LAKEWOOD — Long before siblings Max and Mia Manson swept the Class 5A pole vault competition at the 2018 state track and field championships, their father left his own mark on the event.
Pat Manson, a prep phenom at Aurora Central, flashed a brilliant smile as his son swiped one of his longstanding records on Thursday at Jeffco Stadium — the 5A state meet record.
Max’s chest just skimmed the top of the bar while attempting 17 feet, 3.5 inches, causing it to bounce slightly before falling back into place. The personal record vault topped his father’s 17-3 from 1986, a 32-year old record. The mark also ranks eighth in the nation at the moment.
“I’ve always thought of it as a far-off goal,” the younger Manson, yet another dynamic athlete for Monarch, said of the state meet best. “In the past couple years I knew it could be a reality. It was the most emotion I’ve ever felt after a vault. I was ecstatic.”
And yet, the elder Manson still holds an edge to Max in high school bests with an all-classification state record of 17-7.5. That may not be true by the end of next season with the promise Max has shown throughout his career.
He was the runner-up at state as a freshman with a personal best of 15-7, then finished second behind teammate Cole Rowan (a Duke University recruit) last year. They switched positions this year as Rowan dealt with an injury, but still managed to claim 2nd (15-8).
One of Max’s goals is to clear 18 feet as a senior, an extraordinary accomplishment for a high schooler.
About three decades after the birth of Pat’s illustrious career, which included a trio of gold medals at the Pan American Games, a sixth place showing at the 1997 World Championships, and a personal best of 19-2.25, another Manson is cementing himself as a Colorado prep legend.
But, he’s not the only one.
Monarch’s Mia Manson. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Mia, a sophomore, has already won back-to-back state crowns after clearing 12-6 on Thursday. The former avid rock climber is a top-flight sprinter and jumper as well. Manson’s rare mixture of speed and strength allowed her to shatter the freshmen national record in pole vault last year (13-4.25).
The underclassman was troubled with a foot injury down the stretch of this season, forced to scratch her other state qualifying events. Nonetheless, no one could match her Thursday as she bettered Rock Canyon senior Tameryn Coryell (12-3), the runner-up.
With a touch of rust though, Manson had to stay composed early.
“The first two bars I cleared on my third (and final) attempt, which is kind of stressful but after that the jumps kept getting better,” she said.
Within Boulder County, athletic lineage in track and field has been a trend of late. This is the case at Broomfield perhaps more than any other school.
Joe, Jake, Katelyn, and Emily (4th in 3,200 Thursday) Mitchem have all been standouts in distance events for the Broomfield Eagles. Ethan and Ivy (6th in 3,200) Gonzales are in the same mold.
Broomfield senior Michael Mooney. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Now Michael and Madison Mooney, a pair of national caliber athletes themselves, are leaving their own footprint on Broomfield and the entire state.
Michael Mooney (9:12) fended off a last lap charge by Denver East’s Harrison Scudamore (9:13) to claim his first 3,200 crown. Rock Canyon sophomore Easton Allred (9:15) was also in the thick of it until the very end.
“I tried to stay as close as I could to the lead,” Mooney said of his strategy. “Once he passed me that last lap, I had to give it everything I had to finish that race out.”
He was pleased to be the first state champion in his family as his other sister, Megan, a 2016 Horizon graduate, finished second in the 3,200 her senior year and now competes for Florida State University.
“I get to brag about this now,” Michael said with a laugh. “I did it first.”
Mooney also ran an 8:50 3,200 (No. 2 in nation) at the prestigious Arcadia Invite in California earlier in the spring. The Colorado State recruit has chosen to pursue cross country and track at the next level despite being named the 5A soccer player of the year and leading his team to another crown as a senior.
Later in the opening day of competition at Jeffco Stadium, Madison Mooney received the baton around 30 meters behind Mountain Vista in the 3,200 relay as the anchor leg. The Eagles rode the wings of Mooney to a state trophy, posting a time of 9:16. Mountain Vista was the runner-up in 9:23.
Madison, a future Wisconsin Badger, will be the No. 1 seed in the 800 (2:10.19) and the 1,600 (4:55.24) on Friday and Saturday. She has nabbed runner-up honors in each event before. Michael will be the No. 1 seed in the 1,600 with a time of 4:11.99, almost exactly one second off the Colorado record.
The state track and field meet will resume on Friday at 8:20 A.M. at Jeffco Stadium.
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Class 5A notes
Denver East’s Arria Minor set records in the 200 and 400, and now also holds the top time nationally in the 400.
Jequan Hogan (6’8) has now won back-to-back crowns in high jump for Fountain-Fort Carson. Teammate Jawuan Tate (158-9) was the discus champion, claiming 10 points for a Trojan dynasty (four crowns in past five seasons).
Fort Collins junior Micaylon Moore (22-10.25) leapt farther than anyone else in long jump, securing his first state title.
Mountain Vista (7:49) fought off Continental rival Legend (7:52) to win the boys 3,200 relay.
Gabriella McDonald of Rocky Mountain, a brilliant multi-sport athlete who signed with Colorado State for soccer and track and field, defended her discus crown (148-2). She’ll be after her third consecutive shot put championship later in the weekend.
The Cherokee Trail tandem of Sydnee Larkin (18-11.25) and Chian Deloach (18-6.5) swept the top two places in long jump for a Cougar group hoping to secure a team title.
The girls 3,200 was a sophomore showdown between Mountain Vista’s Jenna Fitzsimmons (cross country state champion) and Legacy’s Brynn Siles. Fitzsimmons finished on top again, but both ran stellar times (10:35 and 10:39).
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Class 4A notes
Pueblo East junior Kain Medrano (56-10.5) won shot put.
The Vista Ridge tandem of Raymon Harper (46-10) and Micah Hilts (46-1) conquered triple jump for a program that has excelled in the discipline in recent years.
Widefield junior Aaliyah Ricketts (36-6) claimed the triple jump crown.
Silver Creek senior Rylee Anderson, a Kansas University recruit, became a rare four-peat winner of high jump with a mark of 5-7.5. Vista Peak sophomore Raina Branch cleared the same height, but Anderson won on attempts. Niwot freshman Taylor James and Pueblo West freshman Shayla Padilla, third and fourth on Thursday, have bright futures themselves.
Roosevelt junior Logan Derock (40-0.75) was the only 40+ foot shot putter in the classification for girls.
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Class 3A notes
Steamboat Springs junior Eric Casey (14-0) was first in pole vault.
Reece Davidson, a Faith Christian senior, launched a farther throw than anyone in discus (159-0).
Roaring Fork has quite the pair of senior triple jumpers in Justin Thompson (45-11.75) and Jasper Germain (45-4). They proved to be the class of the field this year.
The Classical Academy’s Ryan Moen (9:38) and Mason Norman (9:41) swept the top two places in the 3,200. The Titans have flourished in distance events for years.
SkyView Academy (8:01) and Peak to Peak (9:20) ran away in the boys and girls 3,200 relays, although Frontier Academy (8:03) did pose a serious threat.
Frontier Academy senior Hannah Ellis (11:19) surged to a 3,200 title.
Bayfield junior Jordan Lanning (5-7.75) shattered the classification record in girls high jump, a record previously held by D’Evelyn’s Sarah Cerrone (5-7.50 in 2017).
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Class 2A notes
Resurrection Christian freshman Tanner Applebee announced himself as a force to be reckoned with for years to come by winning long jump (21-3.50).
Jacob Tu’ufuli of Ellicott, a senior, won shot put with a mark of 48-8.75.
Lyons (8:12, school record) and Paonia (9:57) claimed the boys and girls 3,200 relay victories. Each program has had substantial success in relay races.
Highland sophomore Remington Ross, the defending champion in the 100, announced herself as a threat to the classification record of 12.05 seconds with an eye-opening 12.09 (1st in prelims).
Dayspring Christian senior Katie Kurz claimed first in high jump (5-3).
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Class 1A notes
Levi Kilian (10:04.98) and Seth Bruxvoort (10:12.26) both shattered the previous 1A state meet record of 10:14.46 by Bryce Grahn (South Baca) in 2014. They are teammates at Heritage Christian. Sophomore Jaden Johnson (20-7) also won long jump for the Eagles.
Shining Mountain had winners in the girls 3,200 (Emma Schaefer, 12:11) and girls pole vault (Marina Flandrick).
Otis junior Keylan Dracon won boys shot put with a mark of 42-9.50.
Eads senior Mariah Smith (133-8, new 1A record) did the same in girls discus. The previous record was held by Sangre de Cristo’s Jenna McKinley (131-6, 2016).
LAKEWOOD — Camila Emsbo scored 23 points, and No. 2 Lakewood girls basketball beat No. 34 Vista Ridge 75-40 in the second round of the Class 5A state tournament.
COLORADO SPRINGS — When Vista Ridge football coach Jerimi Calip talked about Jaylen Thomas on Wednesday, he described the ultimate team player.
And in choosing his post-high school destination, he kept with that mentality and chose a spot where it was about the whole rather than the individual. And the whole as in a college program, the whole as in country. Thomas will serve in the United States Air Force Academy and made his intentions clear that he will be playing for the Falcons as well.
“I think being able to serve my country, play football at the Division 1 level and receive a great education is something you can’t beat,” Thomas said.
The stories are well-written. When it comes to athletics recruiting at any of the country’s three service academies, the standard top-level athletes don’t often sign on those dotted lines.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
But Air Force coach Troy Calhoun has said it many a times, they go after top-level human beings. Listening to Calip speak about Thomas and listening to Thomas himself, there is little doubt that Calhoun got himself a quality human being.
“Just to make a commitment to play Division I football is unselfish in itself,” Calip said. “Going to a service academy that requires you to be unselfish, have discipline, be loyal and all the other qualities that the Academy demands, they couldn’t get a better candidate.”
In all, Calhoun is getting four outstanding candidates from the state of Colorado. According to the CHSAANow.com recruiting database, Arapahoe’s Blake Carette, Eaglecrest’s Jalen Mergerson and Fairview’s Tevye Schuettpelz-Rohl will all join Thomas as Falcons in the fall.
On top of the allure of playing Division I football, what helped drive Thomas in that direction was the fact that he grew up in the shadow of the Academy grounds.
Although the Falcons are technically a federal program and not state funded or assisted, the Air Force fan base is strong to Colorado Springs residents, even those with no official ties to the Academy.
That became evident with several signings around the springs. Cheyenne Mountain’s August Johnson is attending the Academy to play boys lacrosse, Pine Creek’s Kellsie Knoerzer is going for girls soccer and 2016 Class 4A champion Luke Trujillo is going for boys golf.
There are several other from the class of 2018 going, and not just from the Springs, but from all around the state.
But for those close, the Academy and even just the football games were a major part of growing up and falling in love with high-level athletics.
“I remember going to Air Force games when I was a kid,” Thomas said. “My grandma and grandpa were always big fans.”
From the time he entered as a freshman at Vista Ridge, Thomas knew that was the direction he wanted to go. He sent Calip an excited text message in November when the Falcons officially made their offer.
“As soon as that offer came through, it was an easy decision,” Calip said. “He said he would see what other offers came through, but he was committing to Air Force. It was the one he wanted.”
And it was the one he got.
And if he continues to approach life as a cadet the way he has a high school football player, the Air Force is a better place today than it was 24 hours ago.
The 2017 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created entirely from the results of the coaches’ vote.
“It’s crazy. I’ve been here every year we’ve won, because my older sisters were both on the team,” Vail Christian captain Isabelle Carlson said. “How far this team has come this year is really inspiring. We pulled it together and got it done.”
Patti Carlson — in her seventh year as the coach of the Saints — has a state championship for every year dating back to 2011. Vail Christian has not won a title in any other sport.
“I’m so proud of these girls,” Patti Carlson said. “These kids did everything. They’re smart, they work hard. We’re here, and we won.”
The championship win puts the Saints in a tie for the eighth-most spirit spirit titles in state history.
Vail Christian turned in a score of 76.9833 to beat out Sanford, who finished with a final score of 68.9333. The Saints made it to the finals with a score of 77.3833 in Friday’s competition.
“Our school is small, so it feels like a family,” Patti Carlson said. “We’ve had so many sisters on our team. It’s family support.”
Elsewhere in poms, Bayfield took the 3A title over Aspen with an impressive score of 84.9167. Bayfield finished runner-up at last year’s competition.
Wheat Ridge claimed a repeat title in 4A with its score of 88.4333. Valor Christian edged out Erie to take second place with an 85.0333.
ThunderRidge won its first title in 5A poms with a score of 94.2333. Grandview finished in second for a second straight runner-up finish.
Cherokee Trail won the school’s first title in 5A cheer, beating last year’s champion Rock Canyon.
Valor Christian won the 4A championship by virtue of a tiebreak over Thompson Valley. The two teams tied with 83.0500 points, but Valor had a higher average score from the cheer judges, which gave them the title.
Valor Christian won the 2016 title, while Thompson Valley finished runner-up.
In 3A, The Academy topped Pinnacle and Prospect Ridge with a score of 80.35. That’s the school’s first 3A cheer title.
Highland won a second-straight title in 2A cheer, finishing ahead of Cheyenne Wells.
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Co-ed Cheer
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Castle View won its fourth-straight title in 4A/5A, topping Mountain Vista and Vista Ridge.
St. Mary’s claimed the title in 2A/3A for a third-straight championship. Coal Ridge, Bayfield and Salida finished behind the Pirates.
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Jazz
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Ponderosa won the Jazz title, moving the Mustangs into a tie for the most spirit titles in state history. Ponderosa now has 11 state spirit championships after turning in a 95.2.
Mountain Vista finished in second place with 93.5833 points.
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Hip Hop
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Broomfield rocked the house with it’s hip hop performance and took the state title.
Eaglecrest finished in the runner-up spot, while Overland gave longtime coach Becky Grasser a solid sendoff with a third-place finish.
Monarch, which won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016, finished in fourth.
COLORADO SPRINGS — Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard likes to make sure his team earns everything that they get. The privilege of practicing on Thanksgiving is on that list.
So after the Colts handled Vista Ridge 35-14 in the Class 4A quarterfinals on Saturday, he wanted to make sure that his boys knew that all the hard work they had put in last offseason and this year had paid off.
“Welcome to the state semifinals,” he said to his players. That statement was received with hoots and hollers that are well-fit for a conglomerate of teenagers.
Pueblo South is still alive and, as a result, will practice Thanksgiving day.
“It’s just about earning things and we talked to our kids all summer about earning things,” Goddard said. “We live in this world of entitlement and it’s a frustrating world to live in at times. (It’s about) just dialing in on things and understanding that this is a privilege.”
The Colts (11-1 overall) earned the right to play in the quarterfinals thanks to a win over Montrose last week. They traveled to Vista Ridge in a frigid, but cloud-free day looking to build on the success that they experienced in the regular season.
Vista Ridge (7-5) is not a team without athletes and might be the best team in terms of personnel to match up with the 4A Foothills League champions.
But the Wolves, like 10 other teams this year, found out the hard way that the Colts’ playmakers might just be championship worthy.
South jumped on the board thanks to a punt return for a touchdown from senior receiver Thomas Pannunzio.
“It was something that we like to use to have some firm momentum throughout the game,” Pannunzio said. “It was something we needed to get our team motivated to come out and get a win.”
It worked.
Somehow everything fell in sync for the Colts from there on out. Zach Cozzolino found standout receiver Marcell Barbee for three touchdown passes before halftime.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Barbee finished his day with six catches for 120 yards and three scores. It was a performance that everyone will remember in a week when the Colts are just one of four 4A teams remaining.
“We were one of eight teams coming into this game,” Barbee said. “Just being one of those teams is an honor. We worked our tails off to come out here and execute the way that we do. We chase excellence every day in practice.”
The punt return for a touchdown was the first of many things that went wrong for the Wolves. Twice they got the ball inside of the Pueblo South five-yard line and failed to come away with points. Three lost fumbles certainly played a key part not only in their falling behind, but inability to claw their way back.
“You can’t do that,” Vista Ridge coach Jeremi Calip said. “Look at the score in the second half. (We win) 14-7. It’s one of those things when you play good ball clubs, you cannot have mistakes like that.”
The lone touchdown for the Colts came on their first offensive play of the half when Steve Brock broke free for a 66-yard scamper.
Junior quarterback Rowan Neal finally got Vista Ridge into the end zone on a zone read keeper. The Wolves added another touchdown run before time ticked away, but the game was well in South’s hands by that point.
The Colts will return to Dutch Clark Stadium on Saturday and play No. 15 Broomfield who came away with yet another upset win. This time, undefeated Loveland was the victim. Like they have all year, the Colts will get right to work on Monday as they look to keep their title hopes alive.
“Honestly, I haven’t seen a single snap from Broomfield,” Goddard said. “That’s a good program. They were in the state title game last year. They’re hungry.”
COLORADO SPRINGS — Heading into Friday night, a span of 15 years separated Rampart’s two most recent league football titles.
After the Rams beat Vista Ridge 14-7 at District 20 Stadium, Rampart alum Rob Royer is now responsible for winning league championships in consecutive years.
Rampart and Vista Ridge played a ground and pound game that saw a lot less scoring than what many – including the participants themselves – thought there would be. At the end of the day, it was the Rams (8-2 overall, 5-0 Class 4A Pikes Peak) who emerged victorious.
“I knew this wasn’t going to be a first half game,” Royer said. “We knew that this was a game that you would have to battle through in the first and the second and come out and try to answer the bell in the third and the fourth and try to win that thing at the end.”
That’s nearly the exact formula that it took.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
After stalling on its first drive, Rampart punted the ball away, putting it into the hands of Vista Ridge quarterback Jaylen Thomas. The dual-threat athlete showed off his arm early, dropping a perfect pass into the hands of Jeffrey Crittendon to give the Wolves (6-4, 3-2) an early 7-0 lead.
Early on, it looked like Vista Ridge was going to get those deep threat shots early and everyone on that sideline thought they would be there.
“Yeah, we did,” Wolves coach Jerimi Calip said. “We took a couple of them, missed one down the sideline. At the end of the day, we had our opportunities and didn’t take advantage of them.”
But Rampart wasn’t exactly moving the ball at will either. The Rams remained consistent with their heavy dose of rushes from seniors Keion Cross, Jared Behm and Jackson Beale.
Ethan Spendlove got into the end zone with a one-yard run that tied the game early in the second quarter.
“It was huge,” Cross said. “They had that momentum, they had that first quarter. But we got some good play calling and we punched it in.”
For the majority of the game from there on out, it was the defenses for both teams that rose to the occasion.
The big difference maker for Rampart was Jake Pavlica who recovered a fumble with 6:13 left in the first half and then struck early in the third quarter, picking off a Thomas pass that was looking to put the Wolves deep in Rampart territory.
“At first it felt unreal,” Pavlica said. “At the end of the day, it just about the team.”
Just before the end of the third quarter, Cross broke free for a 28-yard run to get to the Vista Ridge 12-yard line. On 3rd and 4, he got around the edge for a five-yard gain, giving the Rams 1st and goal at the one.
He handed the ball off to Spendlove who crossed the goal line for what ended up being the game-winning touchdown.
The win guarantees that Rampart will remain at home during the first week of the 4A state tournament. As league champions who sit inside the 16-team RPI field, they are promised a home game.
The future is less clear for Vista Ridge. They sat at No. 14 in the 4A RPI late Friday night. The ratings will be finalized Sunday prior to the release of the state tournament field.
While the Wolves wait, Rampart will take 24 hours to celebrate Friday’s win appreciate the difficult task that they accomplished.
“We’re glad we did it back-to-back,” Cross said. “This senior class said we could do it back-to-back. We’re happy.”
Roosevelt football beat Berthoud on Friday night in a key Class 3A matchup.
For starters, it was a top-10 win, with the No. 5 Roughriders topping the No. 8 Spartans. Second, it was a win in the Class 3A Tri-Valley League, which is probably the best league in the state regardless of classification. Third, Roosevelt is now 5-2.
But most importantly: It helped the Roughriders move up in the 3A RPI standings from No. 13 to No. 8.
Roosevelt rallied from down 12-7 to take a 15-12 lead at halftime, and led 22-12 after three quarters.
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2A: (6) Sterling 56, Fort Lupton 28
Sterling quarterback Bodie Hume threw six touchdowns in the first half of Sterling’s 56-28 win over Fort Lupton. That ties the state record.
Hume finished with seven touchdowns; he only played one series in the second half.
The six touchdowns in a half are now tied for the most in state history. Hume is the seventh player to do that. His seven touchdown passes are tied for the fifth-most in state history.
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4A: (10) Skyline 70, Greeley Central 44
Skyline junior Jeremy Hollingsworth rushed for six touchdowns and more than 350 yards in a wild win over Greeley Central. He now has scored 26 touchdowns this season.
The Falcons are 6-1 this season.
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3A: Fort Morgan 17, (6) Silver Creek 7
Fort Morgan not only pulled off the upset, but moved to 2-0 in the Northern League. Both conference wins followed a three-game losing streak.
“We changed it up this week,” Mustangs coach Harrison Chisum told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show. “We had a lot of competitions and a lot more fun in practice, and it kind of helped with our energy level.”
Donovan Moya had an interception return for a score to help Fort Morgan win on Friday.
“He’s a competitor, and that was a huge pick-six to start the second half,” Chisum said.
Both teams are now 4-3 this season.
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6-man: (1) Stratton/Liberty 63, (3) Otis 6
The Knighted Eagles are 7-0 after this latest win.
“We’re really excited about the win, an really excited about the way we’ve been playing,” coach Toby Kechter told the Scoreboard Show.
Kechter praised his line.
“The kids just blocked their hearts out,” he said. “The effort’s just been great.”
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Notables:
Highlands Ranch, ranked No. 9 in 5A, is now 6-1 after beating Fountain-Fort Carson 38-24. “Our guys overcame some penalties and a couple of turnovers, and played really well tonight to overcome those things,” interim coach David May told the Scoreboard Show.
The Falcons will face No. 1 Valor Christian next week. The Eagles are now 7-0 after a 41-7 win over Lakewood. Luke McCaffrey had three total touchdowns, including a kickoff return for a score. Valor has won 17 games in a row.
Sedgwick County, top-ranked in 8-man, rolled to a 57-14 win over Merino. Sedgwick County is now 7-0 and has won 17-straight games.
8-man No. 5 Haxtun rebounded from a loss to beat No. 10 Caliche 38-20.
6-man No. 4 Peetz also rebounded from a loss by topping No. 10 Fleming 39-26. Tre Fehringer threw three touchdown passes for the Bulldogs.
2A No. 4 La Junta won its rivalry game with Lamar, winning 40-0 in the Whistle Game.
In 6-man, Sierra Grande is now 6-1 after shutting out Aguilar 60-0. Five different players had rushing touchdowns, including two each from Dakota Aragon and Dylan Milner.
South Park has matched its win total from last season after beating Pikes Peak Christian 30-6. The Burros are 4-3 in 6-man.
Wins No. 322 for coaches Scott Yates (Kent Denver) and Chris Brown (West Grand). Kent Denver, No. 1 in 2A, beat Englewood 38-0. West Grand, No. 2 in 8-man, beat Rangely 46-0.
In 4A, Rampart got an important 17-13 win over Montrose to move to 2-0 in the Pikes Peak League.
Jaylen Thomas rushed for 243 yards and three scores as Vista Ridge beat Coronado 35-14 in another 4A Pikes Peak matchup.
Austin Coalson helped Eaton improved to 5-2 this season with two touchdown passes in the team’s 46-6 win over The Academy.
Dakota Key rushed for three touchdowns and Alec Lewis threw for two as Legacy beat Aurora Central 44-0 in 5A. Legacy is 4-3.
