Tag: Heritage Christian

  • All-state volleyball teams for 2015 season

    The 2015 volleyball players of the year. From left: Antonya Schaffert, Otis; Bethany Cullity, Cheyenne Mountain; Shannon Webb, Cherokee Trail; Tara Traphagan, Yuma; Caiden Rexius, Eaton. (Photos: Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com; Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com; Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)
    The 2015 volleyball players of the year. From left: Antonya Schaffert, Otis; Bethany Cullity, Cheyenne Mountain; Shannon Webb, Cherokee Trail; Tara Traphagan, Yuma; Caiden Rexius, Eaton. (Photos: Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com; Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com; Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    The 2015 all-state volleyball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

    These team were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and then a vote of coaches.

    Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Grandview Cherokee Trail volleyball
    Cherokee Trail’s Shannon Webb. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    Player of the year: Shannon Webb, Cherokee Trail

    Coach of the year: Terry Miller, Cherokee Trail

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Audrey Cheng Fairview Junior S/RS
    Robyn Krause Cherokee Trail Junior S
    Jasmine Schmidt Chaparral Junior RS/S
    Christine Schmiedeler Fairview Junior MB/RS
    Jazlyn Smith Denver East Senior L
    Taylor Smith Regis Jesuit Senior OH
    Shannon Webb Cherokee Trail Senior OH
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Sierra Bartley Chatfield Junior OPP
    Keeley Davis Rock Canyon Sophomore OH
    Melissa Evans Highlands Ranch Junior RS
    Allie Garcia Coronado Senior L
    Kasie Gilfert Legend Senior MH
    Toni McDougald Cherry Creek Senior OH
    Franchesca Reed Grandview Senior MB/RS

    Honorable mention: Qairo Bentley, Denver East, freshman, OH; Madisen Busler, Grandview, senior, OH/RS; Jasmine Evans, Highlands Ranch, senior, OH; Chase Jackson, Denver East, junior, OH; Jayden Liberty, Arapahoe, junior, MB; Tori Macaluso, Rock Canyon, senior, MH; Angela McGownd, Loveland, senior, OH; Hannah Miller, Chaparral, senior, L; Jordan Mullen, Legend, senior, OH/RS; Maya Patterson, Denver East, junior, MH; Keely Ruby, Mountain Vista, senior, MH/RS; Caroline Schmiedeler, Fairview, junior, OH; Daisy Schultz, Cherry Creek, junior, S; Petra Sikorski, Arapahoe, senior, S; Kaira Smith, Coronado, senior, OH; Karysa Swackenberg, Brighton, senior, L; Sarah Vang, Chaparral, senior, OH/MB/RS.


    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Cheyenne Mountain volleyball
    Cheyenne Mountain’s Bethany Cullity. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Player of the year: Bethany Cullity, Cheyenne Mountain

    Coach of the year: David Barkley, Cheyenne Mountain

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Lydia Bartalo Lewis-Palmer Junior OH/MH
    Bethany Cullity Cheyenne Mountain Senior OH
    Mariah Evans Lewis-Palmer Senior S
    Holly Huffman Cheyenne Mountain Senior S
    Allison Smith Ponderosa Senior OH
    Elizabeth Wayne Cheyenne Mountain Senior MB
    Sydney Wetterstrom Longmont Senior OH/RS/MH
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Ariana Alberici Pueblo West Senior RS/OH
    Kassidi Day Pueblo East Senior MH/MB
    Mika Dickson Cheyenne Mountain Senior L/DS
    Andrea Eddy Evergreen Senior S
    Kylie Hurst Windsor Senior MB/OH
    Ashley Pagan Air Academy Senior OH/OPP
    Emma Porter The Classical Academy Senior OH/DS
    Camille Smith Ponderosa Senior MH

    Honorable mention: Jordan Brandt, Battle Mountain, senior, OH; Katia Fitzgerald, Erie, senior, S; Addison Hays, Roosevelt, junior, L; Elise Hill, Montrose, senior, OH/OH; Maddie Labor, Steamboat Springs, senior, L; Jenny Lau, Woodland Park, senior, S; MaLeigha Menegatti, Pueblo West, sophomore, S/OH; Santana Mestas, Pueblo West, senior, RS/OH; Carlee Morrison, Eagle Valley, senior, OH/OPP.


    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Eaton Valley volleyball state final
    Caiden Rexius of Eaton. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

    Player of the year: Caiden Rexius, Eaton

    Coach of the year: Rene Aafedt, Valley

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Madison Fisher University Senior
    Katie McKiel Manitou Springs Senior OH
    Caiden Rexius Eaton Senior OH
    Brooke Schilling Valley Junior MH/OH
    Bailey Schumacher Eaton Senior L/S
    Tarynn Sieg Eaton Junior MB
    Abby Skrastins Colorado Springs Christian Senior OH
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Kaitlyn Detlefsen Coal Ridge Senior MH/OH
    Lindy Dixon Eaton Senior MB
    Megan Farrah Pagosa Springs Junior OH
    Angala Jensen Manitou Springs Senior S
    Chelsey Lockey Eaton Sophomore S
    Jamie Nielson Colorado Springs Christian Senior MH/MB
    Maggie Smith Platte Valley Senior OH

    Honorable mention: Lauren Addington, La Junta, senior, S/RS; McKayla Bauer, University, senior; Jenna Cardenas, Frontier Academy, senior, OH; Kylie Chavez, Sterling, junior, OH/MH; Addie Feek, Middle Park, freshman, MB; Madeleline Foutz, Bayfield, junior, L/OH; Kaylee Frear, The Vanguard School, senior, OH/MH; Dana Kotz, Coal Ridge, junior, S/RS; Alina Randall, Faith Christian, freshman, OH; Brooke Trujillo, Alamosa, senior, L; Kailee Yano, Peak to Peak, junior, S; Kiahlei Yaste, University, senior.


    [divider]

    Class 2A

    Yuma volleyball
    Yuma’s Tara Traphagan. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Player of the year: Tara Traphagan, Yuma

    Coach of the year: Jenny Noble, Yuma

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Cali Bahnsen Union Colony Prep Senior OH/MH
    Erika Ivkov Lyons Senior OH
    Mallory Noble Yuma Senior S
    McKenna Palmer Paonia Sophomore MH
    Kaitlyn Rutherford Ridgway Senior OH
    Abby Skipworth Resurrection Christian Senior
    Tara Traphagan Yuma Senior OH/MH
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Lydia Knutson Cedaredge Senior RS/MH
    Jaedyn Lambrecht Caliche Senior S
    Jenna Mansfield Rye Senior S
    Peighton Roth Yuma Senior L/DS
    Laney Swan Colorado Springs School Junior S
    Chrystianne Valdez Ignacio Senior L/OH/S
    Saylor Webb Resurrection Christian Junior

    Honorable mention: Becca Abrahamson, Clear Creek, senior, MH/RS; Lexie Bitter, Fowler, senior, OH/MH; Lucy Carlson, Soroco, senior, MH; Megan Gerk, Haxtun, senior; Madison Gould, South Park, junior; Luisa Hernandez, Yuma, junior, OH/MH; Mikaela Parker, Calhan, senior, OH; Ashley VanVleet, Paonia, senior, MH; Gabby Willson, West Grand, junior, OH/RS.


    [divider]

    Class 1A

    Otis Idalia volleyball state final
    Antonya Schaffert of Otis. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

    Player of the year: Antonya Schaffert, Otis

    Coach of the year:Bonnie Wallin-Kuntz, Otis

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Emily Kaiser Prairie Junior OH/MH
    Brooklyn Krehmeyer Weldon Valley Senior OH
    Kylee Kuntz Otis Senior S/OH
    Lissette Lefforge Otis Senior MB
    Jenna McKinley Sangre de Cristo Senior MB/RS
    Antonya Schaffert Otis Senior OH
    Reagan Shaffer Idalia Senior OH/DS
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Karleigh Cooley Sangre de Cristo Senior OH/RS
    Kaylee Corsentino La Veta Freshman MH
    Shaylee Johnson Fleming Junior MH/MB
    Felicia Minchaca Sierra Grande Senior OH/MH
    Bryce Schafer Idalia Senior OH/DS
    Erica Sinclair Sangre de Cristo Senior S/RS
    Jennay Terrell Idalia Senior MH/DS

    Honorable mention: Danea Bender, Weldon Valley, senior, L; Faith Carpenter, Idalia, junior, MH; Kinley Coe, La Veta, sophomore, OH/RS; Mikenna Curlee, Peetz, senior, MH/MB; D’Lanee Doyle, Walsh, senior, MH; Susana Herrera, Idalia, senior, DS/OH/RS; Tess Hornung, Kit Carson, freshman, MB; Kyndra Konig, Weldon Valley, senior, OH; Gabriela Lopez, La Veta, junior, MH; Sarah McGinley, Heritage Christian, junior, MB; Aspen Serfoss, Cotopaxi, junior; Sonia Vallejos, La Veta, sophomore, S; Taylor West, Community Christian, senior, OH; Alex Weyerman, Idalia, junior, S; Kindra Young, Edison, senior, MH/OH.

  • Boys basketball rankings: Arvada West, Rock Canyon join 5A poll

    Arvada West sophomore Josh Martin (20) splits Smoky Hill's Jordan Correy (23) and Kyle Colen (2) on a drive toward the basket Tuesday night at Arvada West High School. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Arvada West is No. 8 in the 5A boys basketball rankings this week. (Dennis Pleuss)

    The No. 1-ranked teams in this week’s CHSAANow.com basketball polls held steady, but a flurry of new teams were added.

    With play beginning last week and most teams in action it was only a matter of time before the look and feel of the polls started shifting, specifically in the higher classes. But the top teams of Overland (5A), Longmont (4A), Colorado Springs Christian (3A), Sanford (2A) and Fleming (1A) all held on to the top spots in their respective divisions.

    The Class 5A poll saw the addition of two new teams in Arvada West at No. 8 and Rock Canyon at No. 9. The Wildcats started the season on a tear, taking down Smoky Hill, Northglenn and Mountain Range.

    Rock Canyon overcame a season-opening loss to Eaglecrest and rattled off three straight wins of their own, good enough to crack this week’s poll.

    In 4A, Valor Christian showed they can pose a threat to Longmont as the top seed in the class as they ran out defending champion Air Academy. But the most impressive jump this week came from Pueblo South, which jumped from No. 10 to No. 3 on the strength of a 63-59 win over Lewis-Palmer.

    The Rangers only fell one slot thanks to a one-point win over Pueblo Central, which still looks like a good team despite the loss of Kobi Betts for the season.

    Mead and Green Mountain are this week’s 4A newcomers, coming in at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.

    It was the 3A poll that look the most different from the preseason rankings. They added four new teams, a staggering number for any week. Bennett, Grand Valley, DSST-Stapleton and Eaton all jump into the top 10 this week.

    It was Bennett who made the biggest impact, breaking at No. 5. They topped Lutheran (who jumped one spot this week to No. 7) 49-47 Friday. Grand Valley, DSST-Stapleton and Eaton came in at 8, 9 and 10.

    No new teams were added to this week’s 2A rankings, but there was some shuffling that took place.

    Rye fell two slots to No. 6 after a 61-57 loss to Alamosa and Sedgwick County jumped three spots from No. 8 to No. 5.

    Three new teams jumped into 1A’s top 10 as Sierra Grande (No. 6), Wiley (No. 8) and Shining Mountain (No. 9) all jump into the basketball rankings for the first time this year.

    Fleming was the only top seed to actually lose this week as they fell to Holyoke 68-65. Even with the loss, they held on to the top spot in this week’s rankings. Holyoke is ranked No. 4 in 2A.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Overland (14) 1-0 149 1 1-0
    2 ThunderRidge (1) 3-0 128 3 3-0
    3 Legend 2-0 124 2 2-0
    4 Rangeview 2-0 94 5 2-0
    5 Denver East 2-1 70 7 2-1
    6 Eaglecrest 3-0 66 9 3-0
    7 Regis Jesuit 1-0 52 6 1-0
    8 Arvada West 3-0 38 3-0
    9 Rock Canyon 3-1 23 3-1
    10 Cherokee Trail 2-1 20 8 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Chatfield 14, Boulder 9, Dakota Ridge 9, Abraham Lincoln 6, George Washington 5, Cherry Creek 4, Fort Collins 3, Mountain Vista 3, Rampart 3, Doherty 2, Aurora Central 1, Fossil Ridge 1, FNE Warriors 1.
    Dropped out
    George Washington (4), Dakota Ridge (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Longmont (16) 1-0 194 1 1-0
    2 Valor Christian (2) 2-0 171 2 2-0
    3 Pueblo South (2) 4-0 141 10 4-0
    4 Lewis-Palmer 3-1 122 3 3-1
    5 Sand Creek 2-0 115 6 2-0
    6 Pueblo West 3-0 94 9 3-0
    7 Golden 2-1 73 5 2-1
    8 Pueblo Central 1-3 31 4 1-3
    9 Mead 1-1 26 1-1
    10 Green Mountain 2-0 19 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    D’Evelyn 16, Holy Family 16, Denver South 14, Windsor 14, Conifer 11, Air Academy 9, Thomas Jefferson 7, Vista Ridge 7, Evergreen 5, Mesa Ridge 3, Mountain View 3, Ponderosa 3, Sierra 2, Centaurus 1, Delta 1, Falcon 1, Rifle 1.
    Dropped out
    Air Academy (7), Denver South (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Colorado Springs Christian (8) 2-0 130 1 2-0
    2 Colorado Academy (4) 1-2 104 2 1-2
    3 Faith Christian (2) 1-2 98 3 1-2
    4 Sterling 2-0 97 4 2-0
    5 Bennett 3-0 53 3-0
    6 Alamosa 2-1 52 5 2-1
    7 Lutheran 3-1 49 8 3-1
    8 Grand Valley 2-0 29 2-0
    9 DSST-Stapleton 3-0 26 3-0
    10 Eaton 1-0 23 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    St. Mary’s 20, Monte Vista 15, Jefferson Academy 11, Kent Denver 9, Liberty Common 8, Platte Valley 8, Manitou Springs 7, Bayfield 6, Moffat County 6, Sky View Academy 6, The Pinnacle 5, Buena Vista 3, Pagosa Springs 2, Ridgeview Academy 2, KIPP Collegiate 1.
    Dropped out
    Kent Denver (6), Jefferson Academy (7), St. Mary’s (9), Brush (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sanford (10) 2-0 100 1 2-0
    2 Ignacio 3-0 83 3 3-0
    3 Resurrection Christian 3-0 79 2 3-0
    4 Holyoke 1-0 56 5 1-0
    5 Sedgwick County 2-0 51 8 2-0
    6 Rye 1-1 49 4 1-1
    7 Burlington 1-0 39 6 1-0
    8 Meeker 0-0 33 7 0-0
    9 Paonia 2-0 24 10 2-0
    10 Simla 2-0 17 9 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Dayspring Christian 14, Akron 4, Rocky Ford 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (5) 1-1 75 1 1-1
    2 Kit Carson (2) 1-0 67 4 1-0
    3 Holly (1) 1-0 64 2 1-0
    4 South Baca 2-0 53 5 2-0
    5 Ouray 1-0 40 6 1-0
    6 Sierra Grande 2-1 35 2-1
    7 Arickaree/Woodlin 1-1 28 7 1-1
    8 Wiley 1-0 24 1-0
    9 Shining Mountain 1-1 16 1-1
    10 Heritage Christian 1-1 11 9 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Jim Elliot 9, Sangre De Cristo 6, Longmont Christian 4, Primero 3, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 3, Community Christian 1, Norwood 1.
    Dropped out
    Sangre De Cristo (3), Norwood (8), Jim Elliot (10).
  • Preseason boys basketball rankings announced to kick off 2015-16 season

    Overland ThunderRidge boys basketball
    Overland, which won last season’s title, leads the 5A boys basketball ranking. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    Overland, Longmont, Colorado Springs Christian, Sanford and Fleming lead CHSAANow.com’s preseason 2015-16 boys basketball rankings.

    Of the group, Overland, Colorado Springs Christian and Sanford won championships last season. Longmont and Fleming finished as a runner-up.

    Overland was the lone unanimous selection as the No. 1 team, and the Trailblazers lead the Class 5A poll with all 15 first-place votes. They return probably the top player in the state in senior De’Ron Davis, who recently committed to Indiana.

    Overland went 23-5 last season in winning 5A over ThunderRidge. Davis was the 5A player of the year last season.

    Behind Overland is Legend, a team which reached the Great 8 last season. The Titans return their top six scorers, who were all juniors last season.

    In the preseason No. 3 spot, by the narrowest of margins, is ThunderRidge. Last season’s runner-up, who spent a significant time in the No. 1 5A spot during the regular season, figure to be led by Wyoming commit Austin Mueller.

    George Washington is No. 4, and Rangeview rounds out the top-5. Regis Jesuit, Denver East, Cherokee Trail, Eaglecrest and Dakota Ridge comprise the rest of the 5A preseason top-10.

    Air Academy Longmont boys basketball
    Longmont is No. 1 in the preseason 4A poll. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    In 4A, Longmont received 14 of the 19 first-place votes to lead that classification’s preseason ranking. The Trojans return reigning 4A player of the year Justinian Jessup, a Boise State commit.

    Valor Christian, under the guidance of new coach Troy Pachner, is second, and got two first-place votes. Lewis-Palmer also received a first-place vote, and is third. Pueblo Central, and it’s two Division I commits, is No. 4. Golden rounds out the top-5.

    Defending champion Air Academy received two first-place votes and is No. 7 to begin the year.

    Colorado Springs Christian leads the 3A ranking with nine of the 13 first-place votes. Colorado Academy and Harvard commit Justin Bassey, the reigning 3A player of the year, are second with four first-place votes.

    In 2A, defending champion Sanford leads the way with nine of the 10 first-place votes. Their roster includes reigning 2A player of the year Miles Caldon. Resurrection Christian, runner-up a season ago, is second, and got the other first-place vote.

    The 1A preseason poll is led by Fleming, which received six first-place votes. Defending champion Holly is second, and received two first-place votes.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Overland (15) 0-0 150
    2 Legend 0-0 114
    3 ThunderRidge 0-0 113
    4 George Washington 0-0 87
    5 Rangeview 0-0 75
    6 Regis Jesuit 0-0 62
    7 Denver East 0-0 44
    8 Cherokee Trail 0-0 43
    9 Eaglecrest 0-0 28
    10 Dakota Ridge 0-0 20
    Others receiving votes:
    Rampart 13, Fossil Ridge 12, Mountain Vista 12, Rock Canyon 12, Arvada West 11, Boulder 8, Doherty 8, Cherry Creek 5, Abraham Lincoln 3, Aurora Central 3, Greeley West 1, FNE Warriors 1.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Longmont (14) 0-0 185
    2 Valor Christian (2) 0-0 135
    3 Lewis-Palmer (1) 0-0 128
    4 Pueblo Central 0-0 90
    5 Golden 0-0 65
    6 Sand Creek 0-0 64
    7 Air Academy (2) 0-0 58
    8 Denver South 0-0 47
    9 Pueblo West 0-0 46
    10 Pueblo South 0-0 38
    Others receiving votes:
    Sierra 30, Windsor 30, Thomas Jefferson 27, D’Evelyn 26, Holy Family 19, Mead 17, Vista Ridge 8, Evergreen 7, Vista Peak 7, Cheyenne Mountain 5, Ponderosa 4, Pueblo East 3, Mesa Ridge 2, Mountain View 2, Durango 1, Falcon 1, Green Mountain 1.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Colorado Springs Christian (9) 0-0 126
    2 Colorado Academy (4) 0-0 111
    3 Faith Christian 0-0 88
    4 Sterling 0-0 49
    5 Alamosa 0-0 47
    6 Kent Denver 0-0 44
    7 Jefferson Academy 0-0 40
    8 Lutheran 0-0 38
    9 St. Mary’s 0-0 36
    10 Brush 0-0 34
    Others receiving votes:
    Pagosa Springs 15, Bayfield 14, The Pinnacle 12, Bennett 10, Buena Vista 10, Eaton 9, Machebeuf 9, Manitou Springs 8, Grand Valley 5, Manual 5, Moffat County 5.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Sanford (9) 0-0 99
    2 Resurrection Christian (1) 0-0 90
    3 Ignacio 0-0 79
    4 Rye 0-0 52
    5 Holyoke 0-0 44
    6 Burlington 0-0 41
    7 Meeker 0-0 36
    8 Sedgwick County 0-0 31
    9 Simla 0-0 22
    10 Paonia 0-0 14
    Others receiving votes:
    Akron 9, Highland 7, Rocky Ford 5, Merino 4, Yuma 4, Center 3, Crowley County 3, Swink 3, Ellicott 2, Mancos 1, Peyton 1.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Fleming (6) 0-0 74
    2 Holly (2) 0-0 68
    3 Sangre De Cristo 0-0 48
    4 Kit Carson 0-0 43
    5 South Baca 0-0 42
    6 Ouray 0-0 32
    7 Arickaree/Woodlin 0-0 24
    8 Norwood 0-0 16
    9 Heritage Christian 0-0 12
    10 Jim Elliot 0-0 11
    Others receiving votes:
    Denver Waldorf 10, Granada 10, Primero 10, Shining Mountain 8, Wiley 8, Genoa-Hugo/Karval 6, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 6, Sierra Grande 6, Springfield 6, Prairie 4.
  • Air Academy’s Katie Rainsberger highlights girls cross country state championship races

    state girls cross country
    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    COLORADO SPRINGS — In a tradition-rich state for distance running, becoming a legend takes plenty of state titles and, just as important to a legacy of that magnitude, plenty of dominance.

    The all-time great girls, the Melody Fairchild’s, the Megan Kaltenbach’s, the Rebekah McDowell’s, the Elise Cranny’s, they’ve all had one thing in common. Not only have they won and won a lot, but they’ve had an aura of invincibility about them. When the greats toe the starting line, they command respect.

    Well, Katie Rainsberger, a senior dynamo on any type of cross country course and in a number of disciplines on the track, has that aura to her.

    Sure, winning back-to-back individual Class 4A state championships, which she did Saturday at the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs, helps. Claiming the distance triple crown—state titles in the 800 meters, the 1,600, and the 3,200, not to mention anchoring the winning 3,200 relay for Air Academy last spring—also helps.

    state girls cross country
    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    Still, despite accomplishing just about everything there is to be accomplished state-wide, Rainsberger was missing one award for her trophy case. That is, until Saturday morning when the future Oregon Duck, with the help of four teammates in Paige Embaugh (freshman, 5th), Maria Mettler (junior, 10th), MacKenzie Moss (freshman, 14th), and Kayla Wiitala (senior, 30th), won their first girls cross country state championship in school history.

    “I am so excited. It’s my senior year and that’s all I could have asked for,” Rainsberger said of the team title. “I don’t even have words right now.”

    For all the senior has achieved in her high school career—she is one of the very best in Colorado history—she said winning with her teammates was something extra special.

    “I think that is the highlight of my high school career. Individual titles are great, but when you are working with a team and for a team, it means all the more.”

    Individually, she ran 17:38, the top time of the day by 35 seconds over 4A runner-up Kayla Young of Denver North (18:13) and, as one of the favorites to win the Nike national championship coming up, has plenty of individual pursuits ahead in high school and beyond. But for Rainsberger, nothing was sweeter than a team title.

    [divider]

    Class 5A:

    state girls cross country
    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    Another all-time great, Lauren Gregory of Fort Collins, entered Saturday with two state championships under her belt. And she’s only a junior. With that, she did feel an added amount of pressure to keep her run as the 5A queen alive.

    “There was a lot more hype this year and the self-imposed pressure of not losing the streak,” Gregory said. “Our coach says, ‘clear mind, clear mind,’ and I had to remember that.”

    The Lambkin, another of the country’s finest runners, was going against a crazy talented 5A field that included Grandview’s Brie Oakley, Legend’s Catherine Liggett and Mountain Vista’s Allie Chipman. After winning by huge margins each of the previous two state meets, Gregory gapped the others by a few seconds and then held on for the win over Oakley, 18:15 to 18:17.

    “That was the hardest I’ve had to work,” she said. “This was such a harder race, because everyone was on their A-game.”

    Gregory will have a chance at becoming one of the only four-time cross country champions in state history next year.

    As for the team race, the Broomfield Eagles claimed their first-ever girls state title with 112 points, a narrow eight point margin of victory over Cherry Creek. Fairview was third with 124.

    Emily Mitchem (8th place), Ivy Gonzales (18th), Katelyn Mitchem (19th), McKenzie Gaines (23rd), and Alena Valdez (44th) was the scoring five for the Eagles, a program with plenty of distance running success over the years, but now a team title on top of it.

    [divider]

    Class 3A:

    state girls cross country
    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    This race ended with some fascinating finishes, both individually and team-wise.

    Peak to Peak had two freshmen, Quinn McConnell and Anna Shults, place first and second. On a side note, McConnell, already a high school state champion, also won the middle school state meet last year. Her time Saturday was 18:41, nine seconds clear of Shults.

    Obviously with the top-two finishers in the race, the Pumas seemed bound to fare well in the team standings. They ended up with 56 points and were second.

    Salida, after a uniform incident a season ago, non-identical singlets, led to the Spartans only being allowed five competitors instead of the usual seven, Salida had a measure of redemption Saturday as they won the team crown with 50 points. It was their second state title in the past three years after finishing as runner-up to Alamosa by a mere four points in 2014.

    Sydney Fesenmeyer (6th place), Taryn Ceglowski (7th), Phoebe Powell (8th), Cecilia Kastner (10th), and Bari Beasley (19th) led the way for the Spartans.

    [divider]

    Class 2A:

    state girls cross country
    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    Much like the 3A race, except this time it was twin sisters, the same team had the individual state champion and runner-up.

    Heritage Christian seniors Rachel (19:55) and Rebekah Rairdon (20:05) fended off Telluride’s Soleil Gaylord (20:09) in a tight top-three battle.

    In a bit of a surprise though, Telluride, with Maya Ordonez coming in sixth and Larkin Brodie coming in seventh, tallied 16 points, good enough for a three point margin of victory over Heritage Christian. Carrying on with the theme of the day, the Miners also won their first-ever state championship in girls cross country.

    And, Telluride will return all three scorers from their winning effort as Gaylord is only a sophomore, Ordonez a freshman, and Brodie a junior.

  • No. 3 Liberty Common boys soccer shuts out league rival Heritage Christian

    Liberty Common boys soccer
    (Aislyn Carrillo/CHSAANow.com)

    FORT COLLINS — Not only are Liberty Common and Heritage Christian rival schools, but coming from the same area, they are also companions.

    With both teams coming in to Thursday’s match undefeated in league play, it was clear that one team was going to leave upset. It wouldn’t be CHSAANow.com’s No. 3-ranked Liberty Common as they came away with the 3-0 victory.

    “We always cheer for them when we are not playing them,” said Liberty Common coach Dan Knab. “But now that were playing them, we have to beat them.”

    Senior Rob Knab set the tone for the first half, making two of the three goals scored during the match. As Liberty Common’s (12-0-1 overall, 7-0 3A Region 7) leading scorer of the season, fans and spectators were not expecting anything less of him.

    “Rob’s just a gladiator,” one Eagles fan said. “He’s been scoring goals like crazy.”

    This season alone, Knab has scored 21 of Liberty’s 64 goals.

    According to Heritage Christian coach David Young, his team had a hard time adjusting to Knab early on in the match. They played slow on defense and gave up two goals.

    Going into the second half, Heritage came together as a team and played aggressive. Compared to the first half, they had more possession over the ball and communicated to each other much better, only letting Caleb Baptista score one more goal for Liberty Common. Young is confident that his team always is putting forward their full effort and that is all he can ask for as a coach.

    “Even down 3-0, I still felt like they were working their hardest and trying their best,” said Young.

    Young wanted his team to finish opportunities and give it their all; they completed one of the two tasks. According to Young, Liberty Common’s defense never gave Heritage a chance to even create opportunities. They shut Heritage’s offense down, giving them less than a handful of quality shots on goal throughout the match.

    Liberty Common coach Dan Knab gives credit to the assistant coaches and bench players who were all well prepared for the game. The assistant coaches led their warm-up and set them up for success. Toward the end of the match Dan Knab put his bench players in and they didn’t skip a beat.

    The coaches from both teams were anticipating an intense match and that is exactly what came of it. Fans from both schools cheered on their teams until the board struck zero.

    After today’s victory, Liberty Common is now one step closer to taking the league title. Dan Knab recognized that his team have already played the toughest teams in the league and have come out on top.

    Even though Heritage Christian’s undefeated record no longer stands, they still have a positive mindset going into its next couple matches. With final league games and the Class 3A state playoffs coming up so soon, both teams know what they need to do in order to be successful.

    Going into the next two games against Denver Christian and Dawson, Young plans on working on his team’s ability to create and finish opportunities in goal.

    “Those will be our big tests and determine if we make it in to playoffs this year,” said Young.

  • All-state girls track & field teams for 2015 season

    CHSAA state track and field
    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The 2015 all-state girls track and field teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

    These teams were created based upon results at the state meet.

    Athletes of the year were selected based upon the number of team points they produced at the state meet. This means that they received the full amount of team points from individual events they participated in, as well as one-fourth of the total points earned by the team in relays they participated in.

    Finally, in order to be considered for athlete of the year, they must first have made the all-state team by winning in a championship.

    Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A


    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Athlete of the year: Shayna Yon, Cherokee Trail
    Coach of the year: Chris Faust, Cherokee Trail

    First Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Amazing Ashby Junior Cherokee Trail Triple Jump
    Heide Baron Junior Pine Creek 4×200 relay
    Damajahnee Birch Senior Denver East 800 medley relay
    Jennifer Calascione Senior Chaparral Discus
    Jasmine Chesson Sophomore Fort Collins 4×400 relay
    Nakiya Clausell Senior Denver East 800 medley relay
    Gina Coleman Sophomore Fountain-Fort Carson Shot Put
    Jordyn Colter Senior Cherry Creek 800 meters, 1600 meters, 4×800 relay
    Khayla Doublin Senior Denver East 800 medley relay
    Tessa Gartrell Junior Denver East 800 medley relay
    Zoe Gilbertson Sophomore Mountain Range 300 hurdles
    Lauren Gregory Sophomore Fort Collins 3200 meters, 4×400 relay
    Ashlyn Hare Senior Rampart High Jump
    Symonne Holland Junior Cherokee Trail 4×100 relay
    Makenzie Howie Senior Pine Creek 4×200 relay
    Lillian Markusch Junior Cherry Creek 4×800 relay
    Devynn Miller Senior Fort Collins 4×400 relay
    Katie Plomondon Junior Cherry Creek 4×800 relay
    Haley Rogers Junior Cherokee Trail 4×100 relay
    Becca Schulte Junior Fort Collins 400 meters, 4×400 relay
    Emily Sloan Freshman Rock Canyon 100 hurdles
    Christina Stathakis Senior Castle View Pole Vault
    Lisa Swartz Junior Cherry Creek 4×800 relay
    Faith Vines Senior Pine Creek 4×200 relay
    Taylor Watson Freshman Cherokee Trail 4×100 relay
    Ally Watt Senior Pine Creek 4×200 relay
    Shayna Yon Senior Cherokee Trail 100 meters, 200 meters, Long Jump, 4×100 relay


    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Athlete of the year: Nicole Montgomery, Lewis-Palmer
    Coach of the year: Maurice Henriques, Niwot

    First Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Rylee Anderson Freshman Silver Creek High Jump
    Alexis Carroll Sophomore Niwot 100 hurdles
    Jordan Edmonds Senior Widefield 4×100 relay
    Helena Ernst Sophomore Thompson Valley 4×400 relay
    Maya Evans Freshman Vista PEAK Long Jump
    Kela Fetters Junior Niwot 300 hurdles, 4×200 relay
    MacKenzie Fidelak Freshman Niwot 4×200 relay
    Lilly Hamilton Freshman Air Academy 4×800 relay
    Megan Irvine Senior Thompson Valley 4×400 relay
    Maren Janda Junior Thompson Valley 4×400 relay
    Shynesti Johnson Freshman Widefield 4×100 relay
    Kendra Larson Senior Thompson Valley 4×400 relay
    Anne Lauder Senior Evergreen Triple Jump
    Nicole Montgomery Senior Lewis-Palmer 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 medley relay
    Brooke Moore Sophomore Widefield 4×100 relay
    Katie Rainsberger Junior Air Academy 800 meters, 1600 meters, 3200 meters, 4×800 relay
    Emily Roma Sophomore Lewis-Palmer 800 medley relay
    Diana Scott Junior Widefield 4×100 relay
    Lauren Sharpe Senior Niwot 4×200 relay
    Rachel Sharpe Senior Niwot 4×200 relay
    Haley Showalter Senior Valor Christian Shot Put, Discus
    Madelyn Smith Junior Lewis-Palmer 800 medley relay
    Laura Still Freshman Lewis-Palmer 800 medley relay
    Kayla Wiitala Junior Air Academy 4×800 relay
    Carly Wilborn Senior Air Academy 4×800 relay
    Andrea Willis Junior The Classical Academy Pole Vault


    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Athlete of the year: Kayla Pinnt, Moffat County
    Coach of the year: Kaelie Jelden, Eaton

    First Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Shelby Adonay Junior James Irwin 800 medley relay
    McKayla Bauer Junior University High Jump
    Allee Beach Junior Platte Valley 4×400 relay
    Taryn Ceglowski Sophomore Salida 800 meters, 1600 meters
    Courtney Clark Senior Lamar Discus
    Taylor Finn Junior Manitou Springs 100 meters
    Dallas Frisbie Senior Peak to Peak 4×800 relay
    Christina Hamerly Junior Peak to Peak 4×800 relay
    Selena Hernandez Junior Moffat County 4×100 relay
    Kera Kapu Junior James Irwin 800 medley relay
    Kiarra Mattern Sophomore James Irwin 800 medley relay
    Rachael Metzler Sophomore Peak to Peak 4×800 relay
    Alice Oveson Junior Peak to Peak 4×800 relay
    Kayla Pinnt Junior Moffat County 100 meters, 200 meters, 4×100 relay, 4×200 relay
    Jacey Reinert Freshman Platte Valley 4×400 relay
    Skylar Ritchey Junior Platte Valley 4×400 relay
    Emma Samuelson Sophomore Moffat County 4×100 relay, 4×200 relay
    Lauren Samuelson Senior Moffat County 4×100 relay, 4×200 relay
    Ary Schaffer Junior Moffat County 4×200 relay
    Tarynn Sieg Sophomore Eaton Shot Put
    Maddie Smith Senior Gunnison Pole Vault
    Ashley Snyder Senior Lamar 400 meters
    Nicole Swain Junior James Irwin 800 medley relay
    Lily Tomasula-Martin Sophomore Estes Park 3200 meters
    Brenna Vallejos Sophomore Lamar Long Jump, Triple Jump
    Sarah Yocum Sophomore Faith Christian 300 meters
    Victoria Zehnder Senior Platte Valley 4×400 relay


    [divider]

    Class 2A

    Athlete of the year: Jenna Anderson, Lyons
    Coach of the year: Brian Mitchem, Paonia

    First Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Jenna Anderson Senior Lyons 800 meters, 1600 meters, 4×800 relay
    Lexi Ashbrook Senior Wiggins 800 medley relay
    Kate Berreman Senior Lyons 4×800 relay
    Ellie Berry Sophomore Burlington Discus
    Kacey Buttrick Senior South Park 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles
    Shayna Dale Sophomore Cedaredge 4×100 relay
    Melanie Deering Sophomore Kiowa 400 meters
    Marisa Edmondson Junior Paonia 4×200 relay
    Brittany Fuchs Freshman Calhan 200 meters
    Megan Godsey Sophomore Wray Triple Jump
    Faythe Harris Junior Wiggins 800 medley relay
    Morgan Hartigan Senior Paonia Shot Put
    Kenzie Henderson Junior Cedaredge High Jump
    Amber Jenkins Junior Cedaredge 4×100 relay
    Courtney Jenson Freshman Wiggins 3200 meters
    Tori Jordan Freshman Wiggins 800 medley relay
    MacKenzie Kehmeier Senior Cedaredge 4×100 relay
    Brenna Kuskie Sophomore Lyons Pole Vault
    Kendall McHugh Junior Cedaredge 4×100 relay
    Faith Myers Senior Lyons 4×800 relay
    Emily Pieper Sophomore Paonia 4×200 relay, 4×400 relay
    Randi Rapke Freshman Paonia 4×400 relay
    Sierra Tucker Junior Lyons 4×800 relay
    Brianna Van Vleet Sophomore Paonia Long Jump, 4×200 relay, 4×400 relay
    Ashley Van Vleet Junior Paonia 4×200 relay, 4×400 relay
    Jessica Veeman Junior Wiggins 800 medley relay
    Kayla Zink Sophomore Caliche 100 meters


    [divider]

    Class 1A

    Athlete of the year: Ginger Hutton, Shining Mountain
    Coach of the year: Joe Packard, Heritage Christian

    First Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Ella Baca Sophomore Shining Mountain 4×800 relay
    Denise Cano Senior Idalia 4×200 relay
    Sarrah Claman Junior Shining Mountain 4×800 relay
    Kaelyn Dennis Junior Plateau Valley 4×400 relay, 800 medley relay
    Heather Dieckman Senior Sangre de Cristo 100 hurdles
    Laura Greene Junior Plateau Valley 4×400 relay, 800 medley relay
    Breanna Hendricks Senior Springfield 4×100 relay
    Susana Herrera Junior Idalia 4×200 relay
    Ginger Hutton Senior Shining Mountain 400 meters, 800 meters, 1600 meters, 3200 meters
    Audrey Rose Kachin Senior Plateau Valley 4×400 relay, 800 medley relay
    Rebecca Kaiser Senior Prairie Triple Jump
    Lisette Laforge Junior Otis High Jump
    Tatelyn Lasley Sophomore Springfield 4×100 relay
    Brooke Lenox Junior Eads Discus
    Ally Loflin Sophomore Springfield 4×100 relay
    Zariah Mason Freshman Kim 100 meters, 200 meters
    Jenna McKinley Junior Sangre de Cristo Shot Put
    Demi Ownbey Senior Springfield 4×100 relay
    Rebekah Rairdon Junior Heritage Christian 300 hurdles
    Sierra Reynolds Senior Plateau Valley 4×400 relay
    Bryce Schafer Junior Idalia 4×200 relay
    Antonya Schaffert Junior Otis Pole Vault
    Emma Shaefer Freshman Shining Mountain 4×800 relay
    Reagan Shaffer Junior Idalia 4×200 relay
    Paisley Sheehan Senior Shining Mountain 4×800 relay
    Sarah Storey Junior Sangre de Cristo Long Jump
    Savannah Turner Junior Plateau Valley 800 medley relay
  • Championship count: Cherry Creek has most team titles; Thompson Valley leads the way in individuals

    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
    Cherry Creek’s football championship was one of five team titles from the school in 2014-15. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    AURORA — Cherry Creek’s athletic programs won a state-best five team championships during the 2014-15 school year.

    Thompson Valley, meanwhile, captured 14 individual championships to lead the state.

    Below is a recap of the year in championships. A complete database of championships through history is available on our site.

    [divider]

    Team titles

    Cherry Creek’s five championships led the way. The Bruins won boys tennis, football, hockey, boys tennis and boys lacrosse this season.

    Cheyenne Mountain (boys swimming, girls tennis, girls golf, girls soccer) and Grandview (softball, volleyball, girls soccer and poms) each won four team titles.

    Grandview’s four girls championships were the most in the state for that gender, while Creek’s four boys championships led the way.

    Eaton, Colorado Academy, Lyons and Valor Christian all won three total team championships.

    In all, 65 teams won at least one team title in 2014-15, with 17 winning at least two.

    Rank School Girls Boys Total
    1 Cherry Creek 1 4 5
    2 Grandview 4 0 4
    2 Cheyenne Mountain 3 1 4
    4 Eaton 2 1 3
    4 Colorado Academy 3 0 3
    4 Lyons 0 3 3
    4 Valor Christian 2 1 3
    8 Rock Canyon 1 1 2
    8 Mountain Vista 1 1 2
    8 Fossil Ridge 1 1 2
    8 Palmer Ridge 0 2 2
    8 Paonia 1 1 2
    8 Overland 1 1 2
    8 Air Academy 0 2 2
    8 Broomfield 1 1 2
    8 Kent Denver 0 2 2
    8 Alamosa 0 2 2
    18 Cheyenne Wells 1 0 1
    18 Vail Christian 1 0 1
    18 Bishop Machebeuf 1 0 1
    18 Manitou Springs 1 0 1
    18 Bennett 1 0 1
    18 Glenwood Springs 1 0 1
    18 Ponderosa 1 0 1
    18 Castle View 1 0 1
    18 Chaparral 1 0 1
    18 Green Mountain 0 1 1
    18 Rye 0 1 1
    18 Dove Creek 0 1 1
    18 Regis Jesuit 1 0 1
    18 Aspen 0 1 1
    18 Vail Mountain 1 0 1
    18 Fountain-Fort Carson 0 1 1
    18 Lutheran 0 1 1
    18 Springfield 0 1 1
    18 Cherokee Trail 1 0 1
    18 Niwot 1 0 1
    18 Heritage Christian 1 0 1
    18 Colorado Springs Christian 0 1 1
    18 Sanford 0 1 1
    18 Holly 0 1 1
    18 Pagosa Springs 1 0 1
    18 Akron 1 0 1
    18 Idalia 1 0 1
    18 Arvada West 0 1 1
    18 Thompson Valley 0 1 1
    18 Valley 0 1 1
    18 Rocky Ford 0 1 1
    18 Battle Mountain 0 1 1
    18 Summit 1 0 1
    18 Evergreen 1 0 1
    18 Pine Creek 0 1 1
    18 Pueblo East 0 1 1
    18 Brush 0 1 1
    18 Caliche 0 1 1
    18 Arickaree/Woodlin 0 1 1
    18 Lewis-Palmer 1 0 1
    18 Resurrection Christian 1 0 1
    18 Fleming 1 0 1
    18 Standley Lake 1 0 1
    18 Mountain View 0 1 1
    18 Fort Collins 0 1 1
    18 Coronado 0 1 1
    18 Sterling 0 1 1
    18 La Junta 1 0 1

    [divider]

    Individual titles

    Colorado state wrestling
    Thompson Valley totaled 14 individual championships in 2014-15, including five wrestlers. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Thompson Valley had eight boys and six girls win individual championships in 2014-15 to account for its state-best total of 14.

    Cherry Creek was second with 13, and Pomona was third with 10. Lyons won eight, while Air Academy and Cheyenne Mountain each captured seven individual crowns.

    A total of 131 schools had at least one individual win a championship. Of those, 73 schools had at least two champions, and 10 had as many as five.

    Below is a complete breakdown of individual championships this season.

    Rank School Girls Boys Total
    1 Thompson Valley 6 8 14
    2 Cherry Creek 7 6 13
    3 Pomona 2 8 10
    4 Lyons 4 4 8
    5 Air Academy 4 3 7
    5 Cheyenne Mountain 4 3 7
    7 Palmer Ridge 0 6 6
    7 Fairview 2 4 6
    9 Kent Denver 2 3 5
    9 Paonia 2 3 5
    11 Fossil Ridge 3 1 4
    11 Evergreen 4 0 4
    11 Cherokee Trail 4 0 4
    11 Lamar 4 0 4
    11 Sangre de Cristo 3 1 4
    11 Shining Mountain 4 0 4
    17 Fort Collins 3 0 3
    17 Regis Jesuit 1 2 3
    17 Niwot 2 1 3
    17 Colorado Academy 0 3 3
    17 Aspen 1 2 3
    17 Summit 2 1 3
    17 Valor Christian 3 0 3
    17 Pueblo County 0 3 3
    17 Platte Valley 0 3 3
    17 Sterling 0 3 3
    17 Fountain-Fort Carson 1 2 3
    17 Canon City 0 3 3
    17 Springfield 0 3 3
    17 Otis 2 1 3
    31 SkyView Academy 0 2 2
    31 Estes Park 2 0 2
    31 Pueblo South 0 2 2
    31 Overland 1 1 2
    31 Broomfield 2 0 2
    31 Battle Mountain 0 2 2
    31 Rock Canyon 2 0 2
    31 Arapahoe 2 0 2
    31 ThunderRidge 2 0 2
    31 Windsor 1 1 2
    31 Mullen 1 1 2
    31 Grand Junction 0 2 2
    31 Rocky Mountain 0 2 2
    31 Arvada West 0 2 2
    31 Chaparral 1 1 2
    31 Fort Lupton 0 2 2
    31 Brush 0 2 2
    31 Berthoud 0 2 2
    31 Rocky Ford 0 2 2
    31 John Mall 0 2 2
    31 Buena Vista 0 2 2
    31 Highlands Ranch 0 2 2
    31 D’Evelyn 1 1 2
    31 Monarch 0 2 2
    31 Castle View 1 1 2
    31 Mountain Range 1 1 2
    31 Rampart 1 1 2
    31 Lewis-Palmer 2 0 2
    31 James Irwin 0 2 2
    31 Fountain Valley 0 2 2
    31 Lutheran 0 2 2
    31 Eaton 1 1 2
    31 Moffat County 2 0 2
    31 Salida 2 0 2
    31 Wiggins 1 1 2
    31 South Park 2 0 2
    31 Cedaredge 1 1 2
    31 Burlington 1 1 2
    31 Pikes Peak 0 2 2
    31 Prairie 1 1 2
    31 Baca County 0 2 2
    31 Eads 1 1 2
    31 Kim 2 0 2
    74 Dawson 0 1 1
    74 Standley Lake 1 0 1
    74 Nederland 1 0 1
    74 Poudre 0 1 1
    74 Fruita Monument 0 1 1
    74 Discovery Canyon 0 1 1
    74 Conifer 0 1 1
    74 Fort Morgan 0 1 1
    74 Pueblo East 0 1 1
    74 Alamosa 0 1 1
    74 Mead 0 1 1
    74 Weld Central 0 1 1
    74 Montezuma-Cortez 0 1 1
    74 Dolores Huerta 0 1 1
    74 Norwood/Nucla 0 1 1
    74 Swink 0 1 1
    74 Holly 0 1 1
    74 Crowley County 0 1 1
    74 Meeker 0 1 1
    74 Centauri 0 1 1
    74 Limon 0 1 1
    74 Jefferson Academy 1 0 1
    74 Dakota Ridge 1 0 1
    74 Boulder 0 1 1
    74 Greeley West 0 1 1
    74 Steamboat Springs 1 0 1
    74 St. Mary’s Academy 1 0 1
    74 Ralston Valley 1 0 1
    74 Gateway 0 1 1
    74 Smoky Hill 0 1 1
    74 Grandview 0 1 1
    74 Lakewood 0 1 1
    74 Silver Creek 1 0 1
    74 The Classical Academy 1 0 1
    74 Vista PEAK 1 0 1
    74 Littleton 0 1 1
    74 Vista Ridge 0 1 1
    74 Woodland Park 0 1 1
    74 Bayfield 0 1 1
    74 Manitou Springs 1 0 1
    74 Faith Christian 1 0 1
    74 University 1 0 1
    74 Gunnison 1 0 1
    74 Caliche 1 0 1
    74 Calhan 1 0 1
    74 Kiowa 1 0 1
    74 Wray 1 0 1
    74 Resurrection Christian 0 1 1
    74 Merino 0 1 1
    74 West Grand 0 1 1
    74 Rye 0 1 1
    74 Vail Christian 0 1 1
    74 Telluride 0 1 1
    74 Sedgwick County 0 1 1
    74 McClave 0 1 1
    74 Idalia 0 1 1
    74 Pawnee 0 1 1
    74 Heritage Christian 1 0 1
  • Familiar faces emerge as state track and field champions

    Niwot celebrates first and second place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)
    Niwot celebrates first and second place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)

    LAKEWOOD — On the last day of the state track and field championships at Jefferson County Stadium, old powers continued to rule and new powers emerged.

    The Fountain-Fort Carson Trojans, as expected going into the week, obliterated the Class 5A boys field with 94 points, more than double Cherry Creek’s 44.5. FFC has now won four of the last six state championships in the highest classification and have racked up 17 crowns in the program’s illustrious history.

    Tevin Donnell, a senior who won his first individual titles Saturday in the 100 and 200-meter dashes and ran legs on the winning 400 and 800-meter relays, said camaraderie has fueled the Trojans’ success.

    “We’ve been lucky enough to stay together and that’s not something that’s common in a school with a military presence,” Donnell said. “I’ve grown up with a lot of these people.”

    Fountain-Fort Carson not only finished first in the 400 and 800-meter relays, but also the 1,600 relay, and scored plenty of points in the individual sprint and middle distance events. They wanted to win all four relays, but settled for third in the 3,200 relay, running a 7:55.48.

    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)
    Cherokee Trail’s Shayna Yon. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)

    On the girls’ side, Cherokee Trail, a power in track and field in recent years with two boys championships, earned their first girls state championship in any sport with 99.5 points, holding off 2014 champion Fort Collins, who had 86.

    Shayna Yon, a soon-to-be LSU Tiger, scored 30 points by herself for CT as she won a triple crown in the long jump (18-9.25), the 100 (11.79), and the 200 (24.17). Yon and her team set a new standard for the Cherokee Trail girls.

    “It felt really good, because I’m the first female at my school to win any state title,” she said. “It was really nice to be able to put my school on the map, as well as be a leader for my teammates who are younger than me. I just really wanted to leave my mark here before I leave for school. I’m really excited for our girls team next year, because we are going to be just as strong.”

    In 4A, Palmer Ridge, a school in Monument that was founded in 2008, finished first in four of six championship finals on Thursday—the high jump (Jordan Swango, 6-6), the pole vault (Kyle Rex, 15-0), the 3,200-meter run (Eric Hamer, 9:22), and the 3,200 relay (7:57)—and kept the momentum rolling through the rest of the weekend as Caleb Ojennes won the 200 and 400-meter dashes on Saturday. He also anchored the 1,600 relay that defended their crown from 2014.

    Ojennes, who posted a 21.75 in the 200 and a 47.35 in the 400, helped the Bears tally 98 points and win their second consecutive state championship. The Classical Academy finished as the 4A runner-up with 52 points.

    “I can’t really complain right now,” Ojennes said. “It’s just such a rush, because we just won back-to-back team titles.”

    “Just winning the first state championship for Palmer Ridge meant a lot last year.”

    The new school also triumphed for the 4A state championship in cross country last fall.

    Niwot claimed their third girls state championship in a row in 4A on the strength of their relays and hurdles. The Cougars won the 800-meter relay in a new 4A state meet record of 1:41.13, they placed second in the 1,600 relay in 3:54.95, and they finished first and second in both the 100 and 300 hurdles.

    Kela Fetters, the 300 hurdle champion just ahead of teammate Mackenzie Fidelak, a freshman, was proud of herself and her teammates.

    “My goal going into the season was to make Niwot the best at 4A girls hurdles in the state and I think that’s what we accomplished,” Fetters said.

    Niwot finished with 85 points. Mountain View was the runner-up with 59.50.

    The Lutheran boys, in their first season up one class after claiming the 2A crown in 2014, won 3A with 82.5 points. They dominated the sprints and won handily over Platte Valley (63).

    Eaton, after finishing as the state runner-up in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 broke through for their first state championship in girls track by snatching the 3A crown with 95.5 points. As usual, the Reds scored plenty of points in the field and on relays. Lamar placed second with 80.

    As for 2A, the Lyons boys collected their fourth state championship in five years as junior distance runner Paul Roberts added to his legacy with state titles in the 1,600, 3,200, and 3,200 relay. The Lions are the power in the classification. Not much changed this weekend. Lyons tallied 111.5 points and edged out Cedaredge (100).

    The Paonia girls won their third state title in a row in 2A with a monstrous 132 point total. Lyons was the runner-up with 73.5. Paonia excelled on relays and in field events, as well.

    Finally, in 1A, Springfield boys conquered the crown with 109 points as Pikes Peak Christian finished with 85. Pikes Peak mostly dominated the individual sprints, but Springfield rolled over everyone in the field.

    Heritage Christian and Shining Mountain Waldorf dueled in distance, but HC came through with the 1A girls state championship with 129 points. SMW scored 100, as Ginger Hutton won the 400, 800, 1,600, and 3200 in her final season.

    [divider]

    Notables

    • Tevin Donnell and Christian Lyon placed first and second for Fountain-Fort Carson in the 5A 100-meter dash finals. Donnell also won the 200.
    • Monarch sophomore phenom Isaac Green won the 5A 1,600 crown in 4:19.56, his first state championship.
    • Andrew Barlow of Monarch cleared 16-8.5 to win the 5A pole vault. The senior’s mark ranks No. 11 in the nation.
    • Becca Schulte of Fort Collins won the 5A 400-meter dash in 53.64, the fourth quickest time in Colorado history.
    • Rock Canyon freshman Emily Sloan won the 5A 100-hurdle crown in 14.11.
    • William Mayhew, one day after running 1:50.74 to crush the 4A record in the 800, claimed the 1600 in 4:15.
    • Longmont boys won the 400-meter relay in 42.08, an extremely quick time.
    • Thompson Valley girls shattered the 4A record in the 1,600 relay with a time of 3:50.73.
    • Freshman Brittany Fuchs of Calhan won the 2A 200-meter dash in 25.70.
    • Jenna Anderson of Lyons capped off her high school career in style by winning the 2A crowns in the 800 (2:14.86) and 1,600 (5:12.61). Teammate Sierra Tucker placed second in the 1,600 in 5:28.35.
    • South Park’s Kacey Buttrick won the hurdle double, the 100 and 300, in 2A.
    • Cedaredge girls shattered the 400-meter relay record in 2A with a 49.73.
    • Baca County’s J.D. Chenoweth won the 110 and 300-hurdles in 1A.
    • Springfield’s Andy Borunda finished first in the shot put (47-01) and discus throw (150-10) in 1A.
    • Freshman Zariah Mason of Kim blew past the field in the 100 and 200 to earn her first 1A state championships. Her 100 time of 12.72 was a new classification best.

     

  • Records fall in exciting series of 800-meter races

    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
    More photos. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    LAKEWOOD — Inspiration wasn’t hard to find Friday.

    During the second day of the state track and field championships at Jefferson County Stadium, one event was as spectacular as any in recent memory.

    The 800-meter run, with every classification running back-to-back, had five classification records and three all-Colorado records — three, because the boys record was broken in 4A, then about forty-five minutes later, broken again in 5A.

    William Mayhew of Cheyenne Mountain, a senior with an impressive resume, but no state championships to show for it, earned his first crown, his first 4A state meet record and his first all-classification record with a time of 1:50.74. He also became the first 4A boy to run sub-1:52, not to mention sub-1:51, in the 800.

    “The state championship means more to me, because that’s been the goal for so long,” Mayhew said. “Records are meant to be broken. Winning the race was all that was on my mind.”

    Pueblo West’s Zack Retzlaff finished second in 1:53.35.

    Mayhew, who said his time was icing on the cake, kept the all-time Colorado best for less than an hour as Smoky Hill’s Blake Yount stepped onto the track for the 5A finals.

    Yount, another senior and a future Oklahoma Sooner, held the all-classification record before Friday with a 1:51.20 at the Cherry Creek/Grandview Invite two weeks ago. He was also the record holder last season with his 1:51.63.

    Cherry Creek's Jordyn Coulter is all smiles after winning the 5A girls' 800-meter race Friday. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)
    Cherry Creek’s Jordyn Colter is all smiles after winning the 5A girls’ 800-meter race Friday. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow)

    He knew what it was like to be on top in the record books, but he had never won a state crown either, finishing only as a 5A runner-up in 2014. Even though, like anyone, Yount wanted the title, the senior’s main focus was snatching back his all-classification best.

    “Time means more to me,” he said. “There’s kids in other classifications, like Mayhew and Paul (Roberts) in 2A, there are people who can race fast across the state. Time is a universal measurement to compare everyone.”

    Yount proved too much for a field of Monarch’s Isaac Green (1:52.62), Denver East’s Hayelom Fitsum (1:52.86), Fountain-Fort Carson’s Dylan Day (1:53.79), and Cherry Creek’s Daniel Book (1:54.30), perhaps the most competitive group in 5A history. The Smoky Hill star cruised 1:50.59, a new 5A and Colorado record, and joined Mayhew as the only high school boys to ever post 1:50.

    The University of Oklahoma recruit said he has been hoping to race Mayhew for awhile. While they aren’t in the same classification, they did test themselves against one another.

    “I wanted to race him head-to-head on the same track on the same day,” Yount said. “Today was the closest we’ve gotten.”

    “It would be interesting to race him,” Mayhew chimed in. “I would like to go at it.”

    Big schools tend to get the most attention, but the smaller classifications can’t be ignored, especially on a day with exceptional performances at every level.

    Erick Enriquez-Acosta of Idalia, only a sophomore, became the first sub-two minute runner in 1A history with a 1:57.86. The all-time best was set in 2012 by Robert Ryland of Sierra Grande, who went 2:00.53.

    On the girls side, Shining Mountain Waldorf’s Ginger Hutton, who already held the 1A record in the 800 with a 2:15.95 at the Liberty Bell Invite this season, dropped a 2:12.81 to finish nearly 12 seconds ahead of Heritage Christian’s Rebekah Rairdon (2:24.00). The time would have placed fifth in 5A.

    Ginger and Birdie Hutton, a 2012 grad from SMW and currently a runner for the Princeton Tigers, are sisters who hold the classification records in the 400, 800, 1,600, and 3,200.

    “She was one of the main reasons why I came out for track freshman year, because all through middle school, she was like, ‘you have to come run,’” Ginger Hutton said. “Then, I came out in high school and fell in love with it. It was her from the start.”

    “I always try to beat her state records,” she added with a laugh.

    Ginger, a senior, claimed her third consecutive state championship in the 800 and her sixth title overall. She hopes to add to her legacy on Saturday in the 400 and 1,600.

    If the 800 hadn’t dazzled enough already, Cherry Creek’s Jordyn Colter was in the final heat.

    Colter, of 800 supremacy with the Colorado record of 2:05.48, the nation’s No. 1 time this season, ran 2:04.56 on Friday to easily win 5A.

    The senior fed off the momentum.

    “I was warming up and I kept hearing all these records,” she said. “I feel like it’s the best thing to get a record on this track at the state meet. I’m so glad I was able to pull it off. The crowd is so awesome.”

    Monarch’s Elissa Mann was the runner-up in 2:10.39. Lauren Gregory of Fort Collins, after defending her 3,200 crown in 11:01 earlier in the day, finished third in 2:11.45.

    Colter also won her third consecutive championship in the 800 and fifth overall on the track. She won cross country as a freshman and will look for another 1,600 crown on Saturday.

    Air Academy’s Katie Rainsberger was the 4A 800 champion in 2:08.87, just off Elise Cranny’s 4A state meet record time of 2:08.50. Rainsberger was the 3,200 winner and helped lead Air Academy to the 3,200 relay championship on Thursday.

  • Rampart joins 5A girls basketball poll at No. 10

    (Courtesy of Robin Cook)
    Rampart girls basketball is ranked No. 10 in Class 5A. (Courtesy of Robin Cook)

    Rampart has joined this week’s Class 5A girls basketball rankings this week.

    The Rams (11-4) are riding a five-game winning streak. They are ranked No. 10 by CHSAANow.com’s panel of voters.

    Elsewhere in 5A, ThunderRidge continued to lead the poll, and got 15 of the 16 first-place votes. Broomfield remained at No. 2, while Grandview moved up one place to No. 3. Monarch also moved up one spot to No. 4.

    Monarch rounds up 5A’s top 5 teams.

    Each of the four other No. 1 teams also remained the same. Those are Valor Christian (4A), Sterling (3A), Peyton (2A) and Kit Carson (1A).

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Girls Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 ThunderRidge (15) 13-2 159 1 2-0
    2 Broomfield (1) 12-2 138 2 3-0
    3 Grandview 12-1 124 4 2-0
    4 Monarch 14-1 109 5 2-0
    5 Highlands Ranch 12-4 102 3 1-1
    6 Horizon 12-3 73 6 1-1
    7 Denver East 11-3 57 7 1-0
    8 Ralston Valley 10-4 47 8 2-0
    9 Grand Junction 12-4 20 9 2-0
    10 Rampart 11-4 19 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherry Creek 8, Lakewood 8, Fossil Ridge 5, Regis Jesuit 4, Arapahoe 3, Pine Creek 2, Rocky Mountain 2.
    Dropped out
    Lakewood (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Valor Christian (14) 13-1 176 1 2-0
    2 Canon City (4) 14-0 163 2 1-0
    3 Holy Family 11-3 110 3 2-1
    4 Pueblo West 11-4 105 4 1-0
    5 Glenwood Springs 11-2 66 10 2-0
    6 Montrose 10-3 60 5 2-1
    7 D’Evelyn 10-4 58 9 2-0
    8 Pueblo East 11-4 56 8 2-0
    9 Pueblo South 10-3 55 7 2-0
    10 Evergreen 11-3 31 6 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Greeley Central 21, Longmont 17, Mesa Ridge 14, Sand Creek 14, Durango 13, Air Academy 6, Eagle Valley 6, Mullen 6, Palisade 5, Falcon 3, Thomas Jefferson 3, Littleton 1, Mead 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sterling (10) 13-0 150 1 2-0
    2 Manitou Springs (3) 11-1 139 3 2-0
    3 Pagosa Springs (4) 10-0 133 2 2-0
    4 Lutheran 12-1 123 4 2-0
    5 St. Mary’s 14-0 111 5 3-0
    6 Eaton 11-2 69 6 1-1
    7 Olathe 9-1 51 8 1-0
    8 La Junta 10-3 28 7 1-1
    9 Machebeuf 9-3 27 2-0
    10 Platte Valley 9-3 20 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Faith Christian 16, Centauri 14, Salida 11, Lamar 10, Liberty Common 9, Kent Denver 7, Trinidad 6, The Vanguard 4, Valley 4, Colorado Academy 2, Alamosa 1.
    Dropped out
    Faith Christian (9), Centauri (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Peyton (7) 10-0 96 1 2-0
    2 Hoehne (2) 12-0 84 2 2-0
    3 Caliche (1) 12-0 83 3 2-0
    4 Yuma 10-2 69 6 2-0
    5 Cedaredge 13-0 63 5 2-0
    6 Akron 10-2 56 4 1-1
    7 Meeker 8-2 31 7 2-0
    8 Highland 9-3 18 10 2-0
    9 Paonia 8-4 17 8 0-1
    10 Del Norte 10-3 7 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 5, Ellicott 4, Ignacio 4, Wray 4, Sanford 3, Soroco 3, Sedgwick County 2, Kiowa 1, West Grand 1.
    Dropped out
    Sedgwick County (9).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Kit Carson (5) 10-0 76 1 1-0
    2 Sangre De Cristo (3) 10-0 74 2 2-0
    3 Idalia 10-1 61 3 2-0
    4 Norwood 10-0 59 4 1-0
    5 Genoa-Hugo 11-1 46 6 2-0
    6 Briggsdale 9-3 37 5 2-1
    7 South Baca 11-2 31 7 3-0
    8 Cheraw 8-3 19 1-0
    9 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 9-2 10 1-0
    10 Heritage Christian 9-3 9 9 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Fleming 6, La Veta 5, Eads 2, Prairie 2, Hi-Plains 1, Jim Elliot 1, Shining Mountain 1.
    Dropped out
    Fleming (8), Plateau Valley (10).