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat.
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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.
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Class 2A RK TEAM PVS 1 Wray 1 2 Rocky Ford 2 3 Paonia 4 4 Cedaredge 3 5 Highland 5 6 John Mall 6 7 Crowley County 7 8 Centauri 8 9 Hotchkiss 9 10 Lyons – Dropped out County Line (10). Class 3A RK TEAM PVS 1 Alamosa 1 2 Jefferson 2 3 Eaton 3 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 Grand Junction Central 5 6 Pueblo Centennial 6 7 Discovery Canyon 7 8 Cheyenne Mountain 8 9 Thompson Valley 9 10 Longmont 10 Dropped out None. 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 Castle View 9 9 Arvada West 10 10 Legacy – Dropped out Eaglecrest (8). -
Photos: No. 2 Regis Jesuit girls basketball beats Legend
AURORA — Second-ranked Regis Jesuit girls basketball beat Legend 59-27 on Thursday.
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