The 2019 preseason football rankings were released on Monday. No. 1 ranked teams include: Valor Christian (5A), Pine Creek (4A), Palmer Ridge (3A), La Junta (2A), Limon (1A), Sedgwick County (8-man) and Stratton/Liberty (6-man).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.
Dakota Ridge 46, Greeley West 29, Heritage 25, Longmont 23, Windsor 22, Monarch 17, Grand Junction Central 9, Denver South 7, Vista Ridge 7, Wheat Ridge 7, Fort Collins 6, Vista Peak Prep 6, Bear Creek 5, Grand Junction 2, Air Academy 1, Golden 1, Mountain View 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Palmer Ridge (17)
0-0
198
2
Pueblo East
0-0
176
3
Palisade (3)
0-0
162
4
Erie (1)
0-0
141
5
Mead
0-0
109
6
Green Mountain
0-0
79
7
Discovery Canyon
0-0
67
8
Pueblo South
0-0
53
9
Holy Family
0-0
44
10
Durango
0-0
42
Others receiving votes:
Harrison 39, Frederick 22, Fort Morgan 19, Thomas Jefferson 17, Roosevelt 11, Northridge 10, Pueblo Central 7, Lewis-Palmer 6, Canon City 4, Evergreen 3, Glenwood Springs 1.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
La Junta (3)
0-0
115
2
Platte Valley (4)
0-0
113
3
Faith Christian (4)
0-0
106
4
Resurrection Christian (1)
0-0
87
5
Rifle
0-0
82
6
Bayfield (1)
0-0
48
7
Delta (1)
0-0
47
8
Kent Denver
0-0
38
9
Aspen
0-0
31
10
Eaton
0-0
22
Others receiving votes:
Basalt 21, Salida 15, Sterling 10, D’Evelyn 7, Elizabeth 7, The Classical Academy 7, Englewood 5, Lamar 5, Bishop Machebeuf 2, Alamosa 1, Berthoud 1.
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Limon (11)
0-0
140
2
Strasburg (2)
0-0
114
3
Colorado Springs Christian (1)
0-0
103
4
Centauri
0-0
84
5
Holyoke (1)
0-0
63
T6
Meeker
0-0
62
T6
Peyton
0-0
62
8
Florence
0-0
51
9
Burlington
0-0
41
10
Wray
0-0
32
Others receiving votes:
Monte Vista 21, Paonia 16, Crowley County 12, Highland 8, Buena Vista 7, Platte Canyon 6, Manual 2, Jefferson 1.
8-man
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Sedgwick County (11)
0-0
119
2
Hoehne (1)
0-0
87
3
Merino
0-0
78
4
West Grand
0-0
61
5
Caliche
0-0
54
6
Mancos
0-0
51
7
Pikes Peak Christian
0-0
37
8
Fowler
0-0
32
9
Rangely
0-0
31
10
Sargent
0-0
28
Others receiving votes:
Dayspring Christian Academy 24, Holly 22, Akron 18, Sanford 8, Vail Christian 6, Simla 2, Dove Creek 1, Sangre de Cristo 1.
6-man
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Stratton/Liberty (5)
0-0
77
2
Kit Carson (3)
0-0
75
3
Fleming
0-0
59
4
Prairie
0-0
49
5
Flagler/Hi-Plains
0-0
38
6
Peetz
0-0
34
7
Idalia
0-0
25
8
Arickaree/Woodlin
0-0
20
9
Briggsdale
0-0
19
10
Cheyenne Wells
0-0
12
Others receiving votes:
Genoa-Hugo 10, Cotopaxi 9, North Park 8, Granada 2, Cheraw 1, Mountain Valley 1, Walsh 1.
Monday marked the official start of the 2019 fall sports season as boys golf teams took to driving ranges and putting greens to start refining their games.
This means the start for team sports is right around the corner. As we have all summer, we have taken a look at stat leaders from a year ago that will be returning to their sports this season. Last week we highlighted the returning offensive stars on the football field. This week, it’s onto the defense.
As teams get closer to strapping on the pads for real, here is a look at some names to watch on the defensive side of the ball.
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Tackles
Arvada West’s Elijah Olson was nothing short of ball hawk last year. His 153 were good enough to place him fifth in the state across all classifications. He returns in 2019 as the top tackler both in the state and in Class 5A. Fossil Ridge’s Caden Dollar and Lakewood’s Luke Hittle (both incoming juniors) also recorded solid numbers last year, totaling 119 and 116 tackles, respectively.
In 4A, Montrose’s Cole Simmons made 144 tackles last year. Ponderosa’s Ben Beecher wasn’t far behind with 124 but a big name to watch will be Greeley Central’s Yahir Chairez-Salazar who fifth in the classification with 116 tackles. Chairez-Salazar will be a sophomore in 2019.
Heavy tackling numbers weren’t just reserved for the large schools. Merino’s Trent Elliott recorded 143 of them as just a sophomore which tops all returning 8-man players. In 6-man, Cheyenne Wells’ Quade Pelton made 141 tackles proving himself as one of the top defensive players in a classification known more for heavy offensive numbers.
Mead’s Devon Edwards led all returning 3A players with 147 tackles in 2018. Platte Valley’s Josh Yancey was best among 2A returners with 117 and Monte Vista’s Cobi Garcia totaled 116 to top all 1A players coming back in 2019.
Sacks
Across all classifications, no player that’s returning this year registered more sacks than Swink’s Noah Zumwalt. His 14 from last season ranked sixth in the entire state and he is back in 2019 to once again terrorize 8-man quarterbacks.
The 6-man class has a pair of pass rushers that are looking to put up solid numbers once again this fall. Stratton/Liberty’s Trevor Frank recorded 11 sacks last year which ranked him No. 3 in the class. Fleming’s Brady Kuntz was right behind him with 10.
Cherokee Trail’s Kobe Thompson recorded 11, leading all 5A players returning in 2019. ThunderRidge’s Kaden Stewart was just a half-sack away from tying Thompson’s 11.
Green Mountain’s Will Banks and Pueblo East’s Brandon Hall each had eight sacks to lead the pack of 3A players returning in 2019.
The 4A class had three players match those eight sacks. Vista Ridge’s Emmanuel Taylor, Air Academy’s Aidan Diller and Standley Lake’s Jaren Cosby are all anxious to get after opposing quarterbacks this fall.
Resurrection Christian’s Tanner Applebee and Alamosa’s Cash Mueller each recorded seven sacks last season to lead all 2A returners.
Colorado Springs Christian’s Rian Chavez had 6.5 sacks last year and will enter the season as 1A’s biggest pass rushing threat.
Interceptions
In 2018, Regis Jesuit’s Bryce Parson’s subscribed to the theory that the opposing team can’t score if it doesn’t have the ball. He picked off 10 passes last year and will enter the 2019 season as the only player to record double-digit interception numbers a year ago.
He was nearly matched by Palmer Ridge’s Kaden Dudley who picked off nine passes while helping the Bears win the 3A state title. His defensive output will be challenged by Mead’s Trey Ward who grabbed eight interceptions last year.
Lamar’s Damian Ramos and Bishop Machebeuf’s Jack Farmer will each be back this year after picking off eight passes in 2A. They were tied for second in the category across the entire class last year making them a big threat should opposing teams take to the air with them on the field.
Dove Creek’s Gauge Thompson led all 8-man returners with seven picks and that number was matched in 6-man by Stratton/Liberty’s Jaret Lichty.
Jefferon’s Devon Kemp and Holyoke’s Luis Chafino each picked off six passes to top 1A’s returning players.
Interceptions were spread around 4A as three players who will take the field in 2019 pulled down five of them. Gateway’s Lanier Deruso, Rampart’s Cale Cormaney and Montrose’s Aaron Dietrich will look to defend the skies once again this fall.
The start of football season in Colorado is just two short weeks away. With some players having graduated and moved on from every team, a new set of standout student-athletes will be in the spotlight in 2019.
But there are plenty of players coming back this season and with them come numbers that were impressive even a year ago.
Looking at the offensive side of the ball, there are plenty of reasons to be excited for the start of football season in 2019.
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Passing:
When it comes to passing stats, Fairview quarterback Aidan Atkinson led the way for all quarterbacks in 2018. The senior to be threw for a staggering 3,952 yards last year. It was a record-setting year all the way around for him and the Knights.
For comparison, Highlands Ranch quarterback Jake Rubley threw for 1,951 yards and comes into the season No. 2 behind Atkinson in returning passing yards.
The top-three passers in 4A all return in 2019 making the prospect of an aerial battle late in the season very intriguing.
(Kevin Prickett/prickettpix.com)
Skyline’s Chase Silva threw for 2,829 yards as he helped the Falcons reach the 4A championship game. Centaurus’ Nick Faraca threw for 2,436 yards with Grand Junction Central’s Max Marsh threw for 2,296. The combination of Marsh and LSU football commit Kole Taylor is going to be a major attraction on the Western Slope this fall.
The top five passers from 3A all graduated a year ago making George Washington’s Jaydon Green the top returning passer in the class as he threw for 1,722. Pueblo South’s Logan Petit (1,581 yards) and Durango’s Jordan Woolverton (1,560 yards) are other 3A names to keep an eye on.
Aspen’s Tyler Ward led 2A with 2,202 yards last year and will be back as a junior in 2019 as will Meeker’s Ryan Phelan who topped all 1A passers with 1,869 in 2018.
Front Range Christian’s Luke Hiltman led all 8-man passers with 2,079 yards and will be back this fall. Briggsdale senior Tyler Blickem returns with 2,368 passing yards from last year which topped all of 6-man.
Granada sophomore Dominic Coleman got the attention of the class by throwing for 1,609 yards as a freshman.
In terms of touchdowns, Atkinson set the standard state-wide with 55. Blickem threw for 36 and Silva connected on 30 touchdown passes.
Rushing:
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The ground attack throughout the state lost a lot of spild performers from last year. Smoky Hill’s Obasanjo Sanni returns as the top returning rusher as he cleared the 2,000-yard mark last year and averaged 181 yards per game.
Legacy’s Dakota Key (1,799) and Fountain-Fort Carson’s Q. Jones (1,406) round out 5A’s top three returning rushers.
There were standout runners from 3A that are also making their way back this year. Palisade’s Cam Tucker ran for 1,662 and Thomas Jefferson’s Daveon Hunter ran for 1,410 yards in nine games.
In 4A, the top two returners both come out of Academy District 20 as Pine Creek’s David Moore III returns with 1,494 yards from last year. Down the road at Rampart, Chris Yoo totaled 1,317 yards and both backs will be seniors this fall.
The biggest loss of production on the ground comes in 2A where 10 of the top 12 rushers from last year were seniors. Coming into this season, just Brush’s Nick Wellen (1,250) and Bishop Machebeuf’s Darius Richards (1,012) return with over 1,000 rushing yards from last year.
That’s a big difference in 1A where the top two rushers from 2018 will be back as seniors this fall. Colorado Springs Christian senior Peyton Brones led all of 1A with 1,724 yards last year while Monte Vista’s Kaidon Wenta sat right behind him on the leaderboard with 1,475.
Dove Creek’s Chorbin Cressler broke into the top five of all 8-man rushers as just a freshman last year with 1,243 yards and will look to build on that momentum this season. Pikes Peak Christian’s Hudson Grant is 8-man’s No. 2 returning rusher with 1,188 yards in 2018.
Tucker returns with the most rushing touchdowns from last year with 28. Stratton/Liberty’s Jaret Lichty ran for 27 and Brones punched the ball in 24 times.
Receiving
Losing Kain Medrano was always going to be a big deal for Pueblo East. But if there is a silver lining, it’s that Marvon London, Jr. appears ready to fill the void.
The senior receiver for the Eagles amassed more receiving yards than any other player returning in 2019. His 1,083 yards were seventh in the state last fall and with Medrano gone, the number has a chance of increasing this season.
Palmer Ridge’s Deuce Roberson (937) and Harrison’s Seth Fuller (928) are the other top 3A receivers coming back.
Fairview’s Henry Blackburn hauled 890 receiving yards to lead all 5A returners and should thrive again with Atkinson still tossing passes for the Knights.
Heritage junior Terrance Ferguson totaled 972 receiving yards making him the top returning 4A receiver this season.
Two of last season’s top three receivers will be back in 2A. Aspen’s Max Ufkes led the class with 920 receiving yards and Englewood’s Nate Gravagno ranked third with 824.
As much as 1A had coming back in terms of rushing production, that is not the case with receiving. Estes Park sophomore Calum Torrey had 442 receiving yards last year which is the most for anyone who was not a senior.
Sangre de Cristo’s Mario Enriquez leds all 8-man returners with 594 yards while Deer Trail’s Dayne Woodis comes back with 730 yards which was second in 6-man last year.
Blackburn returns with the most receiving touchdowns form last year with 17. Woodis and Roberson each hauled in 11 touchdown catches last year.
As the summer days begin to fade away, it’s nearly time to start looking to the fall. The official start of practice is just weeks away and once the ball gets rolling, the 2019-20 athletic season will consume coaches, athletes and fans for the better part of nine months.
Over the last few weeks, CHSAANow.com has featured returning stat leaders from various sports (football leaders will come next week), but the real question that lingers is who is everyone excited to see?
So we asked.
We shot emails to various outlets throughout the state and asked them who they’re excited to see once competition starts next month while adding a few names of our own.
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The Pueblo Chieftain’s Marcus Hill and Austin White
Athlete: Marvin London Jr. Year: Senior School: Pueblo East Sport: Football
Why to watch: Marvin London Jr. had a team-high 73 receptions for the Eagles last season. He also had 1,083 yards and seven touchdowns — both second to only Kain Medrano.
Athlete: Samantha Meehan Year: Senior School: Pueblo County Sport: Volleyball
Why to watch: The Hornets senior ran rampant through the South-Central League last season and helped Pueblo County go 10-0 in league play. She led the Hornets with 284 kills, 24 aces. Meehan along with the core of Hornets hope to repeat as S-CL champs this season.
CHSAANow.com’s Dan Mohrmann
Athlete: Trey Jones Year: Senior School: Palmer Ridge Sport: Boys golf
Why to watch: Jones has a little bit of work cut out for him this fall, but in terms of the Colorado Springs area, he’s one of the top returning golfers. He finished tied for 18th at the Class 4A state tournament and this summer tied for 14th in the JGAC Junior PGA Championship on the difficult Blue Course at the Air Force Academy.
Why to watch: Katie is a phenomenal multi-sport athlete. This fall, the 2018 runner of the year will look to defend her 2A cross-country individual state title, one that helped the Lions claim just their second ever team championship. A side note – she is also the third ranked female junior freestyle kayaker in the WORLD. To say she is competitive would be a huge understatement.
Athlete: Gavin Sawchuk Year: Sophomore School: Valor Christian Sport: Football
Why to watch: Expect Gavin to carry the same energy and momentum from his freshman season into his sophomore campaign. He put up 13 touchdowns for the Eagles in 2018 – in large part due to his speed. Sawchuk posted the fastest 100m dash time in the Colorado during the spring track and field season, and he already boasts several D1 football offers.
Athlete: Alexisius “Q” Jones Year: Junior School: Fountain-Fort Carson Sport: Football
Why to watch: Q. Jones had anything but a good ending to his season. In his first year in a Trojan varsity uniform, he amassed 1,738 all-purpose yards. But his season was cut short due to a leg injury. FFC coach Jake Novotny told us this summer that Jones will be ready to go. He’s reportedly getting looks from the University of Colorado and Wyoming and the list is expected to grow upon his return to the field.
Why to watch: McGaffin starred in the pitching circle as a freshman in 2018 to help the SaberCats win 21 games. She went 14-1 with a 1.78 ERA (second in 5A), striking out 122 in 90.1 innings pitched.
Athlete: Tate Satterfield Year: Senior School: Poudre Sport: Football
Why to watch: Satterfield was eighth in 5A in 2018 with 1,238 rush yards, scoring 14 touchdowns on the ground. He’ll be a key part of an experience Poudre team that could challenge for the Front Range League title.
The Durango Herald’s John Livingston
Athlete: Madeleine Burns Year: Senior School: Durango High School Sport: Girls Cross Country
Why to watch: A year after Burns finished 13th in the 4A girls cross country state race, she is back as a senior looking for a podium finish for the Demons. Last spring, she won the girls 3,200 meter run at the 4A state track and field meet and backed it up with a third-place finish in the 1,600. She broke the school record in the 5K last year the Liberty Bell Invitational and is primed for a big senior season after a summer of competing around the country.
Athlete: Millie O’Ketter Year: Senior School: Durango High School Sport: Volleyball
Why to watch: A senior libero and outside hitter, O’Ketter has already verbally committed to Northern Arizona University to play Division I volleyball. This summer, she competed in the Global Challenge International volleyball tournament in Croatia, helping her team to a 5-2 overall record in the udner-18 division with the lone losses coming to first-place Italy and second-place Netherlands. She led her team with 47 of the squad’s 111 digs and also led the team in serve receive accuracy and was second in assists.
Athlete: Leland Heinicke Year: Senior School: Durango High Sport: Boys soccer
Why to watch: As a junior, Heinicke had a team-high 14 goals and added four assists to help lead the Demons to the fourth seed in the 4A state tournament. At 6-foot-4, Heinicke is dangers when he gets his head on the ball in set pieces, and he has the skill to once again lead Durango on a playoff push.
Other athletes to watch:
Laurin Krings (Loveland softball): The returning 5A player of the year is on a mission to bring home a state championship.
Amelia McCarthy (Cherry Creek field hockey): After falling short in the state championship game last year, McCarthy has the talent to take the Bruins to the top of the field hockey mountain.
Kole Taylor (Grand Junction Central football): Taylor hauled in eight touchdown catches in 2018 and recently committed to LSU. He makes the Warriors an instant threat when he’s on the field.
Cruz Culpepper (Niwot boys cross country): Last year’s 4A champ has ambitions of defending his championship this fall.
It’s always fun to look back to a previous season and remember what was. But every once in a while there is just as much fun when looking forward at how a season might be shaping up.
Like many sports going into the 2019-20 school year, there are a number of returning softball players that had banner years last fall. Once play begins in August, these girls will look to build on what they did in 2018.
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Batting average:
Cordelia Hanger, a senior from The Academy, proved to a nightmare for opposing pitchers in 2018. She had 66 at-bats last year and finished with an admirable .848 average. That was good enough to make her the state batting champion regardless of classification.
Westminster’s Kori Rhoads led all Class 5A hitters with a .640 average and Brooklyn Horn hit .700 to lead 4A. Of her 49 hits on the year, 24 of them went for extra bases.
Home runs:
Sterling’s Rylyn Nelson and Loveland’s Laurin Krings had plenty of trips around the bases last year. They both hit 15 home runs in 2018, the most of any player coming back in 2019.
Silver Creek’s Jetta Nannen led all players with 17 bombs, but graduated this spring.
The Middleton sisters, Mackenzie and Makayla, hit 11 and 10 home runs, respectively and head into the season as the 4A players with the most long balls from last year.
RBIs:
Eaton junior Jennifer Jarnigan drove in 65 runs a year ago which marks the most RBI’s among all returning players.
Conifer senior Josey Nichols hit 50 last year to top returning 4A players while Krings leads all 5A players with 48.
Runs scored:
The 3A class is returning players who scored runs in bunches. Eaton’s Remington Ross (61), University’s Kyra McFarland (54) and Delaney Wieneke (51) all come back this fall and are the top three returning runs scorers regardless of classification.
Fossil Ridge’s Jayden Mercado tops the 5A returners with 48 and Holy Family’s Anna Martinez leads all returning 4A players with 46.
Earned run average:
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
It’s no surprise that when it comes to pitching stats, Krings is at or near the top of most lists. Her 0.65 ERA in 2018 was the best in the state and she’s in line to put up similar numbers this fall.
Pueblo East senior Nasya Madrid-Lafebre leads 4A returning pitchers with a 1.62 ERA and Delta’s Hailee Ruble tops 3A at 1.32.
Strikeouts:
Krings also led the state in strikeouts as she fanned 392 hitters last year.
Cheyenne Mountain senior Katelyn Ralston was second overall in 4A last year, totaling 197 and leads all returning pitchers in 4A.
Peak to Peak junior Jamie Rader is hoping to build on her solid 2018 season where she struck out 139 opposing hitters. That edged Sterling’s Kiersten Bohler by six strikeouts, and Rader did it while throwing 31 fewer innings.
LAKEWOOD — Luc Andrada saw a glimpse of the future.
“Before the 4×100, I swear I’ve never been more confident before a race,” Andrada said on the final day of the state track and field championships. “I had a weird gut feeling that we would PR by half a second and win it. That’s what we did.”
Andrada and his teammates capped off a terrific weekend for Pueblo East, claiming the 4A 400-meter relay title in a time of 42.40 seconds.
But, the victory did not come so easily. In the preliminary round, held on Friday, Pueblo East finished 4th with a time of 42.98. Only 0.17 of a second separated Windsor in 1st and Skyline in 5th though.
The senior sprinter knew how close Saturday’s final would be, but Pueblo East had a lightning rod in Andrada as the anchor leg. As long as he could get the baton relatively close to the leaders, he would have a chance of winning.
After all, he was the 4A king of the sprints this season, tallying gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. Andrada simply has next-level speed.
“We were thankful to be in lane three, so we could see our competition in front of us,” he said.
And, Kain Medrano, Joe Padula, and Marvin London gave Andrada a shot. They were in the thick of the race with one leg to go, but Skyline (42.54, 2nd place) and Canon City (42.63, 3rd) were ahead.
Andrada made it all up in the final 100 meters, causing the Jeffco Stadium crowd to buzz.
He had plenty of spectators chatting about him throughout the final day of competition. His winning times of 10.51 in the 100 and 21.21 in the 200 were slightly wind-aided but very swift.
The 4A 100 state record of 10.53, which Andrada would’ve beaten if his time was wind-legal, has been held since 2000 (Gregg Trigg of Fountain Fort-Carson).
Nevertheless, Andrada put the finishing touches on a memorable prep career, and with style, while also anchoring Pueblo East to a 4×200 relay state crown on Friday.
“They just gave me a chance,” he said of the 4×200. “With a team like that, how can you lose it?”
Medrano, Padula, and Oscar Flores were the other members of that relay as they gave Andrada the baton in a close battle with Pueblo West (runner-up).
For all of Andrada’s accomplishments in football, East was the state runner-up his senior year and the champion in 2016, Medrano has been a decorated athlete as well. He broke the 4A state meet record in discus on Thursday (188-6) and finished runner-up in shot put.
Medrano will soon be a football player for UCLA, while Andrada will compete at Brigham Young University in both football and track.
“He motivates me to be a better person day in and day out,” Andrada said of their friendship. “He’s always pushing me to be better. He deserves every accomplishment.”
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Class 5A
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The Valor Christian boys won their first state championship as a track and field team with 90 points. They also won the girls title as Fort Collins (57 boys points) was the runner-up for both genders.
Cian Quiroga will bring a title back to Valor in the discus (182-4) and Cole Sprout won his second 1,600 crown (4A in 2018) in 4:13. They also earned gold in the 4×100 relay (42.46).
Fort Collins’ Joseph Maguire, the anchor of their 4×400 relay group, just barely edged out Arapahoe at the line as the teams ran 3:18.77 and 3:18.78.
A terrific 110 hurdles showdown between seniors Zion Gordon of Regis Jesuit and Cameron Harris of Brighton produced swift times of 13.85 and 14.03. Gordon, a University of Southern California recruit, won the 5A crown.
Gordon (10.67) got the better of Harris (10.72) again in the 100-meter dash, the next event on Saturday. Both will be competing at the collegiate level as Brighton’s super sprinter signed with Air Force.
Harris was also the runner-up in the 300 hurdles to Garrett Nelson of Poudre (37.16). Nelson’s time was sixth-fastest in Colorado prep history.
Eaglecrest’s Langston Williams will bring a gold medal back to Aurora with his 400 win (48.59).
Monarch’s Max Manson capped his storied career with three pole vault state titles. He cleared 16 feet, 8 inches in his prep finale.
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Class 4A
Niwot needed to finish at least fifth in the final event of the weekend, the 4×400 relay, to capture the team crown over Pueblo East but instead the Cougars won the event in a time of 3:22.86. Niwot bettered Pueblo East 66-60 in the final team standings. The Cougars also won the girls crown.
Zhaire Jackson (Northfield) topped the 110 hurdles field in 14.60 seconds.
Niwot junior Cruz Culpepper smoothly crossed the line in 4:16.69 to earn a 1,600 championship, adding to his 800 crown on Friday and helping Niwot earn a team trophy.
Brendan Young, the pride of Canon City, won a pair of jump titles this weekend (long and triple). He leapt 47 feet, 11 inches in triple jump Saturday.
[divider]
Class 3A
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Manitou Springs produced the 100 and 200 champion in Jayden Omi. His times were 10.97 and 22.14 seconds.
Nate Hanson of Lutheran (14.31) was the 110-hurdles champion as the Lions swept the boys (91.5 points) and girls team titles. Mike Ciccio was second in the 400 and Lutheran piled up points with great depth.
Lutheran has won six state titles in boys track and field.
Denver West, with brothers Yasin and Ahmed Sado finishing 1-2 in the 1,600, was the runner-up with 65 points.
Elizabeth’s Mason Anthony, the 3A state record holder in the 300 hurdles, didn’t quite top his best time but still finished 1st in 38.67.
Alamosa won the boys (3:23) and girls (3:58) 4×400 relays, while Ian Jackson and Lilly Lavier were individual 400 champions for Alamosa.
[divider]
Class 2A
Lyons boys (68 points) claimed their fifth team title in track and field, but first since 2015. Mancos was the runner-up with 57. Lyons excelled in distance events once again.
Both competitors, Grant Redmond of Soroco and and Jake Chrisman of Yuma, cleared 6 feet, 7 inches in the high jump but Redmond won with fewer attempts. Chrisman was the pole vault gold medal winner on Thursday.
David Trujillo of Rocky Ford was the champion in the 100 with a time of 11.19.
Clear Creek boys won the 4×100 relay (44.10).
Alex Ramos (Holly, 50.14) cruised in the 400.
Jaden Evans of Telluride (4:30.27) held off Isaac Roberts of Lyons (4:30.77) in the 1,600.
Victor Mendoza (20 feet, 10.5 inches) of Yuma was the long jump champion.
[divider]
Class 1A
The Heritage Christian boys scored points in bunches, securing the team title again with 148 points. They won in 2018 in much the same way with firepower in distance as Levi Kilian (4:28) and Seth Bruxvoort (4:32) both shattered the 1A State meet record in the 1,600 and were 1st and 2nd.
HCA tallied points in many other events, as well, including the 300 hurdles (Ryan Zrubek, champion) and the 200 (Jaden Johnson, 1st).
Arlo Garner of Cotopaxi (15.48) was the state champion in 110 hurdles.
Elton Yarger of Stratton/Liberty broke the triple jump state record yesterday and clinched the 400 title in 50.61 seconds today.
Pikes Peak Christian’s Tommy Harmon (12-10) climbed higher than anyone in pole vault.
Simla (3:37.82) won the 4×400 relay and finished runner-up in the team standings. Simla also claimed the 4×100 title and Darias Harms was the 100 champion in a new 1A State Meet record of 11.18.
LAKEWOOD — Over the course of an eight-lap race, separation between the winner and the rest of the field usually spans several seconds.
In perhaps the most thrilling running event during the opening day of the state track and field championships, with all classifications competing at Jeffco Stadium, less than a full second (0.13) separated Madeleine Burns from Samrawit Dishon in the 4A girls 3,200.
Burns clinched the title in 10 minutes, 53.63 seconds, barely nipping Dishon’s 10:53.76.
“I can’t really believe it,” the Durango junior said. “It’s always been a goal of mine ever since freshman year. Now that it’s happened, I’m still kind of in shock.”
The 3,200 is the longest distance event Colorado prep track athletes compete in and, for many, the eight-lapper can be equally challenging mentally and physically. Burns had enough of both to beat a talented field that included Joslin Blair (Eagle Valley) and a trio of Niwot girls in Lucca Fulkerson, Layla Roebke, and Dishon.
Several girls took the lead at various stages of the race, but Dishon and Burns pulled away the final two laps. They traded leads a few times, but Dishon had a strong surge that threatened Burns’s title hopes.
Ultimately, the Durango standout pulled even with Dishon, then had enough closing speed to overtake her in the final fifty meters. Burns had to be at the top of her game to outlast them all as Blair (11:00), Fulkerson (11:03), and Roebke (11:05) rounded out the top five.
“I knew it would be a really competitive field just because 4A has a lot of really good girls,” Burns said. “I wanted to hang with the pack, then make a move with 800 to go. It turns out I didn’t really get to do that. I just hung on and tried to save a little bit for the last lap.”
That little bit proved to be enough for the distance star to claim her first gold medal at the state meet. She finished 12th in the 3,200 as a sophomore, but had the No. 1 seed (10:50) entering the season finale.
Challengers loomed Thursday with Dishon proving to be the greatest threat.
“I knew her from cross country and Niwot always has a lot of really strong runners,” Burns said. “They had six girls in the two mile, so I knew they would be a force to be reckoned with.”
Burns was eager for the test. Training in Durango, at an elevation around 6,500 feet, helped her overcome all of them, eventually.
“It’s pretty hilly,” she said. “There are a lot of trails. It’s hard to find flat places to run, but I think it helps us. It can be pretty lonely, because we are far away from everyone. That makes it even more exciting to race though.”
After Burns’ terrific 3,200 race, Durango earned a state crown in the 3,200 relay with a boys contingent of Aidan Fitzgerald, Marcus Flint, Noah Bodewes, and Luke Tichi. They nipped the previous 4A state record of 7:48.60, set by D’Evelyn in 2006, with a magnificent time of 7:48.55. That is currently a top 10 time in the country for this season.
Below is a roundup of other action during the morning (4A/5A) and evening (1A-3A) competitions.
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Class 5A
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Valor Christian girls (9:16) claimed the 3,200 relay crown over Cherry Creek (9:20).
The Eagles of Valor also set a new all-classification girls 4×200 state record (1:37.00) with an already legendary Anna Hall on the anchor leg of the preliminary round. The University of Georgia recruit has won several state and national crowns in both track and field events. She recorded the fastest time in the 100 hurdle prelims (14.37) on Thursday.
Valor’s Jane Powers (40-2.25) added to the championship haul for the Eagles with the shot put gold medal.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Hall’s soon-to-be college teammate, Arria Minor of Denver East, will be the No. 1 seed in both the 100 and the 200-meter dashes for the girls with times of 11.79 and 23.79. She will look to collect her ninth and 10th state titles individually this weekend.
On the boys side, Highlands Ranch’s Drake Nugent (56-2.75) topped an in-city rival in Valor’s Cian Quiroga (56-1.50) to win the shot put title.
Mountain Vista (7:47) outlasted Arapahoe (7:48) in the 5A boys 3,200 relay to add another chapter to their distance running tradition. They also finished first in the event in 2018. The all-classification state record in the event is 7:45 by Smoky Hill (2001).
Valor freshman Gavin Sawchuk will be the top seed in the 100 finals.
Fort Collins’ fantastic tandem of Allam Bushara (2nd) and Micaylon Moore (1st, 48-10) swept gold and silver in the triple jump. Moore won the long jump last season, while Bushara was the triple jump champion.
Darrian Leu-Pierre, a talented basketball player for Grandview, showed off his leaping ability in high jump, clearing 6-8. Teammate Alisha Davis, a University of Northern Colorado recruit for hoops, ensured a Grandview sweep of the high jump with a mark of 5-9.
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Class 4A
With plenty of high altitude training giving them a lift, Battle Mountain sped past the field in the 3,200 relay.
Dylan Schubert (9:24), a terrific Thompson Valley junior, surged with about 500 meters left to overtake Dillon Powell of Air Academy (9:28) in the 4A boys 3,200. Cheyenne Mountain freshman Erik Le Roux finished 3rd in a time of 9:32.
The city of Longmont crowned multiple field event champions in Silver Creek junior Hunter Potrykus (15-3 in pole vault) and Longmont senior girl Tara Hitchcock (18-4.50 in long jump).
Canon City’s Brendan Young bettered the field in the long jump with a mark of 23 feet, 1 inch.
Pueblo East senior Kain Medrano (188-6) claimed a new 4A state meet record in the discus throw. He will attend UCLA on a football scholarship.
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Class 3A
A super group of 800-meter runners clinched the 3,200 relay for Peak to Peak in a very fast time of 9:17. The Pumas clinched six consecutive 3A state titles in the event.
Holy Family boys (7:59) dipped under eight minutes to claim the boys 3,200 relay.
David Hawkins of Bayfield (51-0) was atop the podium in the shot put.
22 feet, 9 inches was the winning long jump mark by Elizabeth’s Mason Anthony, who is also a top-flight hurdler.
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Class 2A
Hotchkiss has won many relay state crowns over the years and they could grab another in the 800-meter sprint medley after finishing with the No. 1 seed during prelims with a time of 1:52.84.
Those who follow 2A track know the name “Lyons” with their immense success at the state meet. They claimed the girls 3,200 relay title with a time of 10:03. In the very next event, their foursome of boys won the same relay in 8:20.
The 3,200 champions were Chloe Veilleux (Soroco, 11:45) and Isaac Roberts (Lyons, 9:57).
Yuma’s Victor Mendoza (44-1.50 in triple jump) and Jake Chrisman (14-4 in pole vault) were crowned as 2A kings.
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Class 1A
In a thrilling girls sprint medley relay final, De Beque (1:54.88) was able to catch Springfield (1:55.32), a classification power who finished runner-up as a team last season, in the final 100 meters.
Seth Bruxvoort (Heritage Christian) shattered his teammate’s 1A state meet record in the 3,200 with a time of 9:47, 17 seconds quicker than Levi Kilian’s winning mark last season. Killian didn’t compete in the 8-lapper, but is one of the favorites to win the 800 and 1,600.
Jace Bower of Wiley captured the shot put championship with a mark of 48-3.50.
DENVER — Lewis-Palmer and Longmont are the last two Class 4A boys basketball teams standing. The Rangers and Trojans will meet for the state championship on Saturday.
