Five teams joined this week’s boys soccer rankings: Hinkley (5A); Durango, Kennedy and Pueblo West (4A); and The Academy (3A).
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
Broomfield (4)
1-0-0
72
1
1-0-0
2
Boulder (2)
2-0-0
70
4
2-0-0
3
Denver East
0-0-0
58
3
0-0-0
4
Fort Collins
1-0-0
45
2
1-0-0
5
Grandview (1)
2-0-0
43
5
2-0-0
6
Fairview
2-0-0
28
6
2-0-0
7
Arapahoe (1)
1-0-0
27
7
1-0-0
8
Cherry Creek
0-1-0
17
8
0-1-0
9
Far Northeast
0-1-0
15
9
0-1-0
10
Hinkley
0-0-0
11
–
0-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Legacy 10, Legend 8, Doherty 5, Overland 5, Rampart 5, Adams City 4, Westminster 4, Cherokee Trail 3, Grand Junction 3, Ralston Valley 3, Pine Creek 2, Liberty 1, Rangeview 1.
Dropped out
Grand Junction (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Air Academy (6)
1-1-0
76
1
1-1-0
2
Centaurus (1)
0-0-0
61
2
0-0-0
3
Niwot
1-0-0
54
3
1-0-0
4
The Classical Academy
0-0-0
46
4
0-0-0
5
Durango (1)
2-0-0
40
–
2-0-0
6
Denver North
0-0-0
29
5
0-0-0
7
Kennedy
1-0-0
21
–
1-0-0
8
Skyline
0-1-0
19
6
0-1-0
9
Littleton
1-0-0
17
8
1-0-0
10
Pueblo West
3-0-0
14
–
3-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Battle Mountain 10, Green Mountain 8, Montrose 7, Palmer Ridge 7, Sand Creek 7, Cheyenne Mountain 5, Silver Creek 5, Mullen 3, Thomas Jefferson 3, Discovery Canyon 2, Lewis-Palmer 2, Coronado 1, Northfield 1, Pueblo Centennial 1, Steamboat Springs 1.
Broomfield (5A), Air Academy (4A), Liberty Common (3A) and Dawson School (2A) are on top of the preseason rankings in boys soccer this season.
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
1
Broomfield (7)
0-0-0
95
2
Fort Collins
0-0-0
74
3
Denver East (2)
0-0-0
67
4
Boulder
0-0-0
58
5
Grandview (1)
0-0-0
57
6
Fairview
0-0-0
49
7
Arapahoe
0-0-0
46
8
Cherry Creek
0-0-0
33
9
Far Northeast
0-0-0
23
10
Grand Junction
0-0-0
18
Others receiving votes:
Legacy 9, Rangeview 6, Fossil Ridge 3, Regis Jesuit 3, Mountain Vista 2, Ralston Valley 2, Rock Canyon 2, Aurora Central 1, Hinkley 1, Legend 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Air Academy (6)
0-0-0
78
2
Centaurus (2)
0-0-0
74
3
Niwot
0-0-0
58
4
The Classical Academy
0-0-0
45
5
Denver North
0-0-0
41
6
Skyline
0-0-0
37
7
Montrose
0-0-0
30
8
Littleton
0-0-0
18
9
Battle Mountain
0-0-0
13
10
Steamboat Springs
0-0-0
10
Others receiving votes:
Durango 8, Cheyenne Mountain 6, Kennedy 6, Standley Lake 6, Silver Creek 4, Sand Creek 3, Pueblo Centennial 2, Thomas Jefferson 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Liberty Common (8)
0-0-0
94
2
Kent Denver
0-0-0
83
3
Colorado Springs Christian (1)
0-0-0
76
4
Colorado Academy
0-0-0
75
5
Jefferson Academy (1)
0-0-0
51
6
Peak to Peak
0-0-0
28
7
KIPP Denver
0-0-0
20
8
Salida
0-0-0
16
9
Arrupe Jesuit
0-0-0
15
10
Roaring Fork
0-0-0
13
Others receiving votes:
Coal Ridge 11, Delta 10, St. Mary’s 10, Vail Mountain 10, DSST: Stapleton 9, The Academy 9, Atlas Prep 6, Manitou Springs 4, Lutheran 3, The Pinnacle 3, Faith Christian 2, SkyView Academy 2.
The 2018 all-state baseball teams honor the best players in the sport as judged by the leagues and coaches. They 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.
Player and coach of the year was also selected by a vote of the coaches.
[divider]
Class 5A
Mountain Vista’s Sam Ireland. (Tim Bourke/MaxPreps)
Player of the year: Sam Ireland, Mountain Vista
Coach of the year: Ron Quintana, Mountain Vista
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Brayden Brooks
Mountain Range
Senior
Garrett Declue
Arapahoe
LHP/CF
Senior
Riley Egloff
Heritage
RHP/3B
Senior
Sam Ireland
Mountain Vista
RHP/3B/1B
Junior
Niklavs Levensteins
Ralston Valley
3B/2B
Senior
Jack Liffrig
Mountain Vista
LHP
Senior
Justin Olson
Pine Creek
1B/LHP
Senior
Tanner O’Tremba
Cherry Creek
Zach Paschke
Mountain Vista
INF
Senior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Justin Boyd
Legend
SS/CF
Junior
Matthew Boyd
Regis Jesuit
Senior
Riley Cornelio
Pine Creek
SS/RHP
Junior
Brandon Dryer
Arapahoe
LF/RHP/2B
Senior
Hayden Heinze
Rocky Mountain
OF
Senior
AJ Jergensen
Ralston Valley
OF
Junior
Arian Jimenez-Quezada
Heritage
SS/3B/RHP
Senior
Kasey Koppelmaa
Chatfield
LHP/OF
Senior
Andrew Morris
Monarch
2B/P
Senior
Josh Thompson
Highlands Ranch
P
Senior
Honorable mention:
Luke Bailey, Chaparral, OF, Senior
Jake Barber, Cherokee Trail, Senior
Simon Baumgardt, Lakewood, P/SS, Junior
Tyler Boggs, Fruita Monument, C, Senior
Alex Champagne, Heritage, SS/2B, Freshman
Colten Chase, Cherokee Trail, Senior
Dorsey Chatham, Boulder,
Pete Chronowski, Heritage, LHP/1B, Junior
Benjamin Derosiers, Castle View, LHP/1B/CF, Senior
Ozzie Dominguez, Aurora Central, P/1B, Senior
John Emerson, Denver East, Junior
Tanner Garner, Broomfield, Senior
Zach Goodman, Arapahoe, C/OF/UTIL, Senior
Jake Greiving, Legend, C/OF/3B, Junior
Zach Harstad, Loveland, 1B/LHP/OF, Junior
Calvin Hunt, Ralston Valley, RHP, Junior
Jenner Kehe, Lakewood, P/OF/SS, Sophomore
Cam Kennedy, Smoky Hill, CF/3B/2B, Junior
Reese Lansville, ThunderRidge, RHP/INF, Senior
Cale Lansville, ThunderRidge, RHP/INF, Freshman
Grant Magill, Mountain Vista, C, Junior
Jayden Martinez, Grandview, OF/DH, Junior
Nick Merone, Rock Canyon,
Trey Morrill, Fruita Monument, P/OF, Senior
Cade Nelson, Rocky Mountain, INF/P, Junior
Drew Norsen, Fort Collins, OF/LHP, Sophomore
Jay Onken, Pine Creek, OF/RHP, Senior
Ryan Overboe, Legacy, LHP/1B/RF, Senior
Quentin Parr, Cherry Creek,
Mike Polson, Mountain Range, Senior
Henry Rock, Fairview, Junior
Tyler Schultz, Cherry Creek,
Frankie Shearn, Columbine, OF, Senior
Ross Smith, Legacy, RHP/RF, Senior
Drew Stahl, Mountain Vista, INF, Junior
Ryan Stohr, Dakota Ridge, RHP/1B, Junior
Zach Sulyma, Eaglecrest, 3B/C, Senior
David Velasquez, Brighton, SS/P/3B, Senior
Wyatt Wendell, Rock Canyon,
Reggie Williams, Douglas County, Senior
Kevin Zapanta, Overland, 2B/1B/RHP, Senior
[divider]
Class 4A
Valor Christian’s Josh Danyliw. (Paul DiSalvo/MaxPreps)
GREELEY — University emerged as the lone unbeaten in the Class 3A baseball state tournament with a 7-6 win in extra innings against Faith Christian.
“That’s a rollercoaster,” University coach Casey Miller said. “That is an absolute rollercoaster of emotions.”
Grayson Swanson grounded a single to left field to give the walkoff win after a 6-0 lead was erased.
“Just get something in play,” Swanson said on his approach. “When you have no outs with runners on first and second with the guys behind me, even if I don’t get on base, I know that my brothers behind me — I know that every single one of them has the ability to win that game right there.”
Koy Jorgensen started on the mound for University, but only had 30 pitches available due to pitch count rules after he pitched on Friday. Jorgensen turned in 2 1/3 shutout innings, before being replaced by Lee Strang.
“I thought he’d be the pace setter. I didn’t know how good he was going to be, but he did awesome,” Miller said. “That’s what we talked about as a coaching staff. We got together and said, ‘Who gives us the best chance early?’ No doubt that he was the guy to go to there.”
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 4-0 lead before Faith Christian was able to record an out. Grayson Swanson grounded a ball to short that got through Faith Christian’s Macklin Brockmeyer to score a run. Then, Strang cleared the bases with a triple in the gap, and scored on a throwing error on the relay.
“Last year, they beat us in regionals and knocked us out before we could even get here,” Swanson said. “I knew from that moment that I wanted to get this team again. When we got off to that 4-0 lead, it felt great.”
University grabbed another run by capitalizing on Faith Christian mistakes. After a passed ball on a strikeout and infield single that didn’t reach the pitcher’s mound, Nolan Johnson beat out a double play to push another run across in the third inning.
(Cannon Casey/CHSAANow.com)
A Swanson solo homerun to left field made it 6-0 University.
Faith Christian wouldn’t go easy, as University made it’s own mistakes. Two walks, a passed ball, a balk, and the first hit of the game closed the lead to 6-2 in the fifth inning.
“I knew they weren’t going to hand it to us after that,” Miller said. “There was a lot of baseball left, and I tried relaying that message to these guys that we still have to plug away. I knew they’d give us a mouthful. I didn’t want that much of one, but I knew it would be tough.”
The Eagles were able to post two scoreless innings after Swanson’s solo shot, then loaded the bases in the seventh.
University saw it’s 6-2 lead turn to 6-4, then 6-6 before the inning ended. The Bulldogs were playing for just one run in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t push it across.
They got their run in the eighth.
“A little rollover to left field gets it done,” Miller said. “He is our power guy, and then a rollover wins it. That’s baseball.”
In the loser’s bracket, Lamar stayed alive, beating Peak to Peak 15-13. Peak to Peak led 8-5 after five.
Eaton exploded with two seven-run innings in a 17-2 win over Lutheran. The Reds’ Trent Kramer lost a no-hit bid with no outs in the fifth inning.
The Final 4 will take place at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. next Friday at Butch Butler.
The Bulldogs went 2-0 with victories over Delta and Eaton during the first day of the tournament. Likewise, Faith Christian also went unbeaten by beating Kent Denver and Lamar.
The two squads will matchup as the two remaining unbeaten teams at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Butch Butler in Greeley. The winner of that game will assure itself a shot at playing for the 3A championship.
In its first game, which went extra innings, University used a large eighth-inning to score five runs to come up with the late 7-2 victory over Delta.
“Every win is big at this level, but just the way that we came back and the way that we scratched and clawed to be able to climb out of it has continued to work for us,” Bulldogs coach Casey Miller said.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
After their victory over Delta, the Bulldogs secured a 8-6 victory over Eaton. The victory was highlighted by a large comeback in the first inning, and Bulldogs pitcher Colton Widler having a phenomenal game.
Eaton jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning, but University started their comeback bid in the third inning with a three-run frame. The Bulldogs then tied the game in the fourth, and took the lead for good with two more runs in the fifth. That put them up 6-4.
“It was tough, because you never like to give any team a four-run lead, especially a good team like Eaton,” Miller said. “At that point I just challenged the guys to put balls in play and make something happen.”
The performance of Bulldogs pitcher Colton Widler helped his team secure the win over Eaton, which earlier beat Peak to Peak 13-3 thanks in large part to 12 combined runs in the third and fourth innings.
“He laid it all out there, and he is one of those guys that every pitch is high intensity,” Miller said. “There is no middle ground with him.”
Faith Christian beat Kent Denver 7-5 thanks to a six-inning start from Tyler Mattingley, and the senior also had two RBIs as the plate.
In the second game, the Eagles got a complete game from Michael Thorne, who struck out 12 and allowed just two hits as his team beat Lamar 2-0.
Earlier, Lamar rallied to beat Lutheran 5-4 as Dalton Chandler struck out 18 batters.
The 3A state tournament resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday with games at University High School and Butch Butler.
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.
[divider]
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).
[divider]
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.
[divider]
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).
[divider]
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).
[divider]
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).
Before this year, Peak to Peak had only sent individuals to the state tournament. Despite only having a stand-in head coach, every girl from Peak to Peak played like a seasoned veteran.
“We are a very confident team,” said No. 2 singles champ, Trini Somasundaram. “We’ve had a great season and I think that when our coach quit, it really motivated us to come out and be successful.”
At the end of the first day, Peak to Peak was in fourth place, so they knew they would have to work hard to make their way up the leader board. With three singles and four doubles teams, Peak to Peak put up some impressive numbers on the second day.
Towards the end of the day, Holy Family and D’Evelyn had started to make a comeback. But they both fell short when Peak to Peaks No. 3 singles Tiffany Tran came up big with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Holy Family’s An Tran. Tran, who was fighting a nasty cold, supplied a win that would provide Peak to Peak with enough points to seal the first-place team win.
The win was big in team points as it provided Peak to Peak with a steady lead that would last the rest of the tournament.
“I didn’t want to pay attention to our overall team score during my last match,” said Tran. “My team didn’t pressure, and they helped by coming over and cheering me on, they were like my own personal cheerleading squad.
“We’re like a family, even if that sounds really cheesy. Playing tennis, you are playing individually, but it’s different playing with this team and I’m so happy to be a part of it.”
(Kelsey Lowry/CHSAANow.com)
Also coming in clutch were the Somasundaram twins who both won first in their respective divisions and lead their team to the trophy. These No. 1 and No. 2 singles wins provided Peak to Peak with a firm foundation.
Playing side by side in No. 1 and No. 2 singles finals, the twins used their bond and competitiveness to help motivate each other to victory.
“I kept wanting to watch her play and I did whenever I would get a break,” Trini said. “I’m so happy I won first, now I have all the bragging rights.”
Peak to Peak finished the tournament with 55 points. D’Evelyn finished in a close second with 51, and at third was Holy Family with 46 points.
Dawson also won the team sportsmanship award for the second consecutive year.
Peak to Peak’s Trisha Somasundaram dominate in No. 1 singles final.
Trisha looked like a comforatable pro in a 6-2, 6-2 win over Steamboat Spring’s Mae Thorp.
“I have no words,” she said. “I can’t believe that this happened.”
The win was big in team points, even if Trisha didn’t get the bragging rights over her sister.
“Twin power,” Trisha said. “We were talking to each other and telling each other we both got this and that we used that twin power to both be successful.”
“When I saw Trini winning, I was like we both got this,” Trisha said. “I was kinda freaking out when I saw my sister win and all the cheers, so then I was like it’s my turn and I want the cheers now.”
Around a few minutes after the cheers for Trini, all eyes and applause went to Trisha who won her first No. 1 singles championship.
“I couldn’t have done this without the support of my team, my sister and parents, and all the volunteer coaches,” Trisha said.
Somasundaram knew that the match wouldn’t be a easy one though as she knew she was facing Thorp who had been in the final last year.
“I thought since I won against Mia Oliver that I had a good chance of beating Thorp,” Trisha said. “I knew I had to go in there confident and not let my nerves get the best of me.”
With volleys that seemed to last minutes, both girls played with determination and uncanny skill. Somasundaram came in with the right motivation that helped her claim the championship.
In No. 3 singles, D’Evelyn’s Elisa Dean won (6-1, 7-5) her title over Colorado Academy’s Amanda Funk.
Holy Family’s Ciara Donovan and Lexi Licata defeated Natalie Ocrutt and Alexsie Vieyra of University (7-6, 6-2) to claim the No. 1 doubles championship in a hard fought match.
Steamboat Springs’ Mae Thorp. (Kelsey Lowry/CHSAANow.com)
GREELEY — Familiar faces are leading the pack in the Class 3A state tennis tournament‘s No. 1 singles draw as the semifinals approach.
Steamboat Springs sophomore Mae Thorp, who made it to the finals last year but was defeated by Sammy Moore-Thompson of Colorado Academy, will be getting a shot at redemption as she has made it back to the semifinals.
“My goal is to make it to state all four years,” said Thorp. “I’m excited that I have done it the last two years, plus its an awesome feeling to have won regionals this year too.”
The semifinals will begin at 8 a.m. on Friday. The tournament has been modified to a two-day format in order to avoid bad weather on Saturday.
Thorp started the day with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Colorado Springs Christian’s Tristen VanDeVeer and defeated Pueblo County’s Erin Mauro in the quarterfinals (6-1, 6-0). Thorp will go against Jules Thompson, a freshman at Colorado Springs School, in the semifinals.
“This season has really helped prepare me for these games,” said Thorp. “We played a lot of 5A schools so that really has helped me play against some of these hard hitters.”
Peak to Peak’s Trisha Somasundaram. (Kelsey Lowry/CHSAANow.com)
Also making a return to the semifinals is Peak to Peak’s Trisha Somasundaram. In last year’s tournament Somasundaram also fell victim to Moore-Thompson in the semifinals.
Despite losing in the semifinals last year, Somasundaram’s focus on Friday is not on winning, but on enjoying herself and having fun.
“I have been playing tennis since I was four years old,” said a smiling Somasundaram. “If you would have told me I would be playing in the state tournament, I wouldn’t have believed you because I just play for fun.”
Sometimes the key to success is to just forget the stress and stakes and focus on having fun. That strategy has helped Somasundaram as she has gone undefeated this year.
Somasundaram started the day with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Lutheran’s Gabrielle Mosley despite her nerves.
“I was really nervous when I first started out,” said Somasundaram. “I just had to tell myself that I got this and continued to motivate myself to keep playing like I know I can.”
Somasundaram ended the day with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Julia Giltner of Holy Family in the quarterfinals. Somasundaram will face Mia Oliver of Denver North in the semifinals.
“Despite feeling extremely exhausted from this heat, I’m glad I was able to keep my composure,” Somasundaram said. “At the beginning of the season I told myself that I was going to try my best in all my matches, but that I was mainly just playing for fun.”
Somasundaram was not only dominant on Thursday, but her team was also as they showed up and played well. This is the first time that Peak to Peak has had their whole team qualify for state.
“I’m extremely proud of our team this year,” said Somasundaram. “Last year it was just me and my sister, but to have our whole team here with us is just amazing and the highlight of our season.”
After Day 1, Holy Family holds the team lead with 17 points.
D’Evelyn is in second with 16 points, and Dawson is in a close third with 14 points.
The No. 1 doubles field is set with University’s Orcutt/Vieyra playing Dawson’s Blank/Shehan. Holy Family’s Donovan/Licata will face D’Evelyn’s Lee/Sanders.
In No. 2 singles, Somasundaram’s sister Trini will face D’Evelyn’s Angi Reed. Aspen’s Niko Hansen will take on Paige Giltner of Holy Family.
On the other side, No. 2 doubles will consist of D’Evelyn’s Perkes/Jennings playing Griffith/Salberg of Eaton. Colorado Academy’s Lin/Wolf-Tinsman will compete against Dawson’s Ramos/Rinard.
No. 3 singles will have another Peak to Peak and D’Evelyn matchup with Elisa Dean and Tiffany Tran. Colorado Academy’s Amanda Funk will compete against Aspen’s Macy Hopkinson.
No. 3 doubles will consist of Dawson’s Shehan/Joris against Bonthron/Hawley of D’Evelyn. The other match is Brakhage/Lin of Peak to Peak and Smolky/Lindoefer of Holy Family.
No. 4 doubles has Holy Family’s Coster/Mojica facing Dawson’s Garfinkle/Devereux. Opposite them is University’s Hawkins/Wood playing Pueblo County’s Hanratty/Gomez.
Canon City 6, Fort Morgan 5, Thomas Jefferson 4, Kennedy 3, Palisade 3, Durango 1.
Dropped out:
Canon City (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Lamar (8)
17-1
98
2
2-0
2
Faith Christian
14-1
84
3
4-0
3
University (1)
15-2
80
1
2-1
4
Sterling (1)
11-4
63
6
3-0
5
Eaton
10-3
62
5
3-0
6
La Junta
11-5
34
4
0-2
7
Peak to Peak
11-4
30
8
3-2
8
Valley
9-7
23
7
0-2
9
Colorado Academy
13-3
20
–
3-0
10
Alamosa
13-4
19
–
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Resurrection Christian 16, The Academy 7, Buena Vista 6, Delta 6, Weld Central 2.
Dropped out:
Kent Denver (9), Buena Vista (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Peyton (7)
14-1
70
1
2-0
2
Sedgwick County
16-1
64
5
5-0
3
Paonia (1)
14-2
61
2
1-1
4
Limon
11-3
49
3
2-1
5
Hotchkiss
12-2
35
4
1-1
6
Rocky Ford
12-3
33
6
2-0
7
Lyons
13-3
21
7
2-1
8
Yuma
12-5
16
9
4-1
9
Evangelical Christian
11-4
15
–
2-0
10
Meeker
11-5
14
–
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Front Range Christian 13, Dayspring Christian 10, Sargent 10, County Line 7, Sanford 5, Fowler 4, Highland 4, Calhan 3, Denver Christian 3, Simla 2, Dawson 1.
Dropped out:
Calhan (8), Sargent (10).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Cornerstone Christian (7)
13-2
77
1
2-1
2
Peetz
8-3
58
6
2-1
3
Otis
12-3
56
4
1-1
4
Holly (1)
8-5
53
2
2-0
5
Stratton/Liberty
7-3
39
–
2-0
6
Elbert
6-3
34
5
1-1
7
Caliche
10-9
32
3
2-4
8
Denver Jewish Day
3-2
26
8
0-0
9
Cotopaxi
12-4
16
9
3-0
10
Longmont Christian
6-6
12
–
0-3
Others receiving votes:
Nucla 9, Dove Creek 8, Eads 6, Manzanola 6, Fleming 4, Mile High Academy 4.
