There are two new No. 1 teams in this week’s boys soccer rankings: Atlas Prep (3A) and Crested Butte (2A).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Fairview (10)
10-0-0
107
1
1-0-0
2
Boulder (1)
10-1-0
98
2
2-0-0
3
Arapahoe
10-0-2
77
6
2-0-0
4
Denver East
10-1-0
74
7
1-0-0
5
Legacy
9-2-0
67
5
1-1-0
6
Grandview
10-1-1
65
3
2-0-0
7
Cherokee Trail
10-1-1
40
10
2-0-0
8
Mountain Range
8-2-1
30
–
2-0-0
9
Fort Collins
7-2-1
24
4
1-1-0
10
Broomfield
7-4-0
9
8
1-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Rampart 7, Far Northeast 6, Arvada West 1.
Dropped out
Rampart (9).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Air Academy (11)
10-1-1
110
1
2-0-0
2
Durango
12-1-0
85
2
1-0-0
3
Battle Mountain
9-1-1
80
3
2-0-0
4
Skyview
12-0-0
77
7
2-0-0
5
Denver North
8-1-2
64
5
2-0-0
6
Pueblo Centennial
11-1-1
54
6
2-0-0
7
Golden
10-2-0
39
8
1-0-0
8
Niwot
7-4-1
30
–
2-0-0
9
The Classical Academy
9-3-0
24
–
2-0-0
10
Cheyenne Mountain
8-3-1
16
10
2-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Centaurus 12, Skyline 6, Discovery Canyon 4, Fort Morgan 2, Standley Lake 2.
Dropped out
Centaurus (4), Discovery Canyon (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Atlas Prep (7)
11-0-0
99
3
2-0-0
2
Kent Denver (4)
11-0-1
97
1
2-0-0
3
Roaring Fork
10-0-1
93
2
2-0-0
4
Colorado Academy
10-2-0
75
5
2-1-0
5
Delta
8-2-1
53
7
1-0-0
6
Liberty Common
9-1-0
46
4
2-0-0
7
Faith Christian
8-2-1
44
6
1-1-0
8
Eagle Ridge Academy
10-2-0
32
10
1-0-0
9
Vail Mountain
7-3-0
25
8
1-0-0
10
Salida
6-4-2
22
9
2-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Strive Prep – Smart 7, Arrupe Jesuit 4, James Irwin 3, Colorado Springs Christian 2, Jefferson Academy 1, SkyView Academy 1, The Academy 1.
Crested Butte is now the No. 1 team in the Class 2A boys soccer rankings.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Boulder (6)
5-0-0
104
1
1-0-0
2
Grandview (4)
7-0-1
100
2
2-0-0
3
Fairview (1)
5-0-0
72
5
1-0-0
4
Broomfield
4-1-0
55
3
1-0-0
5
Fort Collins
2-1-1
52
4
0-1-0
6
Arapahoe
6-0-1
50
6
1-0-0
7
Legacy
5-0-0
48
7
1-0-0
8
Rampart
4-0-0
28
–
1-0-0
9
Greeley West
4-0-1
26
–
2-0-0
10
Denver East
4-1-0
25
9
3-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Rocky Mountain 8, Valor Christian 7, Arvada West 5, Castle View 5, Fossil Ridge 4, Legend 4, Mountain Range 4, Ralston Valley 3, Chatfield 2, Regis Jesuit 2, Far Northeast 1.
Dropped out
Arvada West (8), Poudre (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Air Academy (8)
6-1-0
89
1
2-0-0
2
Regis Groff (2)
6-0-0
60
–
2-0-0
3
Steamboat Springs
5-0-0
59
4
2-0-0
4
Durango
7-1-0
47
3
2-0-0
5
Centaurus
3-2-0
45
2
0-1-0
6
Denver North
4-0-1
44
6
2-0-0
7
Discovery Canyon
6-0-0
43
9
2-0-0
8
Skyview
7-0-0
42
8
2-0-0
9
Battle Mountain
6-1-0
32
10
2-0-0
10
Fort Morgan
5-1-0
20
–
2-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Green Mountain 19, Golden 12, Pueblo Centennial 9, Skyline 9, Mullen 8, Pueblo West 6, Northfield 3, Kennedy 2, Widefield 2.
Dropped out
Green Mountain (5), The Classical Academy (7).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kent Denver (5)
5-0-1
85
1
2-0-0
2
Faith Christian
5-0-1
62
2
1-0-1
3
Roaring Fork (3)
7-0-1
48
4
3-0-0
4
Atlas Prep
5-0-0
43
8
2-0-0
5
Liberty Common (1)
2-1-0
40
5
2-1-0
6
Colorado Academy
4-1-0
36
6
2-0-0
7
Colorado Springs Christian
3-2-0
30
3
0-1-0
8
Vail Mountain
5-1-0
28
–
1-0-0
9
Delta
4-1-1
21
7
1-0-0
10
The Academy
3-3-0
19
10
1-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Peak to Peak 13, Lamar 11, James Irwin 10, DSST: Byers 7, Aurora West College Prep 6, Arrupe Jesuit 5, Coal Ridge 5, DSST: Stapleton 5, Aspen 4, Basalt 3, Manitou Springs 3, Prospect Ridge Academy 3, KIPP Denver 2, St. Mary’s 2, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 1, Jefferson Academy 1, William Smith 1, Strive Prep – Smart 1.
Three of the four boys soccer classifications have new top-ranked teams in this week’s polls, with Air Academy (4A), Kent Denver (3A) and Telluride (2A) taking over at the top.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Boulder (6)
4-0-0
92
1
1-0-0
2
Grandview (4)
5-0-1
89
3
2-0-0
3
Broomfield
3-1-0
59
5
2-0-0
4
Fort Collins
2-0-1
53
4
0-0-0
5
Fairview
4-0-0
52
6
1-0-0
6
Arapahoe
5-0-1
46
7
3-0-0
7
Legacy
4-0-0
36
–
2-0-0
8
Arvada West
3-1-0
33
9
0-1-0
9
Denver East
1-1-0
19
2
0-1-0
10
Poudre
4-0-0
14
–
1-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Valor Christian 11, Regis Jesuit 10, Hinkley 7, Greeley West 6, Legend 6, Rampart 6, Westminster 4, Mountain Range 3, Pine Creek 2, Chatfield 1, Rocky Mountain 1.
Dropped out
Legend (8), Hinkley (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Air Academy (2)
4-1-0
71
2
2-0-0
2
Centaurus (3)
3-1-0
63
1
1-1-0
3
Durango (2)
5-1-0
58
3
2-1-0
4
Steamboat Springs (1)
3-0-0
46
–
1-0-0
5
Green Mountain
6-1-0
43
6
2-1-0
6
Denver North (1)
2-0-1
36
4
1-0-1
7
The Classical Academy
3-1-0
34
5
2-0-0
8
Skyview
5-0-0
33
7
2-0-0
9
Discovery Canyon
4-0-0
22
–
2-0-0
10
Battle Mountain
4-1-0
15
10
2-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Thomas Jefferson 14, Pueblo West 13, Mullen 8, Niwot 7, Pueblo Centennial 4, Arvada 3, Fort Morgan 3, Northridge 3, Cheyenne Mountain 2, Silver Creek 2.
Dropped out
Niwot (8), Mullen (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kent Denver (4)
3-0-1
75
2
1-0-1
2
Faith Christian (2)
4-0-0
71
–
2-0-0
3
Colorado Springs Christian
3-1-0
50
4
2-1-0
4
Roaring Fork
4-0-1
47
–
2-0-0
5
Liberty Common (3)
0-0-0
45
1
0-0-0
6
Colorado Academy
2-1-0
42
3
2-1-0
7
Delta
3-1-1
29
–
0-1-1
8
Atlas Prep
3-0-0
25
–
0-0-0
9
Manitou Springs
3-1-0
22
10
1-1-0
10
The Academy
2-2-0
21
6
0-2-0
Others receiving votes:
Lamar 19, The Pinnacle 17, DSST: Stapleton 12, Peak to Peak 11, Lutheran 10, KIPP Denver 7, Aurora West College Prep 6, DSST: Byers 6, Valley 6, Arrupe Jesuit 5, Prospect Ridge Academy 4, Vail Mountain 4, Aspen 3, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 3, St. Mary’s 3, Strive Prep – Smart 3, Salida 2, Eagle Ridge Academy 1, James Irwin 1.
Dropped out
KIPP Denver (5), Arrupe Jesuit (7), The Pinnacle (8), Jefferson Academy (9).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Telluride (6)
3-1-1
30
4
1-1-1
2
Ridgway
1-1-0
19
2
0-1-0
3
Crested Butte
6-1-1
12
5
2-1-1
4
Denver Christian
2-2-1
9
3
1-1-0
5
Heritage Christian
3-1-0
7
–
2-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Fountain Valley 6, Mile High Academy 4, Dawson School 2, Evangelical Christian 1.
LAKEWOOD — During the final day of the state track and field meet at Jeffco Stadium, Fountain Fort-Carson continued a championship tradition that is nearly unmatched in Colorado.
The Trojans (100 points) won the 5A boys state crown for the fourth time in five years. Cherry Creek was the runner-up with 71.
A dynamic group of athletes featuring Jalen Lyon (200-meter dash and 400 champion), Deondre Ritter (2nd in 100), and Jequan Hogan (high jump champion, triple jump runner-up, third place in long jump) led the way in explosive events.
But, in the 800 relay final Cherry Creek was in first after three legs. Lyon, a University of Northern Colorado recruit, made up the gap on the anchor leg, helping Fountain win a thrilling race in 1 minute, 26.53 seconds. The Bruins were second in 1:26.65.
“We knew it was going to be close, because Cherry Creek always pushes us like that,” Lyon said. “I fought him at the end and that was probably the most adrenaline I’ve ever had in a race. I had my boys on my mind.”
The camaraderie and expectations within the program are elements of their success.
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“We’re a family,” Lyon said. “We make jokes, we practice hard, we push each other hard, and we talk each other up. The coaches also push us to continue the legacy.”
Following in the footsteps of older brother Christian (100 and 200 titles in 2016), Lyon joined a lengthy list of sprinters who have won multiple sprint crowns in the same season for the Trojans. Donovan Williams (2017), Tevin Donnell (2015), and Markesh Woodson (2011) all claimed championships of their own in the shorter sprint races.
That is quite a run of talent. Fountain has now tallied 20 state championships (all since 1960) in boys track and field, tying Fort Collins for the state record.
Several of the terrific Trojans, ones who won’t soon be forgotten, have signed with college programs, including Jason Farrell (hurdler, Northern Colorado) and Jequan Hogan (Texas Tech). Hogan was the New Balance national champion indoors in the triple jump as a senior.
Jawuan Tate (158-9) added 10 more points to Fountain’s total with a discus crown. Iosua Maika (49-4) finished fifth in shot put.
[divider]
Class 5A
Devin Cadena of Rock Canyon (10.70) nipped Deondre Ritter (10.71) in a fast 100 final. The Jaguars tasted plenty of success this weekend.
Liberty veteran Andrew Doctor did the same to Overland’s Joel Nyatusah with times of 14.35 to 14.38 in the high hurdle final.
Michael Mooney (3,200 champion Thursday) capped a terrific career for Broomfield with a winning dive against Mountain Vista’s Carter Dillon in the 1,600. 4:16.15 and 4:16.17 were the final marks for the pair of Division I recruits.
The Broomfield Eagles also produced the 300 hurdle champion in Mitchell Gorman (37.83).
Highlands Ranch junior Drake Nugent launched a winning throw of 55 feet, 9.5 inches in shot put.
Fort Collins was exceptional in triple jump, finishing 1st (junior Allam Bushara, 49-9.25, outstanding mark), 3rd, 4th, and 8th. Micaylon Moore, the third place finisher, won long jump as well.
[divider]
Class 4A
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Silver Creek (3:23) finished runner-up in the 1,600 relay behind Mullen (3:22). That added enough points to their final tally to secure their first-ever title in track and field. The school’s last team championship came in football in 2012. The Raptors (60.5 points) pulled away from Pueblo South (52), Pine Creek (51), and Valor Christian (50).
Silver Creek’s James Lee (University of Pennsylvania recruit) won the 800 on Friday and finished as the runner-up in the 1,600 on Saturday as they received further contributions in distance, jumps, pole vault, throws, and relays. In cross country, the Raptors had gotten close to winning titles each of the last two seasons with Lee, Brock Dykema (Colorado State), and Logan Simington (Arkansas State) all among the top talents in the classification.
Pueblo South did win the 400 relay in a thriller over Mullen with times of 42.44 and 42.47 seconds.
185-9 was the winning mark in discus for Kain Medrano of Pueblo East. That surpassed a 28-year old classification record of 183-11 by Ron Wach of Estes Park.
Medrano’s teammate, Luc Andrada, claimed the 100 crown in 10.66 seconds.
Angelo Hurtado of Roosevelt cleared the 110 hurdles quicker than anyone in 4A with a time of 14.48.
Tyrese Van Horne (21.63) added to a rich tradition in sprints for the Harrison Panthers with a 200 championship. He’s only a sophomore.
Sensational underclassmen Cole Sprout of Valor Christian (4:14) responded to a strong move by James Lee (4:19) with a fast 300-meter finish to win the four-lapper.
Valor’s Dane Palazzo and Pine Creek’s Wyatt Wieland shared the 300 hurdles crown with a time of 38.01.
Yet another champion was crowned from Colorado Springs as Air Academy senior Josiah Molascon (14-6) won pole vault.
[divider]
Class 3A
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Bayfield’s Carl Heide (14.65) was unmatched in the 110 hurdles. He also won the 300 hurdles in 38.69 (state record in 3A yesterday). Heide provided a boatload of points for a program that has one other track championship in their history (girls in 1991).
Bayfield tallied 79.5 points to win their first boys track title, but the Wolverines have corralled plenty of hardware in other seasons this school year while winning 2A football and 3A basketball. The Classical Academy was the runner-up with 73 points.
Lutheran, always a major presence, especially in sprints, had won four team championships in a row (three in 3A, one in 2A).
Seven Lindsey of Kent Denver topped all challengers in the 100 (10.74) and 200 (21.78).
Junior Chad Jackson, an Alamosa stalwart, completed 400 meters in first place with a time of 49.91.
Woodland Park junior Skye Ciccarelli (6-4) conquered high jump.
No one was able to better RidgeView Academy senior Inaujee Ison in long jump (21-2.25).
The Spartans of Berthoud (43.18) celebrated a victorious 400 relay.
Ryan Moen, a senior for TCA who also won the 3,200, had just enough foot speed to outlean Denver West sophomore Yasin Sado in the 1,600. Sado was also the runner-up in the 800. 4:25.72 and 4:25.75 were the final times.
[divider]
Class 2A
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The team competition between Resurrection Christian and Lyons was close, but the Cougars displayed the necessary depth to outlast the Boulder County power. The group donned in white and blue racked up 63 points, holding off both Lyons (58) and Cedaredge (58).
Rez had earned runner-up honors in recent years, but had never before won state. That changed this weekend with placers in most events on and off the track. Freshman Tanner Applebee (21-3.5) was the long jump champion on Thursday for a program that started only seven years ago.
Patrick Scoggins of Rangely (51.02) grabbed gold in the 400. The senior had an illustrious career with a number of state medals.
Ben Kelley further cemented his status as one of the greatest 2A competitors in state history in any event by going back-to-back in the 1,600 (4:23). The leap team was led by junior Grant Redmond (6-5 high jump) of Soroco, Kelley’s teammate.
14.90 was the winning mark in 110 hurdles by Austin Davis of Byers.
Michael Morgan of Buena Vista (11.23) was the 100 sprint king.
Hoehne has a veteran 300 hurdler in Jacob Yates (39.50) who proved his worth as a champion.
22.62 was the winning 200 time by Ty Grant of Cedaredge, continuing a proud tradition in sprints for the program. The 400 relay (45.12) and the 1,600 relay (3:30.01) crowns were also claimed by Cedaredge.
[divider]
Class 1A
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Heritage Christian boys compiled a monstrous total of 169 points to win their fifth state championship in six years.
Junior Levi Kilian (1:59, 4:34, 10:04) swept the 1A distance events and shattered 1A state meet records in the 1,600 and 3,200. Isaiah Bowsher (4:38) also broke a state meet record that was previously held by Ryan Dollerschell of Prairie in the 1,600 (4:42 in 2014). Seth Bruxvoort (4:45) and Keaton Case (4:47) ensured the Eagles of a sweep of the top four places.
HCA also flourished in the sprints as Josh Damir (11.28, 22.87) swept the 100 and 200. He was the runner-up in the 300 hurdles. The Eagles finished the meet with a victorious 1,600 relay of 3:35.
Cotopaxi junior Arlo Garner (15.42, 39.56) was the title winner of the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles.
Holly sophomore Alex Ramos (50.72) proved his worth in the 400 as an underclassmen. He could be a force for years to come.
North Park (45.68) had a stronger foursome in the 400 relay than anyone else in 1A.
Pole vaulters will have to deal with Pikes Peak Christian again next year. Juniors Tommy Harmon (12-3) and Sam Smith (11-3) were wildly impressive in earning gold and silver.
Rock Canyon’s Emily Sloan. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
LAKEWOOD — Emily Sloan knows Class 4A’s top hurdler well.
Nearly a decade ago, Sloan and Anna Hall were already teammates in a club track program. They have been great friends ever since.
Now donning the black and gold of Rock Canyon and the blue and white of Valor Christian, the tandem has flourished into Colorado’s premier hurdlers.
During the state track preliminary rounds of the 300 hurdles at Jeffco Stadium, Sloan saw her friend break her Colorado record with a time of 40.76 seconds, bettering the Jaguar’s time of 40.77 last week at the Continental League Championships. Then, Sloan managed to flip the script on Hall and take her record back in her 5A prelim with a new all-classification best of 40.60.
In a terrific display of sportsmanship and a sign of the friends’ bond, Hall cheered loudly on the infield during Sloan’s attempt at the feat.
“I definitely had extra motivation going into that race, because Anna’s my best friend,” Sloan, a senior, said. “I’m happy she got it, but I definitely wanted to take it back from her. She’s a great competitor though. We’ll push each other throughout the years.
“We’re sisters almost.”
Sloan and Hall, still only a junior, tallied the second and third best times in the nation for the 2018 season. As impressive as Friday’s hurdle races happened to be, the prep stars have a laundry list of other accomplishments.
Sloan chose to sign with the University of Oregon, having already claimed four state titles (three in a row in 100 hurdles) going into her final season for the Jaguars.
“It’s been a dream school of mine since I was little,” she said. “I knew that would be the best place to give me a shot at my goals.”
She has ambitions of winning an individual and team national championship at Oregon, but before she embarks on even greater goals she’ll be putting the final touches on an illustrious prep career on Saturday in the 100 hurdles (No. 1 seed), 300 hurdles, and 200 (No. 2 seed at 23.93 seconds).
Valor Christian’s Anna Hall. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
As for Hall, the junior has been a national champion indoors in the high jump and pentathlon, along with being tabbed the defending state champion in both hurdles in 4A.
On top of that, she claimed her first long jump state crown on Friday with a mark of 18 feet, 9.75 inches. Valor Christian’s latest elite female in track could have a flurry of accomplishments coming her way at the prep level and beyond.
As usual, the 4A and 5A competitions delivered plenty of eye-opening performances. Denver East girls continued their domination in sprints with a time of 46.51 seconds in the 400-meter relay in prelims, tying the state record held by George Washington from 2007. Later on in the meet, despite not running Arria Minor in the final, the Angels won the 800 relay (1:40.25).
Denver East and Grandview both shattered the all-classification state records (previously held by George Washington) in the 800 meter sprint medley relay with marks of 1:42.62 and 1:42.89. Freshman Kyairra Reigh ran the 400 anchor leg for East.
The beauty of track and field is that times and marks never lie though. With competitors from all five classifications testing themselves against the state’s finest athletes at Jeffco Stadium, small school competitors sometimes prove themselves as the best in Colorado.
Soroco’s Ben Kelley.
Soroco senior Ben Kelley shattered the 2A state record in the 800 three consecutive seasons at Jeffco Stadium (1:55.61 in 2016, 1:54.75 in 2017, 1:52.77 in 2018). He also broke the classification record in the 1,600 with a time of 4:17.23 at the St. Vrain Invite last week, a best time held by Paul Roberts of Lyons in 2016 (4:17.35).
Kelley also claimed state crowns in cross country as a senior, the 1,600 as a junior, and the 3,200 as a junior. He has chosen to pursue collegiate running at Columbia University in the Ivy League.
Oh, and the sensational Soroco harrier even ran the fastest 800 time in all classifications on Friday. Kelley feels inspired by the town he lives in.
“I come from a super small community,” he said. “We have less than 90 kids in our school, so we’re practically 1A. We’re like a family. We get a lot of support from the community. Even the teachers, people who aren’t necessarily associated with athletics, they always keep up with it.”
The state track and field meet will resume at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
[divider]
Class 5A notes:
Fairview junior Marlena Preigh (2:09.19) fended off Broomfield senior Madison Mooney (2:10.19) and Highlands Ranch sophomore Bryce Johansen (2:10.55) in the 800-meter run.
Grandview senior Kylee Harr (5-10) won high jump with an impressive mark.
Landon Rast, a senior for the Legend Titans, won the 800 in 1:53.03.
Fountain-Fort Carson boys (1:26.53) beat a game Cherry Creek (1:26.65) contingent in the 800 relay. Fountain also finished first in prelims of the 1,600 relay (3:17.85).
Class 4A notes:
Valor Christian girls won the 800 relay (1:41.89). They might also claim the team title on Saturday.
Discovery Canyon junior Liberty Ricca (10:57) and Valor Christian sophomore Cole Sprout (9:22) topped all competitors in the 3,200 races.
Mead girls (1:45.17) continued their high-level relay performances with a sprint medley championship.
Niwot freshman Taylor James (2:13.55) strided away from everyone in the two-lap 800 final. Former Niwot great Elise Cranny holds the classification state meet record with a time of 2:08.
Vista Ridge senior Raymon Harper has been terrific in all three jumps, finishing first in long jump (23-3) and second in high jump (6-9). He was also the winner of the triple jump on Thursday.
Garrett Martin, a Standley Lake veteran, cleared 6 feet, 10 inches to conquer high jump.
Pine Creek boys were victorious in the 800 relay (1:28.07).
Silver Creek superstar James Lee (1:54.25) is a back-to-back 800 state champion.
Class 3A notes:
TCA senior Erika Willis, the sister of Colorado record holder Andrea, broke her own 3A state meet record in pole vault. Last season she cleared 12-5, but this year 12-9 won it over Platte Canyon’s Hayley Rayburn (12-6).
The Classical Academy also won the girls 800 relay (1:43.91).
Sierra senior Alexandria Burns brought a triple jump title back to Colorado Springs with a mark of 36-5.
Maggi Congdon of Steamboat Springs (2:14) and Rasce Englehardt (1:56.41) claimed the 800 crowns. Denver West sophomore Yasin Sado (1:56.45) was barely second in the two-lapper.
Pagosa Springs senior Keena Murphy (127-10) topped the field in girls discus.
Faith Christian senior Reece Davidson finished first in another throwing event (53-4.50 in shot put).
Lutheran boys broke a 16-year record held by Yuma in the 800 relay with a blistering 1:28.01. The previous 3A record was 1:28.31. Lutheran girls won the sprint medley relay as well (1:49.43).
Bayfield senior Carl Heide (38.36) shattered the 3A state meet record in the 300 hurdles. The record was from 1995 and held by Ben Myers of Colorado Springs Christian (38.39).
Class 2A notes:
Telluride senior Soleil Gaylord (11:16) won her third consecutive title in the 3,200 with a 37-second winning margin.
Monika Williams anchored Denver Christian to a victorious sprint medley relay (1:51.67).
Peyton junior Kaylee Kearse (2:18) pulled away from the field in the 800. Peyton also won the 800 relay in 1:48.93.
Logan Kuskie of Lyons continued a family tradition of success in pole vault with a gold medal (11-2).
Holyoke sophomore Taeryn Trumper (18-1.75) was the long jump champion.
Burlington senior Alex Bauer won girls shot put (39-2.25).
Cedaredge (1:32.02) claimed the boys 800 relay.
Rocky Ford senior Cody Danley (9:42) put his foot on the gas in the final 1,600 as Lyons sophomore Isaac Roberts (9:55) and Custer County freshman Micah Zeller (10:04) showed plenty of distance promise for future years while rounding out the top three in the 3,200.
Brady Lenz of Sanford outperformed everyone in triple jump (43-2.5).
Crowley County junior Lane Walter (160-1) was terrific in boys discus.
Jake Chrisman of Yuma won pole vault (13-4).
Class 1A notes:
Springfield nipped the 1A state record in the girls sprint medley relay with a time of 1:53.88. JT Borunda also won boys discus (136-6) for Springfield. They were also champions in the girls 800 relay (1:50.89).
Heritage Christian once again dominated distance events as Leeann Wagner (2:25) and Levi Kilian (1:59.13) crushed the 800 races. Isaiah Bowsher finished runner-up in the 800 as well.
43-1.5 won boys triple jump (Jade Cass of Pawnee).
Genoa-Hugo swept gold and silver in girls shot put as Heather Graham (39-5.5) and Ryely Smartt (36-8) were first and second.
Matalynn Dawson (Miami-Yoder) was impressive in triple jump with a mark of 34-6.
Jerraldawn Rector of Simla (5-1) beat Dawson in a jump-off in the girls high jump discipline as both cleared 5-1.
Plateau Valley (10:28.66) shattered the 1A girls state record in the 3,200 relay. Heritage Christian boys did the same (8:23.44).
Haxtun boys (1:32.93) broke the classification record in the 800 relay.
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).
