Five new teams hopped into the softball rankings this week: Grand Junction Central, Cherokee Trail, Ponderosa, Mesa Ridge, and La Junta.
The polls, voted upon by head coaches around the state, will serve as part of the seeding criteria in softball this season. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Castle View 23, Columbine 23, Rocky Mountain 21, Cherry Creek 18, Brighton 13, Douglas County 10, Hinkley 10, Arvada West 7, Highlands Ranch 7, Horizon 6, Fountain-Fort Carson 5, Mountain Range 5, Chaparral 4, Eaglecrest 3, Fort Collins 3, Rampart 2, Arapahoe 1, Ralston Valley 1, ThunderRidge 1, Valor Christian 1.
Dropped out
Columbine (8), Cherry Creek (9).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
1
Mead (12)
7-0-0
164
1
2
Wheat Ridge (5)
5-0-0
150
2
3
Holy Family (1)
3-2-0
112
3
4
Erie
4-2-0
79
4
5
Riverdale Ridge
5-1-0
56
10
6
Frederick
5-1-0
52
5
7
Silver Creek
2-4-0
35
6
8
Air Academy
4-1-0
33
7
9
Ponderosa
2-0-0
29
–
10
Mesa Ridge
5-0-0
23
–
Others receiving votes:
Pueblo South 21, Pueblo West 21, Windsor 20, Conifer 17, Pueblo Central 16, Northfield 16, Pueblo Centennial 12, Discovery Canyon 11, Roosevelt 11, Mountain View 9, Mullen 8, Berthoud 7, Coronado 5, Bear Creek 4, Pueblo County 4, Golden 3, Severance 3, Durango 1, Elizabeth 1, Evergreen 1, Niwot 1, Palisade 1, Standley Lake 1.
Dropped out
Pueblo South (8), Windsor (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
1
University (8)
5-1-0
106
1
2
Eaton (1)
5-1-0
90
2
3
Rocky Ford (1)
5-0-0
80
3
4
Limon
5-1-0
54
4
5
Lyons
3-2-0
46
7
6
Sterling
4-2-0
45
10
7
Brush
3-3-0
42
6
8
Strasburg
4-3-0
40
5
9
Lutheran (1)
5-1-0
35
9
10
La Junta
2-1-0
20
–
Others receiving votes:
Lamar 16, Peak to Peak 11, Basalt 8, Cedaredge 5, Fort Lupton 3, Montezuma-Cortez 3, Weld Central 1.
Mead softball, off to a 6-0 start, is now the No. 1 team in Class 4A after moving up from No. 9 last week.
The polls, voted upon by head coaches around the state, will serve as part of the seeding criteria in softball this season. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
The softball season saw perhaps its most impactful day of the season so far on Tuesday.
A total of eight games pitting ranked teams against one another took place, including a walk-off win and an extra-inning matchup.
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4A: (9) Mead 12, (2) Erie 4
(Steve Oathout)
The Mavericks, now 3-0, are off to the best start in program history. Mead advanced to the regional round last season.
[divider]
4A: (3) Wheat Ridge 5, (1) Holy Family 3
Elizabeth Uhl threw a complete game, allowing just two earned runs, for the Farmers, who moved to 3-0.
Down 1-0 in the third, Wheat Ridge plated two with a double from Aaliyah Arellano. The next inning, Aliyah Rothstein singled home a run, Lee Quezada drove another in with a sac fly, and Isabella Martinez plated another with a single.
Holy Family got a run back in the fourth, and another in the seventh, but the rally fell short.
Tyler Whitlock went 4-for-4 for Holy Family.
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3A: (2) Eaton 17, (3) Strasburg 16
Eaton got its offense started early with a six-run first inning, and never really looked back in a big win.
The squad also plated one more in the second, seven in the third, and three in the fourth.
Yaritza Puente, a senior, led Eaton with four RBIs as part of a 2-for-3 day, and Sadie Ross, a freshman, drove in three as she went 3-for-4.
Blayke Duncan, Brooke Beacom, Jaymie Woody and Emma Pinkstaff each had two RBIs for Eaton.
[divider]
5A: (5) Chatfield 4, (7) Legend 3
Chatfield, now 3-0, walked off for the win in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Avery Rohlman was 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Chargers, while Madison Shepard and Abigale Washco each also drove in a run.
Pitcher Isabelle DiNapoli threw the complete-game for Chatfield, striking out 10. She didn’t allow an earned run.
Legend’s Kaylyn English went 3-for-4 in the loss.
[divider]
5A: (9) Broomfield 5, (6) Rocky Mountain 3
Kenzi Garner led the way for Broomfield in the win.
At the plate, the senior tripled and homered as part of a 3-for-4 day at the plate. She drove in two runs, and scored three times herself.
In the circle, Garner threw a complete game, striking out nine.
Chloe Eiguren was 3-for-3 for the Eagles, and had an RBI. Claire Comstock also drove in a run.
Hannah Bailey had two RBIs for Rocky Mountain.
[divider]
3A: (10) La Junta 11, (7) Limon 10 (9 inn.)
The game saw a ton of offense, and fittingly, the two ranked teams battled to extra innings.
Limon grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first, only to see La Junta tie it in the bottom half.
La Junta eventually grabbed a 9-5 lead after five innings, but Limon cut it to 9-7 after six, and then took a 10-9 lead in the top of the seventh. La Junta tied it in the bottom half of that inning, and then pushed the winning run across in the ninth.
[divider]
3A: (1) University 14, (6) Brush 8
The two teams battled back and forth, trading the lead four times in the first four innings, before University broke the game open.
The Bulldogs pushed two across in the fifth, and then exploded for a seven-run sixth inning in the win.
[divider]
5A: (1) Rock Canyon vs. (2) Legacy
(PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)
In a game that was delayed by poor weather, Rock Canyon leads Legacy 7-1 in the third inning.
Rock Canyon has moved up to the No. 1 spot in this week’s Class 5A softball rankings
Each poll was released on Monday.
The polls, voted upon by head coaches around the state, will serve as part of the seeding criteria in softball this season. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Arvada West 21, Ralston Valley 19, Cherokee Trail 15, Mountain Vista 13, Grand Junction Central 12, Valor Christian 12, Cherry Creek 11, Eaglecrest 11, Brighton 10, Hinkley 10, Castle View 9, Fort Collins 8, Pomona 8, Vista Ridge 6, Fairview 5, Arapahoe 3, Douglas County 1, Fruita Monument 1, ThunderRidge 1.
Dropped out
Ralston Valley (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Holy Family (10)
2-0-0
106
1
2-0-0
2
Erie
0-1-0
69
2
0-1-0
3
Wheat Ridge
2-0-0
65
5
2-0-0
4
Silver Creek
0-1-0
58
3
0-1-0
5
Pueblo South
1-1-0
47
4
1-1-0
6
Riverdale Ridge
2-0-0
36
–
2-0-0
7
Pueblo West
1-0-0
30
–
1-0-0
8
Frederick
3-0-0
24
–
3-0-0
9
Mead
2-0-0
23
6
2-0-0
10
Air Academy
1-0-0
19
–
1-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Mullen 16, Pueblo County 15, Pueblo Central 10, Pueblo East 10, Roosevelt 10, Discovery Canyon 8, Bear Creek 7, Conifer 7, Elizabeth 7, Mountain View 7, Windsor 7, Golden 5, Mesa Ridge 4, Pueblo Centennial 4, Berthoud 3, Longmont 3, D’Evelyn 2, Evergreen 2, Rifle 1.
Dropped out
Mountain View (7), Golden (8), Pueblo County (9), Mullen (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
University (10)
1-0-0
124
1
1-0-0
2
Eaton (1)
2-0-0
106
2
2-0-0
3
Strasburg (1)
1-1-0
76
3
1-1-0
4
Sterling
2-0-0
67
6
2-0-0
5
Rocky Ford
1-0-0
62
7
1-0-0
6
Brush
1-1-0
45
4
1-1-0
7
Limon
1-0-0
40
5
1-0-0
8
Lutheran (1)
4-0-0
38
–
4-0-0
9
Lamar
1-0-0
28
–
1-0-0
10
La Junta
0-1-0
23
10
0-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Montezuma-Cortez 19, Basalt 17, Lyons 15, Fort Lupton 12, Peak to Peak 11, Resurrection Christian 7, The Academy 7, Weld Central 6, Alamosa 4, Faith Christian 4, Burlington 2, Cedaredge 1, The Classical Academy 1.
(Photo courtesy of University athletic director Ryan Wehrman)
Gunnar Ponzer always wanted to give tennis a shot. He and his friends would sometimes go to a court and hit some balls around just for fun, but rarely was there ever a chance to do it competitively.
At least until COVID-19 turned high school sports on their head. Boys tennis was one of four XDC V sports given the green light to compete in the fall. Ponzer had spent his previous falls making a name for himself on the University football team.
“A linebacker and a running back,” he boasted proudly.
In 2020 his shoulder pads and helmet have to wait. Instead, he’s lacing a pair of sneakers and grabbing a racket to play tennis at a competitive level.
“This was my best opportunity because nothing’s going on right now,” Ponzer said. “I might as well just play tennis because I’ve always wanted to.”
For Ponzer it was a no-brainer but he had no desire to do it alone. He pushed fellow junior Jack Virgil to join the team, too.
“There was a little back and forth on if I’d do it but there are still fall and winter workouts,” Virgil said. “That was something I took into consideration but overall I just wanted to stay active.”
(Photo courtesy of University athletic director Ryan Wehrman)
Athletically, this is one of the biggest ways for a high school kid to go out on a limb. As a couple of kids who have played football their entire lives, taking on a new challenge with no previous experience can be a risky decision.
“I’ve had people just ask me how it’s going and things like that,” Virgil said. “There were a few friends that asked why I was doing it and I should just be working out. But for the most part friends and coaches just ask how it’s going. There’s no real negative or positive reaction, it’s very neutral.”
If he needs reassurances, he doesn’t need to look far. University athletic director Ryan Wehrman pointed out that during a match against Riverdale Ridge there was an opposing player who also jumped at the chance to play tennis with football getting pushed back. Before long the players’ parents were talking about the shared experience.
About 30 miles away, Mead added an entire tennis program. It also got a boost in numbers when Brayden Keys, Nathan Bailey and Porter Eastin all grabbed a racket and jumped at the chance to compete in something different this fall.
Kids want to continue to be kids. And as the world and the Colorado high school sports world tries to claw its way back to normal, nothing is going to stop a group of competitive-minded athletes from finding different ways to battle.
The preseason girls softball rankings were released on Monday morning, and Columbine (5A), Holy Family (4A) and University (3A) lead the polls in their respective classifications.
The polls, voted upon by head coaches around the state, will serve as part of the seeding criteria in softball this season. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Arapahoe 37, Cherokee Trail 29, Grand Junction Central 24, Lakewood 21, Arvada West 17, Brighton 17, Hinkley 10, Valor Christian 10, Castle View 9, Loveland 9, Eaglecrest 8, Fountain-Fort Carson 8, Douglas County 7, Prairie View 7, Rampart 7, Vista Ridge 7, Grandview 5, Pomona 5, Mountain Range 4, Mountain Vista 3, Rangeview 3, Regis Jesuit 2, Cherry Creek 1, ThunderRidge 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Holy Family (5)
0-0-0
98
2
Erie (4)
0-0-0
87
3
Silver Creek (1)
0-0-0
85
4
Pueblo South (2)
0-0-0
70
5
Wheat Ridge
0-0-0
48
6
Mead
0-0-0
33
7
Mountain View
0-0-0
29
8
Golden
0-0-0
24
9
Pueblo County
0-0-0
23
10
Mullen
0-0-0
16
Others receiving votes:
Air Academy 12, Elizabeth 12, Pueblo West 11, Pueblo Central 10, Riverdale Ridge 10, Conifer 9, Ponderosa 9, Pueblo East 9, Evergreen 8, Pueblo Centennial 8, Mesa Ridge 7, Roosevelt 7, Windsor 7, Bear Creek 6, Coronado 6, D’Evelyn 5, Niwot 3, Rifle 3, Montrose 2, Northridge 2, Frederick 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
University (8)
0-0-0
80
2
Eaton
0-0-0
68
3
Strasburg (1)
0-0-0
65
4
Brush
0-0-0
57
5
Limon
0-0-0
40
6
Sterling
0-0-0
39
7
Rocky Ford
0-0-0
33
8
Basalt
0-0-0
27
9
The Academy
0-0-0
24
10
La Junta
0-0-0
16
Others receiving votes:
Lamar 14, Lyons 9, Resurrection Christian 7, Fort Lupton 6, Lutheran 5, Montezuma-Cortez 2, Valley 2, Peak to Peak 1.
A number of other schools joined a movement to turn on their stadium lights Tuesday night as they sought to provide a source of hope for their students.
Started on Monday night in Colorado, five stadiums turned on their lights for a short period of time to show students they were thinking of them, even as schools remained closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many more joined in Tuesday as the movement spread. Among those taking part in #BeTheLightCO on Tuesday were:
The lights are on at North Stadium tonight for all Adams 12 Five Star student-athletes. In a world full of uncertainty right now, we hope this provides some hope that this too shall pass. Take care of yourselves and stay healthy. We miss you all. #bethelightCO@Adams12@CHSAApic.twitter.com/dKQkKEWK4s
— Five Star Athletics & Activities (@5StarActivities) April 1, 2020
— University Bulldogs (@udogathletics) April 1, 2020
Sierra:
Let these lights be a beacon of hope & assurance that we are always thinking of our students! With these uncertain times we will always have them in our hearts & minds! #BeTheLightCO#DoingMyPartCOpic.twitter.com/L79jhk4zpn
Cedaredge Bruins! We believe in our students, and we are here for this awesome community. To honor Bruin Country, the lights at the stadium will be turned on every Tuesday from 8:00-8:30pm until we are back! Hang in there and know we are thinking of you! #bethelightCO@chsaapic.twitter.com/pqPHDaIL6j
Responding to a challenge brought by @AdamCHSAA, and @CaraSyers AHS will light the field each night from now until the end of Wish Week as a symbol of how much we are missing each Warrior, and in recognition of how isolation may impact each of us. We love you all. #bethelightCOpic.twitter.com/w5yZ5c0FeO
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Cherry Creek (3)
0-0
86
2
Regis Jesuit (4)
0-0
80
3
Heritage (2)
0-0
79
4
Rocky Mountain
0-0
61
5
Mountain Vista (1)
0-0
57
6
Valor Christian
0-0
36
7
Grandview
0-0
30
8
Rock Canyon
0-0
29
9
Douglas County
0-0
28
10
Legacy
0-0
20
Others receiving votes:
Chaparral 16, Pine Creek 16, Legend 14, Ralston Valley 14, ThunderRidge 11, Fort Collins 10, Boulder 5, Poudre 4, Windsor 3, Lakewood 2, Vista PEAK Prep 2, Arapahoe 1, Broomfield 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Cheyenne Mountain (4)
0-0
95
2
Pueblo West (5)
0-0
87
3
Silver Creek (1)
0-0
69
4
Holy Family
0-0
45
5
Fort Morgan
0-0
36
6
Golden
0-0
34
7
Longmont
0-0
28
8
Ponderosa
0-0
22
9
Wheat Ridge
0-0
21
10
Montrose
0-0
20
Others receiving votes:
Erie 18, Palmer Ridge 17, Lewis-Palmer 14, Roosevelt 12, Skyview 11, Air Academy 10, Canon City 10, Discovery Canyon 8, Falcon 8, Pueblo Central 8, Denver West 7, The Classical Academy 6, Palisade 5, Pueblo South 5, Evergreen 4, Centaurus 3, Sierra 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
University (5)
0-0
89
2
Eaton (2)
0-0
84
3
Resurrection Christian (3)
0-0
81
4
Lutheran
0-0
67
5
Sterling
0-0
43
6
Colorado Academy
0-0
34
7
Delta
0-0
31
8
La Junta
0-0
21
9
Alamosa
0-0
20
10
Peak to Peak
0-0
19
Others receiving votes:
Faith Christian 14, St. Mary’s 14, Brush 11, Bennett 4, Kent Denver 4, Manitou Springs 4, Jefferson Academy 2, Lamar 2.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Peyton (6)
0-0
74
2
Rye
0-0
59
3
Fowler
0-0
55
4
Yuma
0-0
53
5
Holly (3)
0-0
50
6
Limon
0-0
39
7
Wiggins
0-0
37
8
Dayspring Christian Academy
0-0
19
9
Dawson School
0-0
16
10
Calhan
0-0
14
Others receiving votes:
Sargent 13, Front Range Christian 11, Hotchkiss 10, Burlington 9, Dolores 8, Wray 8, Holyoke 6, Paonia 4, Denver Christian 3, Highland 3, Clear Creek 2, Rocky Ford 2.
