UPDATE: The second rounds of all girls golf state championships will not continue on Tuesday. More information is available here. The original story is below.
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TIMNATH, WINDSOR and EAGLE — The Class 5A and 4A girls golf state tournaments will use a shotgun start on the second and final day of their championships on Tuesday.
A decision on the format for 3A will be made by 7:45 a.m on Tuesday, but for now, the tournament is planning on sticking with its regular tee times.
The change in 4A and 5A is being made in an effort to ensure the tournaments complete play with poor weather in the forecast. The first day of each tournament was played in wet conditions.
“We want to be off the course as early as possible,” said CHSAA associate commissioner Tom Robinson, who oversees golf. “And the shotgun start gives us that opportunity.”
The shotgun start will begin at 9 a.m.
Here are the details:
Each hole will have at least one group, comprised of three golfers, tee off at 9 a.m.
Holes 1-10 will have two groups set to tee off. For example, Group 1A will tee off at 9 a.m., and Group 1B will tee off immediately after.
Holes 11-18 will have one group per hole.
The leaders will be in Groups 1A and 1B.
The 3A state tournament, held in Eagle, is planning to use regular tee times for its second round on Tuesday, but may reevaluate the format depending on overnight weather and how early the girls would be able to tee off. It is possible that the tournament may have a delayed start on Tuesday.
CHSAANow will have complete coverage of all three state championships.
EAGLE — Caroline Jordaan is in a very familiar spot after the first day of the Class 3A girls state golf tournament. A three-time runner-up (once in 4A and twice in 3A), Jordaan has the 18-hole lead at Eagle Ranch Golf Course after shooting a 1-under-par-71.
Through chilly temperatures and periods of moderate rainfall, the Colorado Academy senior played about as consistent as she could have hoped. She hit 15 greens in regulation and hit 34 putts in her round.
“That’s a lot,” Jordaan said.
But she still came out four strokes ahead of Jefferson Academy’s Aubri Braecklein and Kent Denver’s Charlotte Hillary, who each shot a 75.
Jordaan was leading after the first day of the 2018 tournament at Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo, but eventually lost to Holy Family’s Hailey Schalk.
Her experience both playing and sitting at or near the top of the leaderboard has made the state tournament a more relaxed environment for her this year.
“It definitely gets easier every year,” she said. “It helps that I have a really strong and we have always worked hard all year and when we get to state just try to get it done.”
The Mustangs are getting it done in the team race. Eva Pett shot 79 and Marie Jordaan, Caroline’s younger sister, shot 80. Colorado Academy sits in first place at 14-over as a team. Kent Denver is in second at 27-over.
One of the biggest benefits for coach Beth Folsom is that she knows that Caroline Jordaan will go out and shoot a good number allowing her focus to shift to the other members of the team to try and keep the team scores low enough to be in contention for the team championship.
“I don’t spend very much time with Caroline on the course because I pretty much know what she’s going to do,” Folsom said. “She knows what she’s going to do so that gave me a chance on some of the more challenging holes to be up with some of our other players.”
The biggest challenge for Colorado Academy – and all players – was the weather. Despite solid rainfall in the morning, the tournament went off as scheduled and all players completed 18 holes. Should conditions deteriorate to the point where the course is unplayable on Tuesday, Monday’s round will count as the full tournament.
Nevertheless, Jordaan is anxious to get back to the course so she can put a memorable cap on her high school golf career and claim the 2019 state title.
“That would be nice, honestly,” she said. “Whatever happens, I’ll be good with it because I’ve had four great years of high school. But I’d love to take home the individual title. That’d be great.”
When Jordaan tees off on Tuesday, she’ll be grouped with the same players as she was on Monday as she, Braecklein and Hillary sit in the top three spots on the leaderboard.
The plan for Day 2 of the 3A tournament is to start as scheduled. Overnight weather could cause issues, but a decision to delay or cancel – if needed – will be made at 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday.
LAKEWOOD — Luc Andrada saw a glimpse of the future.
“Before the 4×100, I swear I’ve never been more confident before a race,” Andrada said on the final day of the state track and field championships. “I had a weird gut feeling that we would PR by half a second and win it. That’s what we did.”
Andrada and his teammates capped off a terrific weekend for Pueblo East, claiming the 4A 400-meter relay title in a time of 42.40 seconds.
But, the victory did not come so easily. In the preliminary round, held on Friday, Pueblo East finished 4th with a time of 42.98. Only 0.17 of a second separated Windsor in 1st and Skyline in 5th though.
The senior sprinter knew how close Saturday’s final would be, but Pueblo East had a lightning rod in Andrada as the anchor leg. As long as he could get the baton relatively close to the leaders, he would have a chance of winning.
After all, he was the 4A king of the sprints this season, tallying gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. Andrada simply has next-level speed.
“We were thankful to be in lane three, so we could see our competition in front of us,” he said.
And, Kain Medrano, Joe Padula, and Marvin London gave Andrada a shot. They were in the thick of the race with one leg to go, but Skyline (42.54, 2nd place) and Canon City (42.63, 3rd) were ahead.
Andrada made it all up in the final 100 meters, causing the Jeffco Stadium crowd to buzz.
He had plenty of spectators chatting about him throughout the final day of competition. His winning times of 10.51 in the 100 and 21.21 in the 200 were slightly wind-aided but very swift.
The 4A 100 state record of 10.53, which Andrada would’ve beaten if his time was wind-legal, has been held since 2000 (Gregg Trigg of Fountain Fort-Carson).
Nevertheless, Andrada put the finishing touches on a memorable prep career, and with style, while also anchoring Pueblo East to a 4×200 relay state crown on Friday.
“They just gave me a chance,” he said of the 4×200. “With a team like that, how can you lose it?”
Medrano, Padula, and Oscar Flores were the other members of that relay as they gave Andrada the baton in a close battle with Pueblo West (runner-up).
For all of Andrada’s accomplishments in football, East was the state runner-up his senior year and the champion in 2016, Medrano has been a decorated athlete as well. He broke the 4A state meet record in discus on Thursday (188-6) and finished runner-up in shot put.
Medrano will soon be a football player for UCLA, while Andrada will compete at Brigham Young University in both football and track.
“He motivates me to be a better person day in and day out,” Andrada said of their friendship. “He’s always pushing me to be better. He deserves every accomplishment.”
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Class 5A
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The Valor Christian boys won their first state championship as a track and field team with 90 points. They also won the girls title as Fort Collins (57 boys points) was the runner-up for both genders.
Cian Quiroga will bring a title back to Valor in the discus (182-4) and Cole Sprout won his second 1,600 crown (4A in 2018) in 4:13. They also earned gold in the 4×100 relay (42.46).
Fort Collins’ Joseph Maguire, the anchor of their 4×400 relay group, just barely edged out Arapahoe at the line as the teams ran 3:18.77 and 3:18.78.
A terrific 110 hurdles showdown between seniors Zion Gordon of Regis Jesuit and Cameron Harris of Brighton produced swift times of 13.85 and 14.03. Gordon, a University of Southern California recruit, won the 5A crown.
Gordon (10.67) got the better of Harris (10.72) again in the 100-meter dash, the next event on Saturday. Both will be competing at the collegiate level as Brighton’s super sprinter signed with Air Force.
Harris was also the runner-up in the 300 hurdles to Garrett Nelson of Poudre (37.16). Nelson’s time was sixth-fastest in Colorado prep history.
Eaglecrest’s Langston Williams will bring a gold medal back to Aurora with his 400 win (48.59).
Monarch’s Max Manson capped his storied career with three pole vault state titles. He cleared 16 feet, 8 inches in his prep finale.
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Class 4A
Niwot needed to finish at least fifth in the final event of the weekend, the 4×400 relay, to capture the team crown over Pueblo East but instead the Cougars won the event in a time of 3:22.86. Niwot bettered Pueblo East 66-60 in the final team standings. The Cougars also won the girls crown.
Zhaire Jackson (Northfield) topped the 110 hurdles field in 14.60 seconds.
Niwot junior Cruz Culpepper smoothly crossed the line in 4:16.69 to earn a 1,600 championship, adding to his 800 crown on Friday and helping Niwot earn a team trophy.
Brendan Young, the pride of Canon City, won a pair of jump titles this weekend (long and triple). He leapt 47 feet, 11 inches in triple jump Saturday.
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Class 3A
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Manitou Springs produced the 100 and 200 champion in Jayden Omi. His times were 10.97 and 22.14 seconds.
Nate Hanson of Lutheran (14.31) was the 110-hurdles champion as the Lions swept the boys (91.5 points) and girls team titles. Mike Ciccio was second in the 400 and Lutheran piled up points with great depth.
Lutheran has won six state titles in boys track and field.
Denver West, with brothers Yasin and Ahmed Sado finishing 1-2 in the 1,600, was the runner-up with 65 points.
Elizabeth’s Mason Anthony, the 3A state record holder in the 300 hurdles, didn’t quite top his best time but still finished 1st in 38.67.
Alamosa won the boys (3:23) and girls (3:58) 4×400 relays, while Ian Jackson and Lilly Lavier were individual 400 champions for Alamosa.
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Class 2A
Lyons boys (68 points) claimed their fifth team title in track and field, but first since 2015. Mancos was the runner-up with 57. Lyons excelled in distance events once again.
Both competitors, Grant Redmond of Soroco and and Jake Chrisman of Yuma, cleared 6 feet, 7 inches in the high jump but Redmond won with fewer attempts. Chrisman was the pole vault gold medal winner on Thursday.
David Trujillo of Rocky Ford was the champion in the 100 with a time of 11.19.
Clear Creek boys won the 4×100 relay (44.10).
Alex Ramos (Holly, 50.14) cruised in the 400.
Jaden Evans of Telluride (4:30.27) held off Isaac Roberts of Lyons (4:30.77) in the 1,600.
Victor Mendoza (20 feet, 10.5 inches) of Yuma was the long jump champion.
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Class 1A
The Heritage Christian boys scored points in bunches, securing the team title again with 148 points. They won in 2018 in much the same way with firepower in distance as Levi Kilian (4:28) and Seth Bruxvoort (4:32) both shattered the 1A State meet record in the 1,600 and were 1st and 2nd.
HCA tallied points in many other events, as well, including the 300 hurdles (Ryan Zrubek, champion) and the 200 (Jaden Johnson, 1st).
Arlo Garner of Cotopaxi (15.48) was the state champion in 110 hurdles.
Elton Yarger of Stratton/Liberty broke the triple jump state record yesterday and clinched the 400 title in 50.61 seconds today.
Pikes Peak Christian’s Tommy Harmon (12-10) climbed higher than anyone in pole vault.
Simla (3:37.82) won the 4×400 relay and finished runner-up in the team standings. Simla also claimed the 4×100 title and Darias Harms was the 100 champion in a new 1A State Meet record of 11.18.
LAKEWOOD — Five weeks ago, Anna Hall’s ankle was in a boot and with her final Colorado track and field state championships in doubt, the Valor Christian senior wasn’t doing much smiling around that time.
But she recovered just in time to join the fray this weekend, and Hall’s smile returned immediately. Then that championship smile grew bigger and brighter with every state title she claimed and with each record she set over the course of the three-day meet.
In all, Hall left Jefferson County Stadium with gold medals from the Class 5A girls 100- and 300-meter hurdles, as well as having imprinted her name on all-classification records in the 4×200-meter and 4×800-meter relays.
It took a pretty fast recovery but Hall is feeling like herself again.
“With each race, I’m starting to feel more and more like my usual myself before I got injured,” Hall said. “That felt so good because it felt kind of like old Anna. That’s why I was smiling so much, because I feel good and we were winning.”
Hall’s first medal came after she crossed the finish line – smiling – in 14.18 seconds to win the 100-meter hurdles. Later in the day, Hall, who is still the 4A state meet 300-meter hurdles record holder and will run track for the University of Georgia next year, won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 41.70.
Finally, she ran a sub-54-second split to anchor the Eagles – Reese Dragovich, Camille Peisner, Quincy McMahon and Hall – to a 4×400-meter relay that set an all-classification record of 3:41.89 in the final girls event of the day. The previous record of 3:45.69, was set by Littleton and had stood since 2011.
“I’m just happy I was back in time to run here,” said Hall, who had a Grade 3 ankle sprain. “When I first injured it, they said six to eight weeks and I think right now I’m at five and a half weeks. I rehabbed for like three hours every day and my PT people were super amazing. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time and it couldn’t have turned out better.”
Hall’s dominating finish was a fitting end to the Eagles’ state meet, which certainly began with a flurry and ended with both the Valor Christian girls and boys winning team titles.
On Thursday’s opening day, Hall along with teammates Destiny Grimes, Sadie McMullen and Peisner, set an all-classification record of 1:37.00 in the 4×200-meter relay prelims well before the won the state title on Friday. The previous record was 1:37.05, set by Pine Creek in 2014.
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Class 5A
(Brad Cochi/CHSAANow.com)
Denver East senior Arria Minor went through her typical state meet routine on Saturday, winning the 100 and 200 to push her career total to 10 total individual titles, and added her first-ever relay title by anchoring the Angels’ 400-meter relay team to victory. Along the way, the girl who may go down as the greatest sprinter in Colorado preps history tied the all-time state record of 11.31 in the 100 meters.
After placing third for the past two years in a row, Fairview’s Marlena Preigh won the 1,600 in 4:59.53. The Knights senior also defended her 800 title on Friday.
Grandview junior Lily Williams continued what has been a consistently-excellent prep career in the 400, winning the event in 53.63 to defend the title she won as a sophomore in 2018. As a freshman, she was runner-up to Minor.
To prove her title-winning discus throw of 142 feet was no fluke on Saturday, Loveland’s Kajsa Borrman made sure to hit the mark twice in the finals.
Despite battling injuries throughout the season, Monarch junior Mia Manson defended her pole vault title by clearing 12 feet.
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Class 4A
(Brad Cochi/CHSAANow.com)
Niwot won the team title with 123 points, which was an incredible 65 points ahead of runner-up Battle Mountain. That was in no small part a result of sophomore Taylor James’ versatile performance. She won the 200 and 400, and ran a leg of the Cougars’ winning 4×200 relay, all on Saturday and a day after setting a 4A meet record of 2:08.29 in the 800 on Friday.
After leading the Mead Mavericks to their school’s first girls title in the sprint medley last spring, Abbey Glynn won Mead’s first girls title in an individual event with a 44.35 in the 300-meter hurdles. The senior finished her career with 14 state medals out of a possible 16 opportunties.
The fastest race of the day went to Harrison’s Ereana McCallister, who won the 100-meter dash in 12.37 seconds.
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Class 3A
(Brad Cochi/CHSAANow.com)
Have a day, Jordan Lanning. The Bayfield senior made her presence known immediately on Saturday morning, setting a 3A meet record of 14.20 in the 100-meter hurdles. After setting a 3A meet record of 5-8 in the high jump on Thursday and winning the long jump on Friday, it’s safe to say Lanning had more than a good day at the 2019 state championships.
“It’s just felt different when I crossed the finish line,” said Lanning, who also placed third in the 300-hurdles. “I can barely even remember that race.”
Lutheran won the team championship, sweeping 3A with the boys.
The Classical Academy’s Kaylee Thompson (5:04.27) and Katie Flaherty (5:04.61) went 1-2 in the 1,600, helping the team to a runner-up finish.
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Class 2A
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
It was clear by Saturday that this year’s team champion would be Highland and the rest of the top teams were competing for second place. Highland ended up winning with 100 points, a full 32 ahead of runner-up Lyons.
Reigning champion Remington Ross wasn’t letting anyone near the 100 and 200 titles on Saturday. The Highland junior set a meet record of 11.84 in the 100 and cruised to victory with a 24.77 in the 200. She also won the long jump.
Hotchkiss senior Kiaya set a 2A state meet record of 55.76 in the 400. She broke the previous record of 56.34 set in 2013 by Jennifer Celis, who also went to Hotchkiss. Firor, who also won the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, set a 2A meet record in the later with a time of 44.06.
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Class 1A
With 108 total points, the Dragons from De Beque won the team title by an impressive 35 points over runner-up Heritage Christian.
Leading the way for the Dragons, senior Faith Novess won the 100 hurdles and set a 1A meet record of 45 seconds flat in the 300 hurdles. She now has six individual medals in her career.
THORNTON — It wouldn’t be uncommon to hear high school coaches say that they’re players are going to give them a heart attack. For Greeley West boys swimming coach Colin Shaha, there’s nothing to laugh about when thinking about that scenario.
Shaha watched anxiously, paced nervously and smiled proudly through the final day of the Class 4A boys state swim meet. When the night was over, his Spartans were state champions. But there was a point in the season where there was genuine concern that Shaha would see the season through.
There was concern that his life was in danger.
What felt like heartburn for months turned out to be something more serious than that. When Shaha finally saw a doctor, it was revealed that he had an artery with a 98 percent blockage. He wasn’t having heartburn. He was having a heart attack.
“When we were first heard, I mean I was stunned,” senior Nathan Kenigsberg said. “I didn’t know the severity of it. I was scared and really worried for him.”
A stent was placed and Shaha was on his way to recovery. Word eventually got around in Greeley and Kenigsberg and his teammates were given some good news.
“Luckily my dad is a doctor,” Kenigsberg said. “I got an update fairly quickly.”
Shaha felt good enough to make it to the Spartans next meet, but the doctors advised against it. He listened. And not too long later, he was watching his athletes hoist a state championship trophy, the first in program history.
And he’ll quickly point out that it wasn’t motivation after a heart attack that brought home gold, it was the drive and determination of the Spartans to do something special for the community.
“Greeley is a punchline to a national joke,” Shaha said. “‘What’s the opposite of Hawaii?’ ‘Greeley.’ I’ve been working around swimming most of my adult life. I think about Greeley swimmers; I think a lot about Greeley kids. And this is huge.”
It took a little bit of good fortune for the Spartans to get themselves into contention. In the 200-yard medley relay, the first event of the day, two Discovery Canyon swimmers jumped in the pool at the conclusion of the race. The infraction meant they were disqualified from each of their next event.
Those DQ’s took precious points on the board and Greeley West knew it had to capitalize on it.
“We got a lucky break,” Kenigsberg said. “But there was nothing but happiness with the way the team put everything into it. Caden Gillmore had the best meet I’ve ever seen from anybody. He did incredible.”
The Spartans finished with 323 points to Discovery Canyon’s 307. It’s the second-straight runner-up finish for the Thunder.
Broomfield’s Harrison Lierz had a standout day. He claimed two individual titles for the Eagles and helped them win the 200 freestyle relay. He swam that relay race then came right back to win the 100 backstroke.
“I feel like I swam really well this week,” Lierz said. “I was really happy with how I did, especially with that being like five minutes after the relay.”
GREENWOOD VILLAGE — Cherry Creek baseball punched its ticket to the Class 5A state tournament with a walkoff 8-7 win over Horizon in the regional final.
THORNTON — Maybe it was always fated to end this way. But the Cherry Creek boys swim team wasn’t leaving anything to chance. That was clear in the 100-yard freestyle race when the Bruins got the surprise of the meet. And it was on top of Brendan Eckerman’s win in the event.
From the No. 10 lane Nikolas Silolahti gave the performance of his life and came in second. Cherry Creek scored a combined 45 points for the one-two finish and never looked back en route to claiming the Class 5A boys swimming championship at the VMAC.
“It shocked not only our program but I think everyone in the building,” Cherry Creek coach Chris Loftis said. “Going from 10 to two from an outside lane, it took him a good 20 seconds to figure out what was going on. He just kept staring at the scoreboard until he finally figured it out.”
It gave the Bruins a surge. And that surge lasted to the very end.
They won the final two relay races of the meet, the 200 and 400 freestyle, and did so without sitting in the coveted fifth lane. It was a fitting end for a team that has grown so close over the season.
“Especially after this week,” Eckerman said. “It just felt like a family. We were a little ununited at the beginning of the season but as things went on and people started seeing each other get faster it drove everyone to work harder.”
And the roars that came from poolside when Silolahti touched the wall to finish second were living proof of that bond. The loudest cheers through the night came for someone who didn’t even get to stand at the top of the podium.
“I realized where I was off the third turn,” Silolahti said. “I just kept it going. It was a little surreal.”
Creek started the event by claiming gold in the 200 medley relay. Legacy junior Lukas Miller then grabbed the attention of the spectators when he blazed his way to a win in the 200 yard freestyle. His time of one minute, 35.72 seconds is a Colorado state record.
He grabbed himself another top finish later in the night when he won the 500 freestyle. Heading into his senior year in 2020, he couldn’t imagine a better outcome for himself.
“I’m pretty happy with all my swims,” Miller said. “I made a few mistakes and you can always improve and it’s all about learning every race. It was good.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Regis Jesuit picked up a fair share of wins themselves. Will Goodwin took the 200 IM (1:48.57) and the 100 breaststroke (54.67).
Sophomore diver Quinn Henninger wowed the crow each time he sprung off the board.
The Raiders finished 394 points to claim runner-up honors. Cherry Creek finished the meet with 520. The first sign of a dominant performance came in that 100 freestyle. It was then that the team knew it was its meet to lose.
“It was Nicky’s 100 for sure,” Eckerman said. “It was gigantic for him. I knew he was going to have a great race and I knew he’d come in hot, but I didn’t know he’d come in that hot.”
This marks the 11th boys swimming title for Cherry Creek and its first since 1994. And the Bruins didn’t leave anything to chance. They were taking gold at the end of the night come heck or high water.
