CHSAANow

Month: March 2021

  • 3A girls swimming & diving: Evergreen wins third-straight state championship

    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

    THORNTON — Evergreen overcame many obstacles to claim its third-straight Class 3A girls swimming and diving state championship Tuesday at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center.

    The Cougars took second place in each of the last two races en route to 360 points. Aspen finished in second place (273), followed by Glenwood Springs (254) and Holy Family (219.5).

    “It has been a crazy season, but it has been incredibly rewarding,” said Evergreen head coach Liz Hudd, now in her 21st season. “We had a way smaller team. We had girls that came back from illness, came back from not being able to swim because they couldn’t get into the water … and they brought it in the end.

    “The girls just did their job,” she explained. “Some of them had best swims, some of them didn’t. But they just were resilient, and consistent and they did an amazing job. I have to hand it to them. They really picked it up at the end, and that’s when we were able to pull away with it.”

    It marked the fifth-ever girls swim and dive state championship for Evergreen, which also won 4A titles in 2014 and 2015.

    “It’s my first! It’s super-exciting!” said freshman Finley Anderson, who finished second in the 100 backstroke and fourth in the 100 butterfly.

    “It was different from anything else that I’ve done. But it was an experience that I will never forget. It was so fun being in here and racing and being a part of such an amazing team. There was definitely some pressure to win a third, but it made me go faster; it made us push each other.”

    Evergreen wasn’t the only big winner Tuesday.

    (Paul Soriano)

    Berthoud’s Jamie Dellwardt captured a pair of state championships on the day.

    She blazed to a title in the 200 freestyle. The senior recorded a time of 1:54.51 to finish ahead of Jolie Kim of Kent Denver (1:55.93), last year’s champion in the event, and Tuva Siegel of Denver North (1:58.28).

    Dellwardt earned her second state championship with the top time in the 100 backstroke (56.91). Anderson finished second (57.31) while Holy Family’s Abigail Philipsen placed third (58.28).

    Discovery Canyon junior Victoria Sanders began the day with a state championship in diving. Her score of 479.35 gave her the win over Holy Family’s Mary Kate Cavanaugh (432.30) and Libby Claassen of Glenwood Springs (420.70) and marked the third-straight diving state championship for Discovery Canyon. Rachel Alexander won the event in 2019 and 2020.

    Aspen won the first relay event, the 200 medley. The Skiers (Lilly Huggard, Emily Kinney, Kayla Tehrani and Bennett Jones) swam to a mark of 1:49.76 to easily outpace Evergreen (1.51.76) and Glenwood Springs (1:51.92).

    Caitlin Crysel of St. Mary’s Academy, cruised to an easy victory in the 200 Individual Medley. The freshman posted a time of 2:06.62 to finish ahead of Bennett Jones of Aspen (2:10.06) and Pueblo County’s Kandi Liberato (2:14.04).

    Kalie Linden of St. Mary’s Academy was the top athlete in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.52. Discovery Canyon’s Eden Nolan finished second in 24.85, followed by Tehrani (25.01).

    Tehrani then flew to a victory in the 100 butterfly with a time of 57.37 to edge Crysel (57.46) and Caitlin Beery of Thomas Jefferson (58.18).

    In the 100 freestyle, Siegel won the state championship with a time of 53.35. Linden finished second (54.42) and Gunnison’s Ashlynd Harris placed third (54.74).

    (Paul Soriano)

    Kim improved on her second-place finish in the 200 freestyle with a state championship in the 500 freestyle. Kim, a senior, posted a time of 5:08.76 to win the event for the second-consecutive year. Beery finished second with a time of 5:09.46, while Amelie Ogilby of Glenwood Springs finished third (5:09.47).

    In one of the most exciting races of the day, St. Mary’s Academy edged Aspen in the 200 freestyle relay. The Pirates (Crysel, Ella Yearsley, Charlotte Gaudet and Linden) earned a time of 1:40.73 to win the state championship, while the Skiers touched in 1:40.79

    Isabella Kuzbek of Manitou Springs was the top-seed in the 100 breaststroke heading into the meet, and she did not disappoint. The senior captured her first state championship with a time of 1:07.36. Alyssa Cook of Evergreen finished second in 1:07.95, followed by Jillian Carlson of Delta (1:08.10), last year’s champion in the event.

    D’Evelyn capped the evening with a stunning win in the 400 freestyle relay. Sammy Skrzekut, Kati Livingood, Ayla Pierce and Ava Anderson teamed up to post a time of 3:42.91. Evergreen’s Anderson, Kileigh Ackerman, Cook and Taylor Jacobson finished second in 3:43.06, followed by Glenwood Springs (Amy Madsen, Ogilby, Ellie MacPherson and Kylee Smith) in 3:44.21.

    [divider]

    2021 3A Girls Swimming and Diving State Champions

    • Diving: Victoria Sanders, Discovery Canyon
    • 200 Medley Relay: Aspen
    • 200 Freestyle: Jamie Dellwardt, Berthoud
    • 200 Individual Medley: Caitlin Crysel, St. Mary’s Academy
    • 50 Freestyle: Kalie Linden, St. Mary’s Academy
    • 100 Butterfly: Kayla Tehrani, Aspen
    • 100 Freestyle: Tuva Siegel, Denver North
    • 500 Freestyle: Jolie Kim, Kent Denver
    • 200 Freestyle Relay: St. Mary’s Academy
    • 100 Backstroke: Jamie Dellwardt, Berthoud
    • 100 Breaststroke: Isabella Kuzbek, Manitou Springs
    • 400 Freestyle Relay: D’Evelyn
    • Team: Evergreen
    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

  • 5A hockey semifinals: No. 1 Fort Collins and No. 3 Valor Christian advance to championship game

    LOVELAND — Riley Laub thought he had the game winner with just under two minutes remaining in the game. It could have been, but a Chaparral goal with 20 seconds left on the clock just meant Fort Collins had to wait a little bit longer.

    It took just 27 seconds into the third overtime as Nolan Williamson scored the game winner to give Class 5A No. 1 Fort Collins a 3-2 win over No. 4 Chaparral in the Frozen 4 at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland.

    In a similar fashion to last year’s state championship game, Fort Collins faced more shots than it would have like. But unlike last year’s result, Sam Simon did just enough to allow the Lambkins to emerge victorious and advance to the 5A state championship game on Thursday.

    “Looking back to last year, he set a state record and almost a national one for most saves in a game,” Williamson said. “He had what, (48) saves again tonight. He stood on his head for us.”

    Aidan Beck broke the scoreless tie at 9:41 in the first period, getting a shot by Wolverines goalie Ryan Burke. But Chap answered right back as Landen Shay tied the game less than a minute later.

    For the next two periods, a save-off between Burke and Simon kept the game locked in a 1-1 tie. Chaparral controlled the puck more consistently firing off 38 shots to the Lambkins 19 in regulation.

    Laub snuck his last shot just by Burke’s leg pad with just 1:19 on the clock, giving the Lambkins a one goal lead. With the way the goalies had played, it looked like a near certainty that Fort Collins would advance.

    Blake Neil had other ideas as he slid right into the slot and fired a shot past Simon to tie the game again.

    The first two overtimes yielded no goals and no winners, meaning a true intermission would take place before the teams would resume in a 4-on-4 situation.

    “I knew this team could keep it together,” he Williamson said. “Through all those overtimes we had it. We were just battling.”

    Williamson needed just 27 seconds of it as he buried the shot, putting the Lambkins in Thursday’s championship game with just one thing on their mind.

    “Win win win,” Williamson said.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    [divider]

    (3) Regis Jesuit 3, (2) Regis Jesuit 2 (OT)

    Owen Walsh got Valor on the board early but Dylan Thompson’s equalizer late in the first set the tone as Regis Jesuit got the 2-1 win to advance to Friday’s championship game.

    A power play goal from Robbie Dembeck put the Raiders ahead, even as Valor pressed offensively to lead the Raiders in shots 22-17 after two periods.

    And with the way the Eagles were attacking, it was only a matter of time before they tied the game back up. Walsh scored his second goal of the game with just over five minutes remaining to push the game to overtime.

    It was just 55 seconds in that Evan Pahos found the back of the net, setting up a rematch with Fort Collins. It was Pahos who finally got the puck by Simon in last year’s state title game.

    This is the third state championship appearance for the Eagles and they are 1-1 in those two games.

    The Eagles and Lambkins will face off Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • Green Mountain girls hoops returning to Class 4A state Final 4

    LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain’s girls basketball team found itself in a situation Tuesday night it hasn’t been all season.

    The No. 2-seeded Rams were locked in a tied game midway through the fourth quarter against No. 7 Erie in the Class 4A state quarterfinal. Green Mountain (17-0 record) had won every game by double-digits this year, but the Tigers were giving the Rams their toughest test of the season.

    “Erie is so well-coached, so tough and so good at so many things,” Green Mountain coach Darren Pitzner said. “They have counters to everything. They have so many weapons.”

    Green Mountain senior Courtney Hank, right, is fouled going up for a shot Tuesday night against Erie. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Erie junior Grace Moyers converted a 3-point play with 4:54 left in the fourth quarter to tie things up 44-44, but with 3:30 left in the final quarter Green Mountain sophomore Jayda Maves hit maybe the biggest 3-pointer of her prep career to put the Rams ahead for good.

    “I just want to thank Connie (Green Mountain assistant coach Connie Ireland),” an emotional Maves said after the Rams took a 58-50 victory to advance to the 4A state semifinals for the second straight season. “She is always lifting me up and always there for me. I missed four 3s and she just said, ‘Keep shooting. We need you.’ There just are words to describe how much she means to me.”

    Maves had struggled with her shot not scoring in the second or third quarters, but the sophomore came through in crunch-time.

    “She probably takes more shots in practice than anyone else in Jeffco,” Pitzner said of Maves. “That is the result. You hit those shots that help us advance to the Final 4. I’m extremely proud of her.”

    Junior Avery Oaster (16 points) and senior Courtney Hank (12 points) both had a pair of baskets in the final three minutes to keep the Tigers (13-4) at bay. Green Mountain made seven free-throw in the final minute and held Erie to just two points in the final 2:41 of the game.

    Junior Shea Murphy (12 points) poured in a pair of free-throws for good measure in the closing seconds before the Rams celebrated another history victory during their current remarkable two-year run.

    “I think deep down that we would respond,” Oaster said of playing in a tight game for the first time this year. “I was pretty confident we would have our runs.”

    Erie senior Anna Hefner, front, and Green Mountain junior Avery Oaster battle for a loose ball during the Class 4A state quarterfinal game Tuesday night at Green Mountain High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Oaster did most of her damage offensively in the first half. The junior scored a dozen points before halftime to counter Erie’s hot shooting from outside. Moyers, junior Deb Altshuler and Genevieve Gudino combined for six 3-pointers on the night for the Tigers.

    Erie just couldn’t knock down big shots late in the fourth quarter and Green Mountain’s pressure defense forced some turnovers to allow the Rams to punch their ticket to another Final 4.

    “We just kept our composure,” Maves said. “I think that is what helped us in the fourth quarter. We just kept calm and played our game that we know how to play.”

    Green Mountain knows its state semifinal opponents will be another huge test. No. 3 Windsor (15-1) throttled No. 6 George Washington 75-35 in another quarterfinal Tuesday. A COVID-19 benefit for the Rams will be that all state semifinals will be played at the higher-seed this season instead of down at the Denver Coliseum.

    The Rams lost to Holy Family down at the Coliseum last season in the semifinals.

    “Having home-court advantage is one of the biggest things,” Maves said. “We know how Windsor just beat George Washington by 40 points. We know we are going to have to step up our game.”

    Last season was the Rams’ first trip ever to the state semifinals. To earn a return trip is something Pitzner is extremely proud of what his girls, coaching staff and Green Mountain family has achieved.

    “What they have accomplished is historic for this program,” Pitzner said of the back-to-back state semifinal appearances. “They believed the whole time that we could go back to the Final 4.”

    Green Mountain sophomore Jayda Maves spots up for a 3-pointer in front of the Erie bench. Makes hit a pair of key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help lift the Rams to a 58-50 victory and a spot in the Class 4A state tournament semifinals. Green Mountain will host Windsor on Thursday night with a spot in the 4A championship game on the line. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: ThunderRidge boys basketball beats Chaparral in 5A Great 8

    ThunderRidge boys basketball beat Chaparral 62-47 in the 5A Great 8 on Tuesday.

  • Photos: Fort Collins and Valor Christian advance to 5A hockey title game

    LOVELAND — No. 1 Fort Collins and No. 3 Valor Christian advanced to the Class 5A hockey championship game after getting wins in the semifinals.

    [divider]

    (1) Fort Collins 3, (4) Chaparral 2 (3 OT)

    Chaparral vs. Fort Collins, Hockey - 5A Semi Finals
    (Paul Shepardson)

    [divider]

    (3) Valor Christian 3, (2) Regis Jesuit 2 (OT)

    (Paul Shepardson)

  • Photos: The 3A girls swimming and diving championships

    THORNTON — Through a tough day of competition, Evergreen came away with the Class 3A girls swimming championship at the VMAC.

    [divider]

    3A state swimming championships

    (Brent Murphy/BrentMurphyPhoto.com)

    [divider]

    3A state diving championships

    By Brent Murphy

    (Brent Murphy/BrentMurphyPhoto.com)

  • Photos: No. 3 Rangeview tops No. 11 Rock Canyon to reach 5A boys basketball Final 4

    No. 3 Rangeview had to battle, but the Raiders beat No. 11 Rock Canyon 66-55 to reach the Class 5A boys basketball Final 4.

  • Photos: George Washington boys basketball knocks off Regis Jesuit

    No. 7 George Washington boys basketball went on the road and beat No. 2 Regis Jesuit 54-52 in the Class 5A Great 8 on Tuesday.

  • Photos: No. 2 Green Mountain edges No. 7 Erie in 4A girls basketball Great 8

    No. 2 Green Mountain fought to a close 58-50 win over No. 7 Erie to advance to the Class 4A girls basketball Final 4.

  • Photos: No. 3 Grandview rolls by No. 6 Chaparral and into 5A girls basketball Final 4

    No. 3 Grandview took an early lead and never looked back as it beat No. 6 Chaparral 79-30 to advance to the Class 5A girls basketball Final 4.