COLORADO SPRINGS — Running in the shadow of an older sibling comes with a lot of pressure. There is pressure to live up to the expectations and even surpass them.
Going into Saturday’s state meet, Mason Norman was had to follow what his brother Tanner had done in the previous two years. It was only fitting that it was Tanner who called to give advice on how to attack the Class 3A boys cross country state race.
“He called me last night and told me what I should do and what I should need,” Mason said.
It worked.
Mason came in with a time of 15:56.7 to win the 3A boys race and help The Classical Academy to a 3A team championship along the way.
It’s the first team title for the Titans since 2011, but Norman wasn’t initially sure if the boys did what they needed to grab
“I know that they didn’t have the best races they were hoping for,” he said. “I know they were still working hard and they did what they could.
It turned out to be enough. Ryan Moen placed 11th and Canaan Lamberth took 14th to help TCA come away with gold.
Norman is the only runner on the boys side to win both an individual and team title.
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(Cannon Casey/CHSAANow.com)
5A: Perry breaks teammate’s record, Mountain Vista sweeps team titles
At the start of the boys cross country state race, everyone was living in Isaac Green’s shadow.
By the end of the race, Charlie Perry was the new standard for Monarch. Perry cruised through the finish line, setting a 5A meet record at 15 minutes, 36.8 seconds. Perry was a part of last year’s state championship team and used that one time of running the course at the Norris-Penrose Event Center to the best of his advantage.
“I had a little bit of an idea (of the course layout),” Perry said. “All I knew is once you get to the water, you go all out and there’s not that much left. Once I hit the water today I tried to push because you’ll always regret it if someone passes you in the last little bit.”
He didn’t have to live with that regret. In the event’s first overall race of the day, the only thing he could see ahead of him was the finish line and a first-place medal.
Mountian Vista came away with the 5A team title as Carter Dillon, Shayan Zarrin, Parker Mackay, Caden Foster and Ethan Rouse all finished in the top 135
Dillon had the best individual finish for the Golden Eagles, taking fifth overall. Rock Canyon is the 2017 team runner-up, led by Chris Theodore who finished second overall.
Perry and his Coyote teammates grabbed a top-four finish, but were unable to defend their title.
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(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
2A: Lyons takes team title as Soroco’s Ben Kelly fends for himself
Soroco’s Ben Kelly has always been a lone wolf at state cross country. One of the disadvantages of running at a small school is that it’s not always possible for a full team to make it, even with one standout runner leading the pack.
“I’ve never had a team at state before,” Kelly said. “We actually had our first team this year and it was fun at regionals, but unfortunately we didn’t have any guys make it to state. So I’m sure there is a (difference in mentality), I’m not acquainted enough running with a team to know what that feels like.”
He just has to run for himself. And on Saturday, he ran a himself a championship performance. He finished in 16:06.5 to claim the 2A boys championship.
It has been a tough year for him as he’s battled through a foot injury that forced him to miss half the season.
To prepare for state, he found other means of endurance training, which his new first-place medal show paid off in the long run.
“It’s been kind of a weird season,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot of biking and aqua jogging and not spending as much time running like I usually do.”
Isaac Roberts led Lyons to its fifth title in six years. Roberts finished eight seconds behind Kelly to take second overall.
Heritage Christian claimed second place as junior Seth Bruxvoort finished at a team-high fourth place.
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(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
4A: Valor Christian’s Cole Sprout aims high in championship win
Cole Sprout isn’t one to set low expectations. Coming into Saturday’s state cross country meet, he only had a few things in mind that he was hoping to accomplish.
“Coming into the race, my goal was to win and maybe break the course record of 15:33,” he said.
The 4A mark coming into the event was 15:50.4, set by TCA’s Tanner Norman in 2015. Sprout cleared it by eight seconds as he claimed the win for the 4A boys. Sprout went into the race with a simple plan that would keep him at the head of the pack and give him a chance to break away when he needed to.
“My goal was to go the first mile with the top guys and feel out that pace,” Sprout said. “I had to save myself for that second mile and that’s where I kicked it up.”
Sprout’s win gives Valor Christian its state cross country title for either a team or an individual. The team overall finished 10th and it was Palmer Ridge who was eventually awarded the big trophy.
Ryan Matson finished fifth overall, the highest finisher of the day for the Bears. Kieran Nay, Maxwell Herebic and Jonathan Wolf all finished within four spots of each and in the top 20.
It is the second consecutive team title for Palmer Ridge and its third overall as a program.
A week after beating sixth-ranked Silver Creek, Erie football has another top-10 feather in its cap.
On Friday night, the Tigers, now ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, beat No. 4 Berthoud 33-7.
“Playing in the Tri-Valley (League), it doesn’t get any easier,” coach Chad Cooper told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show after the game. “I told our kids to enjoy this one tonight, but tomorrow morning we’re back to work and getting ready for Holy Family.
“It’s kind of similar to a playoff run where you can’t let down,” Cooper continued. “It’ll be good to kind of prepare us for the playoffs. You can’t have any let downs in the playoffs. It’ll be a great test for us.”
Erie’s Jacob Mansdorfer hit Alex Mathis with a touchdown pass just before the end of the first half to push the Tigers’ lead to 20-7.
Noah Roper rushed for two second-half touchdowns, and also recovered two fumbles on defense. He returned one of those for a touchdown. Roper had 165 yards rushing.
“Noah, obviously, is a talented kid. He kind of does it all for us,” Cooper said. “He runs extremely hard and is able to grind on people, too, with the style that we have on offense.”
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6-man: (5) Prairie 44, (1) Peetz 41
Prairie got the go-ahead score with 11.8 seconds remaining to secure the upset of previously unbeaten Peetz.
“It was just a dive to the right to Trenton Holzworth, one of our seniors, and he was able to power through a couple of kids and was able to get the ball in,” coach Justin Kerns told the Scoreboard Show of the winning score.
Prairie is now 6-0 this season.
“The players here are excited, the kids are excited,” Kerns said.
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2A: (3) Platte Valley 42, (6) Sterling 21
Tied at 21 at halftime, Platte Valley reeled of 21 unanswered points in the second half to secure a big win and move to 6-0 this season.
“It was one heck of a game up here for homecoming week, that’s for sure,” coach Troy Hoffman told the Scoreboard Show.
Hoffman praised his team’s effort on defense, which forced four turnovers.
“The kids created some opportunities and some turnovers,” Hoffman said. “We just needed to do that, play a little more aggressive in the second half, and when you get four turnovers, a lot of times good things happen for you, and it sure did for us tonight.
Senior Zach Waite had four touchdowns, including runs of 55 and 50 yards, and Ernseto Rios and Trevon Wehrman also score the the Mustangs.
Platte Valley had more than 400 yards of total offense.
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2A: (5) The Classical Academy 27, (8) Salida 19
TCA rallied from down 13-7 late in the second quarter to get an important top-10 win.
Jenson Hall had two rushing touchdowns for the Titans, and Cade Bethany accounted for two total touchdowns.
Brayden Luft added a receiving touchdowns.
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Notables
(Sedgwick County/NFHS Network)
8-man No. 1 Sedgwick County cruised to an easy win over No. 3 Haxtun, 44-0.
Centauri is 6-0 in 1A after beating Monte Vista 27-2. The Falcons, No. 4, got another big night out of their defense. “That’s been our strength this year,” coach Kyle Forster told the Scoreboard Show. “Our defense has done a great job when we needed them to.”
In 2A, Basalt got a big rivalry win over No. 10 Aspen, 48-22. Noah Williams had six touchdowns for the Longhorns. “Just a big, strong, very, very gifted athlete,” coach Carl Frerichs told the Scoreboard Show of Williams.
5A No. 4 Regis Jesuit beat Legacy 32-7. “I think this puts us in the driver’s seat” for the conference title, Raiders coach Danny Filleman told the Scoreboard Show.
Caliche snapped a two-game losing streak and knocked off No. 8 Dayspring Christian in 8-man, 18-13.
8-man No. 10 Gilpin County is 5-1 following a 48-0 win over Soroco.
6-man No. 8 La Veta cruised to a 52-19 win over Sierra Grande in an afternoon contest.
Platte Canyon moved to 5-0 this season following a forfeit by Front Range Christian. The Huskies are ranked No. 7 in 1A.
No. 6 Merino got a narrow win over Akron in 8-man, 28-26.
Paonia, No. 6 in 1A, is 5-1 after beating Hotchkiss 28-21.
Deer Trail picked up its first win of the season when Cheraw forfeit Friday’s 6-man game due to lack of players. It snaps a 13-game losing streak for Deer Trail.
Denver North beat Vista PEAK 15-13 in 3A, and is now 6-0 this season.
Wray is now 3-3 following a 40-8 win over Wiggins in 1A. Cade Hillman had 227 yards and two touchdowns, while Manny Heurta added three scores.
3A No. 9 Harrison is 6-0 after a 46-0 win over Sierra.
Springfield upset No. 2 Holly in overtime, 32-26, in 8-man.
An impressive win for Northglenn over ThunderRidge in 5A. Northglenn is now 5-1.
LAKEWOOD — Jeffco Stadium is where it all began for Sarah Yocum, at least in the realm of track and field.
The sensational Faith Christian sprinter and hurdler will have fond memories of a stadium that has become hallowed ground for Colorado track.
“I actually ran my first high school race ever here,” the Baylor University recruit said. “I ran the 100-meter hurdles. I was playing soccer at the time too and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I came out and I finished my first race and my coach said, ‘Congratulations, you just qualified for state.’ One of my teammates was like, ‘You just set the school record!’”
What followed for Yocum was eight state championships in 3A — four in a row in the 300 hurdles, three in the 100 hurdles and one in the 400-meter dash — in what added up to be one of the greatest careers in Colorado history.
On Sunday, the final day of the 2017 state track meet, she simply was putting the finishing touches on that career with titles No. 7 and No. 8 in the 100 hurdles (14.36) and 400 (56.92). She also claimed the 300 hurdle crown on Saturday in a time of 43.95 seconds.
“This was my last race of high school, so obviously I wanted to finish it with a title,” she said of the 400. “I had never earned a title outside of the hurdles. I just want to enjoy this. I am really thankful for the girls I got to do it with.”
Yocum was the runner-up in the 200-meter dash as well, finishing in 25.26 seconds. She capped off an illustrious four years with 16 individual state medals, four every year in the 200, 400, 100 hurdles, and 300 hurdles. Junior teammate Payton Walter (15.27) finished second in the 100 hurdles.
Yocum has a way of standing out, but at a meet with all five classifications competing on the same days at the same venue, Yocum’s victories weren’t the only highlights on Sunday.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Isaac Green and his fellow Monarch Coyotes performed historically well in the distance events again. A day after Green, Charlie Perry and Zach Litoff swept the top three places in the 5A 3,200, with Green and Litoff teaming with William Dixon and Sean Gazarik to win the 3,200 relay for the second straight year, Green (4:21.98), Perry (4:22.44) and Litoff (4:22.70) swept the top places in the 1,600 in the same order.
Oh, and Cayce Reese also medaled for Monarch, placing eighth in 4:25.31.
In a dramatic 800 final, Denver East’s Hayelom Fitsum appeared poised to claim the crown with a lead throughout. But, a stumble and fall a few strides from the finish line allowed Green to sweep the distance events with a winning time of 1:52.92. Fitsum got up for sixth place in 1:56.43. Litoff placed fifth.
Monarch made a serious run at their first team title in boys track and field after winning 5A cross country in the fall as Monarch junior Cole Rowan (16-00) and sophomore Max Manson (15-01) finished first and second in pole vault. Nico Heineke also placed 4th in discus. The Coyotes tallied 101 points, but came up just short in the final standings to Fountain-Fort Carson (106).
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Fountain rode their usual firepower in sprints and jumps — Donovan Williams first in 100 and 200, Jequan Hogan first in triple jump and high jump, third in long jump and fifth in 110 hurdles, Jalen Lyon second in 400 and fourth in 200, Jason Farrell third in 300 hurdles — to their 18th state championship in boys track and field.
The Trojans won the title in dramatic fashion, clinching on the final event of the meet, with a second-place finish in the 4×400-meter relay.
They are now tied with Denver East for the second-most titles in boys track and field of any school in Colorado history, only trailing Fort Collins (20). The Trojans also won the 400-meter relay and placed second in the 800 relay. They were eighth in the 3,200 relay and Iosua Maika was fifth in the shot put. Fountain-Fort Carson has conquered 5A three of the past four years as a result.
Vista Ridge, a school that opened its doors in 2008, won their second state championship in boys track and field by claiming 4A. They also won in 2013. The Wolves were too tough to match this season as a group with relays that were fantastic, finishing first in the 400 relay (42.16), the 800 relay (1:29.14) and the 1,600 relay (3:19.92). They also scored a bundle of points in the field events.
The Lady Wolves of Vista Ridge also had a strong showing, winning the 800-meter sprint medley relay in 1:48.39 on Saturday. Alexis Dubiel was the discus champion as well.
Other highlights included:
Class 5A
Grandview won a girls track title for the first time with 120 points. The team crown never seemed in doubt after such a strong first day of competition. The Wolves won the 800 relay (1:41.12), the sprint medley relay (1:46.57) and the 1,600 relay (3:55). Freshman Lily Williams was runner-up in the 400, Kylee Harr won high jump (5-8), basketball star Michaela Onyenwere was 2nd in 100 and 3rd in 200, Brie Oakley shattered the Colorado record in the 3,200 (10:09), and the Wolves corralled plenty of other points in multiple events.
Rocky Mountain junior Gabriella McDonald swept the throws with marks of 42-3 in shot put and 154-3 in discus (new 5A state meet record).
Fort Collins senior Audra Koopman (Penn State recruit) defended her long jump crown by going 19 feet, one half inch.
Fellow Fort Collins senior Lauren Gregory (University of Arkansas) won a 5A double in the 800 (2:10.94) and 1,600 (4:50.77), overtaking Grandview standout Brie Oakley (4:51.01) by a slim margin in a fantastic race. Gregory finished her illustrious career with one title in the 800, one in the 1,600, two in the 3,200, and three in cross country.
Highlands Ranch (3:23.13) finished first in an entertaining 1,600 relay.
Rock Canyon junior Emily Sloan (13.58) blew away the field in the 100 hurdles while defending her championship from last year.
Rampart senior Xavier Bishop-falu (14.25) claimed the 110 hurdles crown.
For the second consecutive season, Denver East’s Arria Minor won the 100 (11.53), the 200 (23.57) and the 400 (53.30). She is already one of the premier sprinters in state history.
Hinkley senior Darrien Wells (47.62) won back-to-back titles in the 400. He was also runner-up in 100 and 200.
Fruita Monument senior Gunner Rigsby (22-10.50) claimed long jump.
Monarch freshman Mia Manson (12-6) won the pole vault. She has been the top freshman in America this spring in the event.
Cherokee Trail girls (Jaiden Paris, Taylor Watson, Chian Deloach, Sydnee Larkin) won the 400 relay in 47.48. Larkin (36-10.50) won back-to-back state titles in triple jump as well, holding off Loveland’s Tatum Rembao (36-8.25), a Creighton University basketball recruit.
Class 4A
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Air Academy won their first-ever state championship in 4A girls track. Senior Maria Mettler conquered the 800 and 3,200, while also finishing as the runner-up to Mountain View’s Lauren Offerman in the 1,600. Junior Olivia Whitaker won the 100 and was second in the 200.
Air Academy senior Nik Chapee also won the 200 (21.65) and 400 (47.90). Harrison freshman Tyrese Van Horne (47.95) was runner-up in the 400 in a time that ranks second out of all freshmen in America at the moment.
Niwot’s Alexis Carroll (long jump and triple jump champion) and Mary Gillett (200 and 400 champion, second in 100 and long jump) were fantastic for the Cougars, helping Niwot finish second as a team in 4A.
Valor Christian sophomore Anna Hall was the hurdle queen, topping all competitors in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. She is a budding phenom nationally as a heptathlete, also finishing second in high jump (5-6). Valor’s Chase McLean won pole vault as well.
Silver Creek junior Rylee Anderson is three-for-three in high jump crowns as she cleared 5 feet, 8 inches.
Palisade senior Zaccre Kenward (48-9.50) dominated the triple jump.
Palmer Ridge’s Jeremy Meadows (4:15) ran away in the 1,600, while Silver Creek’s James Lee (1:54) did the same in the 800. Lee’s teammate, Brock Knechtel, tossed further than anyone in the discus throw (176-4).
Canon City senior Aaron McCoy (10.66) won the 100, while Thompson Valley’s Charlie Brunner (14.74) won the 110 hurdles.
Montrose senior Ian Meek was first in the 3,200 (9:23), second in the 1,600 (4:18), and ran on a winning 3,200 relay (7:58).
Pueblo South’s Jeremy Cody (6-9) was wildly impressive in winning high jump. Pueblo West’s Frank Nash the same in long jump (23-6.25).
Class 3A
The Classical Academy kept a proud tradition in track going, easily winning 3A girls with 101.5 points. Junior Erika Willis shattered the 3A state meet record, previously held by sister Andrea, in the pole vault with a mark of 12 feet, 5 inches. The record was 11-6 from 2014. Freshman sister Kristina Willis placed fifth and TCA won the 1,600 relay in 4:00.97. The Titans topped 4A last season and now have 10 state championships in girls track, only one less than Mullen with a state record 11.
Lutheran junior Maya Evans, one of the top long jumpers in the nation with a personal best of 20 feet, 10 inches, didn’t disappoint with 3A titles in the long jump, 100, 200, and 400 relay (48.95, 3A state meet record). Madi Bottin, Riley Darnell and Nyah Streib also ran on that relay. Evans is now a five-time state champion in individual events.
Lutheran boys also fared well, keeping a four-year team title streak alive with a dominant 104-point tally. They also won 3A in 2016 and 2015 and 2A in 2014. Adam Dawson (203-1 in discus) and Jacob Dack (51-6.50 in shot put) were individual champions for Lutheran. Several relays finished runner-up.
Sterling’s Austin Chavez (6-5, also fourth place in pole vault) and Jayson Frank (6-3) finished first and second in the 3A high jump as teammates Victor Zimmerman (second), Brady Krier (third) placed high in pole vault as well. Kylie Chavez was the triple jump champion (36-11.50).
Aspen senior Sunday Abarca broke his own 3A state meet record in the 400 with a time of 48.12, bettering his 48.54. He also won the 200 in 21.39 and was second (10.80) to Sierra’s Dante Thomas (10.71) in the 100.
Eaton senior Tarynn Sieg, a Colorado State recruit, not only broke her own 3A state meet record in shot put (45-5.50) but also won discus (143-4, nearly a record).
Peak to Peak broke the 3A state record in the 3,200 relay (9:12.44) with sophomores Tiana Bradfield, Quinn McConnell and Anna Shults, along with senior Rachael Metzler. Shults also finished first in the 3,200 (11:15) and the 1,600 (5:00.71). McConnell was second in the 800 and 1,600 and Bradfield was fourth in the 800 and third in the 1,600. Metzler finished sixth in the 1,600 as well.
Salida senior Taryn Ceglowski set a new standard in 3A in the 800 with a time of 2:09.19, bettering the previous record of 2:11.24 by Emily LaValley of The Classical Academy in 2010.
Tanner Norman of TCA won the 1,600 (4:16.85) and 3,200 (9:14, 3A state meet record). He signed with Iowa State University. Norman’s brother Mason, a freshman, placed fifth in the 3,200 in 9:45.
Faith Christian freshman Cole Sprout was the runner-up in the 1,600 (4:22) and 3,200 (9:28). He was also second at the 3A state cross country meet in the fall.
Class 2A
Paonia girls (110 points) joined The Classical Academy (3A champs from 2006-2010) and Mullen (4A champs from 1997-2003) as the only girls track and field programs in state history to win five championships in a row. Brianna Van Vleet defended her long jump crown successfully and Sophia Anderson and Mckenna Palmer finished first and second in triple jump. Anderson and Emily Pieper finished first and second in the 200.
Cedaredge boys (97 points) went back-to-back as a team, planting the seeds of a potential dynasty of their own. They ran away from everyone in the 800 and 3,200 relays and boasted depth that no team could counter.
Telluride junior Soleil Gaylord claimed the 1,600 (5:16) and 3,200 (11:25) crowns in back-to-back years. Sophomore teammate Maya Ordonez was runner-up in the 1,600. Gaylord was also second in the 800. Gaylord and Ordonez helped lead the 3,200 relay to a title as well.
Hayden freshman Hannah Wilkie (2:18.58) won the 800.
Burlington senior Ellie Berry swept the throws, winning shot put (40-11.75) and discus (133-5).
Shane Finegan won the 200 (22.53) and 400 (50.17) for Wiggins, and anchored the winning 1,600 relay in 3:30.44 with Tyler Hein, Teggan Freauff and Connor Kaufman. Finegan also anchored the winning 400 relay with the same group, except for Fukumaru Ogawa in place of Kaufman.
Meeker girls won the 400, sprint medley and 1,600 relays.
Soroco junior Ben Kelley swept the distance trio of 800 (1:54.75, bettering his own state meet record), 1,600 (4:22) and 3,200 (9:47). Sophomore teammate Grant Redmond (6-6) conquered high jump.
Hotchkiss sophomore Kaiya Firor claimed first in the 300 hurdles and 400.
Highland freshman Remington Ross won the girls 100 (12.28).
Class 1A
Heritage Christian boys (105 points) have been a recent powerhouse and nothing they did this weekend changed that. They conquered 1A for the second year in a row and the fourth time in five seasons. Josh Damir won the 300 hurdles and Seth Bruxvoort and Isaiah Bowsher placed first and second in the 3,200. The 800 relay of Jojo Bork, Jaden Johnson, Damir and Josiah Bowsher shattered the 1A state meet record of 1:33.25 with a time of 1:33.08.
Heather Graham of Genoa-Hugo (40-5) won the shot put with a great throw.
Shining Mountain junior Emma Schaefer claimed the 1,600 (5:32) and 3,200 crowns (12:24).
Erik Enriquez-Acosta, a senior from Idalia, won the 400 (50.05) and 800 (2:00.87). He finished first or second all four years at state in the two-lapper. His teammate, senior Alex Weyerman (9-8), claimed the girls pole vault crown.
Lake City swept the boys (8:39) and girls (10:49) 3,200 relays.
The Springfield girls claimed their first state championship in any girls sport with 73.5 points. They won both the sprint medley relay (1:54.59 with Julia Mondragon, Ally Loflin, Audrey Rau, and Tatelyn Lasley) and 800 relay (1:49.81 with Mondragon, Lasley, Rau, and Kylie Parks). Springfield has a youthful group that could make another run next season.
DeBeque junior Jentry Largent doubled up on crowns in the 100 and 200, while also anchoring a 400 relay that shattered the 1A record with a time of 51.41.
Prairie senior Emily Kaiser was tremendous in the long jump (first) and triple jump (34-8.50, 1A state meet record).
Bowman Ellis, a senior for Springfield, won the 100 (11.34) and 200 (22.94).
Kiowa senior Melanie Deering ran away with titles in the 400 (59.23) and 800 (2:22).
Pawnee teammates Drew Ellis (20-5) and Bryce Schnug (19-9) swept gold and silver in long jump.
The 2016-17 all-state wrestling teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created based upon results at the state meet. Coaches of the year were selected by team performance at the state meet, as well.
Wrestlers of the year were determined by a formula which took the following information into account: season record; season winning percentage; type of wins at state (pin, tech fall, major decision); strength of a weight classification’s bracket; and multiple championships.
Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
DENVER — Pueblo County’s Josiah Nava won a huge quarterfinal match during the state wrestling tournament on Friday, edging Windsor sophomore Will Vombaur.
It was a match that easily could have been contested in the finals, or at least the semifinals. But, as it was, the two met up in Friday’s quarterfinals in the Class 4A 113-pound bracket.
Nava, who won the 4A 106 title in 2015, beat a fellow returning champion in Vombaur, who won 4A’s 106 title last season. He advances to face Shane Coffey of Canon City in Friday evening’s semifinals.
The 113-pound bracket in 4A is one of the toughest in the entire tournament. In addition to Nava and Vombaur is Pueblo East sophomore Jace Trujillo, the reigning champion in the bracket.
Trujillo pinned Air Academy’s James Benson in 58 seconds in his quarterfinal match.
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Willits through to the semifinals
(Katie Pickrell/CHSAANow.com)
Hunter Willits, who is seeking to become CHSAA’s 20th four-time state champion, beat Greeley Central’s Justus Strand in the quarterfinals.
Willits pinned Strand in 1:47. He will face Cheyenne Mountain senior Luke White in the semifinals later Friday.
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2A & 3A notes
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Meeker heads the 2A team race with 72 points, with Rocky Ford (70.5) sitting in second. John Mall (60) and Hotchkiss (52) are also in contention.
The 3A team race is tight, with Alamosa heading the way with 49 points, and Valley just behind with 48.5. Jefferson (39), Centauri (37), La Junta (35), Sheridan (35), Lamar (33) and Platte Valley (32) are all close.
Delta’s Logan Church upset Mullen’s Sam Deseriere, the top seed in 3A 285 pounds, via an ultimate tiebreaker, 3-2. Deseriere had been undefeated this season, and was the reigning champion in the classification.
Elsewhere in the 3A 285 bracket, which is loaded, returning champion Ricky Ayala of Sheridan and unbeaten Sam Westbrook of Bayfield both advanced out of the quarterfinals and will meet in the semifinals.
Casey Turner of Meeker upset the top seed in the 2A 170 bracket, pinning Diego Reyes of Rocky Ford. Turner, though, is the defending champion in the division. He finished second at his regional, and thus could not be seeded in the top four of the bracket.
Rocky Ford’s Jacob Rodriguez had a 14-second pin in the first round of the 2A 106 division on Thursday. Friday, he did more of the same, pinning Wray’s Cole Rockwell in 45 seconds. Rodriguez is on a quest for his third state title.
John Mall’s Jonathan Andreatta escaped an upset in the 2A 126 quarterfinals. He led Wiggins’ Cameron Holm 4-3 late in the third period, and held on for a 5-3 win. Andreatta is a two-time champion.
Two other two-time returning champions advanced to the semifinals: Alamosa’s Isaiah Delacerda (3A 126) and Fort Lupton’s Jody Sandoval (3A 132).
Centauri’s Joe Chavez advanced to the 3A 120 semis by pinning Platte Valley’s Varrion Ciddio in 34 seconds.
Highland freshman Logan Lewis earned a hard-fought place in the 2A 106 semifinals. He beat Holly’s Austin Crum, 10-8, in sudden victory.
Sky Carlson of Soroco, a former basketball player, is into the semifinals in 2A 195 following two consecutive pins. Friday morning, he pinned Crowley County’s Tristan Laver in 1:45.
Del Norte’s Natalie Benavides, the lone girls to qualify for the state tournament this season, was eliminated in the 2A 138 consolation bracket by Crowley County’s Jarod Bauer.
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4A & 5A notes
Defending champion Pueblo County leads the 4A race with 89 points. Cheyenne Mountain and Pueblo East are tied for second with 65.
Pomona, the reigning 5A team champ, leads that race with 85.5 points. Brighton (61.5 is second), and Grand Junction (59.5) is third.
The semifinal in 5A 132 should be a great one. It will match returning champions after both won in the quarterfinals: Arvada West’s Dayton Marvel vs. Pomona’s Theorius Robison.
Pueblo County’s Grant Willits, who has won two previous state championships, pinned Greeley Central’s Zeke Alirez in 2:23 to reach the 4A 132 semifinals.
Poudre’s Jacob Greenwood, another two-time champion, pinned ThunderRidge’s David Opheim in 5A 138 to advance.
Three of the four quarterfinals in 4A’s 120 division ended in pins. Advancing were Pueblo County’s Nathan Bonham, Canon City’s James Ruona and Windsor’s Dominick Serrano. Pueblo East’s Andrew Lucero also won via a major decision, 9-0.
Erie’s Ernie Quintana beat Discovery Canyon’s Jared Turner in sudden victory to reach the 4A 138 semifinals.
As he tries to become the first individual champion from Niwot since 1993, senior Tommy Stager had a quick pin in the 4A 145 quarters. Stager beat Pueblo South’s Elias Espinoza in 59 seconds.
Glenwood Springs’ Myles Wilson remain unbeaten, and he did it quickly in the quarterfinals. The senior, also a returning champion, beat Vista PEAK’s Jayden Smith in 43 seconds. He had an 18-second pin in the first round.
Cheyenne Mountain’s Deonte Bridges pinned Dominic Knost of Lewis-Palmer in 33 seconds.
Grand Junction’s Josiah Rider continued his torrid pace in the 5A 145 bracket. He won his match in 52 seconds, a day after a 30-second pin in the prelims.
Mountain Vista’s Trent Schultz had a 42-second pin in the 5A 195 quarterfinals. He had a 38-second pin in the prelims. His brother, Cohl, of Ponderosa, also advanced in 5A 220.
Prairie View’s Brendon Woolsey won an ultimate tiebreaker over Grandview’s Robert Woods in 5A 195 to reach the semifinals.
Pomona’s Brandon Micale had the fastest pin of the quarterfinals, taking Smoky Hill’s Ryan Campbell down in 23 seconds.
Holy Family has played its way back into the Class 4A CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings.
The Tigers grabbed wins over Erie and Mead last week, earning them enough votes to be the only new team in the 4A poll. They’re ranked No. 10 this week.
Pueblo South remains the top team in 4A and are still undefeated against Colorado teams this season.
Air Academy (No. 5) and Pueblo West (No. 6) each gained two spots from their position last week.
The 5A poll also had only one new team with Fossil Ridge breaking in at No. 9.
(Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
Grandview remains the top team in the class, perhaps even solidifying their position even more after a 70-55 win over No. 7 Cherry Creek.
Fruita Monument comes in at No. 6, two spots better than last week’s rankings.
St. Mary’s took 10 first-place votes to remain the No. 1 team in 3A, with Sterling still right behind the Pirates at No. 2.
Manitou Springs jumped two spots from last week, coming in at No. 10.
Faith Christian (No. 9) and Eaton (No. 10) are the two new teams to the 3A poll.
Paonia still stands as the No. 1 team in 2A thanks to an undefeated record.
Del Norte broke into the top-three, landing at No. 3, two spots better than their position last week. At No. 6, Swink also jumped two places.
At No. 10, Holyoke is the only new team in the 2A poll.
In 1A, Kit Carson is still at No. 1, but Fleming jumps a spot to come in at No. 2. Both teams are still undefeated.
Antonito (No. 3), Kit/Branson (No. 4) and Heritage Christian (No. 5) round out the top half of the rankings. Each of the top five teams received at least one first-place vote.
Cheyenne Wells is the only new team in 1A, coming in at No. 10.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Grandview (16)
13-1
185
1
2-0
2
Highlands Ranch (3)
14-2
166
2
2-0
3
Ralston Valley
13-1
153
3
2-0
4
Horizon
12-2
138
4
2-0
5
Doherty
13-1
91
5
2-0
6
Fruita Monument
14-1
58
8
2-0
7
Cherry Creek
9-5
55
6
1-1
8
Fairview
13-3
51
7
2-0
9
Fossil Ridge
11-5
45
–
1-1
10
Lakewood
10-4
41
9
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Rocky Mountain 24, Regis Jesuit 20, Pine Creek 9, Monarch 6, Prairie View 2, Arapahoe 1.
Dropped out
Rocky Mountain (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Pueblo South (20)
13-1
209
1
2-0
2
Evergreen (1)
12-1
157
2
1-1
3
Pueblo East
11-2
143
3
3-1
4
Mesa Ridge
10-2
132
4
2-0
5
Air Academy
12-2
110
7
2-0
6
Pueblo West
12-2
104
8
3-0
7
Golden
13-2
103
5
1-1
8
D’Evelyn
12-3
66
6
1-1
9
Palisade
13-2
32
9
1-1
10
Holy Family
9-5
29
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
George Washington 13, Windsor 12, Falcon 11, Mullen 10, Valor Christian 9, Green Mountain 8, Sierra 3, Rifle 2, Discovery Canyon 1, Durango 1.
Dropped out
Windsor (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
St. Mary’s (10)
10-0
162
1
1-0
2
Sterling (6)
12-0
151
2
3-0
3
Liberty Common (1)
10-0
133
3
1-0
4
Lamar
11-1
105
4
2-0
5
Pagosa Springs
9-1
99
6
2-0
6
Centauri
12-1
88
5
2-0
7
Colorado Springs Christian
11-1
84
7
2-0
8
Manitou Springs
6-5
30
10
1-0
9
Faith Christian
9-4
20
–
2-0
10
Eaton
10-2
19
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Olathe 15, Moffat County 10, Lutheran 9, Cedaredge 4, The Academy 3, Colorado Academy 2, Grand Valley 1.
Dropped out
Olathe (8), Moffat County (9).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Paonia (15)
11-0
158
1
1-0
2
Wray
9-2
119
2
3-0
3
Del Norte
9-2
106
5
1-0
4
Yuma
9-2
94
3
2-0
5
Lyons (1)
11-1
92
6
1-0
6
Swink
10-2
56
8
2-0
7
Soroco
9-2
54
7
2-0
8
Haxtun
9-2
51
4
0-1
9
Highland
9-3
28
9
1-1
10
Holyoke
8-3
23
–
0-1
Others receiving votes:
Limon 16, Evangelical Christian 15, Clear Creek 13, West Grand 13, Sanford 7, Sargent 7, Center 6, Dawson 6, Akron 4, Peyton 3, Simla 3, Calhan 2, Ellicott 2, Fowler 2.
Dropped out
Evangelical Christian (10).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kit Carson (9)
10-0
131
1
2-0
2
Fleming (2)
10-0
107
3
2-0
3
Antonito (1)
10-0
102
2
3-0
4
Kim/Branson (1)
11-0
101
4
3-0
5
Heritage Christian (1)
11-0
94
5
3-0
6
Kiowa
10-2
55
7
3-0
7
South Baca
8-2
47
6
2-0
8
Briggsdale
10-2
35
9
3-0
9
La Veta
9-3
24
8
1-1
10
Cheyenne Wells
5-4
13
–
0-1
Others receiving votes:
Springfield 10, Primero 8, Creede/Lake City 7, Eads 7, Holly 7, Sierra Grande 7, Jim Elliot 6, Pikes Peak Christian 4, Arickaree/Woodlin 2, Idalia 2, Wiley 1.
They take the spot from Sterling who falls to No. 2.
Only one new team broke into the 3A poll as Olathe comes in at No. 8.
In 5A, Grandview hangs on to the top spot while receiving the news that Michaela Onyenwere was named a McDonald’s All-American.
Highlands Ranch jumps one spot to land at No. 2.
(Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
At No. 10, Rocky Mountain is the only newcomer to the 5A poll.
Pueblo South keeps the No. 1 spot in 4A with Evergreen also holding firm at No. 2.
Mesa Ridge made a three-spot jump to land at No. 4 this week.
Palisade (No. 9) and Windsor (No. 10) are the two new teams in the 4A rankings.
Paonia received 16 of 17 first-place votes to keep the top spot in the 2A rankings. At No. 6 and No. 8, respectively, Lyons and Swink each jumped two spots from a week ago.
There were no new teams in the 2A poll.
The same situation applies to the 1A poll as all 10 teams from a week ago remain in the top 10, with just a tweak here and there.
Kit Carson remains at No. 1, but Antonito takes the No. 2 spot from Fleming who falls one spot to No. 3.
South Baca (No. 6) and Kiowa (No. 7) also traded spots from last weeks rankings.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Grandview (13)
11-1
157
1
2-0
2
Highlands Ranch (3)
12-2
134
3
1-0
3
Ralston Valley
11-1
134
2
2-0
4
Horizon
10-2
115
4
2-0
5
Doherty
11-1
74
5
2-0
6
Cherry Creek
8-4
53
7
2-0
7
Fairview
11-3
42
6
1-1
8
Fruita Monument
12-1
40
9
0-0
9
Lakewood
8-4
32
8
2-0
10
Rocky Mountain
11-1
21
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Regis Jesuit 20, Fort Collins 17, Fossil Ridge 16, Pine Creek 10, Monarch 9, Arapahoe 4, Bear Creek 1, Castle View 1.
Dropped out
Fossil Ridge (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Pueblo South (12)
11-1
172
1
1-0
2
Evergreen (6)
11-0
165
2
1-0
3
Pueblo East
8-1
102
4
1-1
4
Mesa Ridge
8-2
98
7
3-0
5
Golden
12-1
96
3
3-0
6
D’Evelyn
11-2
86
5
2-0
7
Air Academy
10-2
76
8
2-0
8
Pueblo West
9-2
72
6
0-1
9
Palisade
12-1
39
–
2-0
10
Windsor
7-4
22
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Valor Christian 14, Holy Family 13, Falcon 9, George Washington 8, Mullen 8, Thomas Jefferson 4, Littleton 3, The Classical Academy 3, Discovery Canyon 1, Durango 1, Kennedy 1.
Dropped out
Valor Christian (9), Holy Family (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
St. Mary’s (9)
9-0
135
2
2-0
2
Sterling (4)
9-0
125
1
2-0
3
Liberty Common (1)
9-0
104
3
2-0
4
Lamar
9-1
89
4
3-0
5
Centauri
10-1
77
5
2-0
6
Pagosa Springs
7-1
73
6
2-0
7
Colorado Springs Christian
9-1
70
7
3-0
8
Olathe
5-4
21
–
1-0
9
Moffat County
9-2
17
8
1-1
10
Manitou Springs
5-5
16
10
3-1
Others receiving votes:
Eaton 15, Delta 13, Faith Christian 5, Buena Vista 3, Alamosa 2, Florence 2, Grand Valley 1, Lutheran 1, St. Mary’s Academy 1.
Cheyenne Wells 12, Primero 8, Springfield 8, Creede/Lake City 7, Jim Elliot 6, Sierra Grande 6, Eads 4, Pikes Peak Christian 4, Idalia 2, Sangre de Cristo 2, Wiley 1.
There’s a new top dog in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings.
Undefeated Evergreen, the 4A state runner-up last season assumes the No. 1 spot this week.
Pueblo South is right behind the Cougars at No. 2 and D’Evelyn climbed three spots to land at No. 3.
At No. 5 Golden also jumped three spots this week.
Pueblo East is the lone newcomer to the 4A poll at No. 8.
In 5A, Grandview holds its spot at No. 1.
Overall, the top five teams from a week ago went unchanged.
Doherty (No. 8) and Fruita Monument (No. 10) are the two new teams in the 5A rankings.
Like 5A, the top five teams from last week’s 3A poll remain the same, including Sterling at No. 1.
Moffat County breaks into the 3A poll at No. 9.
Paonia stays at No. 1 in 2A with a unanimous vote.
Soroco (No. 4) and Lyons (No. 7) each jumped a spot from a week ago.
Evangelical Christian is the only new team in 2A, coming in at No. 8.
Kit Carson holds its spot at No. 1 in the 1A poll with Kit Carson also holding firm at No. 2.
Three new teams broke into the rankings this week with De Beque (No. 7), Arickaree/Woodlin (No. 8) and South Baca (No. 9) all playing their way in.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Pueblo West 24, Palisade 18, Windsor 13, Falcon 9, George Washington 9, Littleton 3, Montrose 3, Battle Mountain 2, The Classical Academy 2, Thomas Jefferson 2, Kennedy 1, Lewis-Palmer 1, Skyview 1.
Dropped out
Pueblo West (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sterling (8)
6-0
124
1
0-0
2
St. Mary’s (5)
5-0
120
2
1-0
3
Lamar
5-0
88
3
1-0
4
Pagosa Springs
4-1
70
4
2-0
5
Centauri
6-1
68
5
1-0
6
Colorado Springs Christian
5-0
57
7
2-0
7
Liberty Common
5-0
50
6
2-0
8
Eaton
6-1
39
9
2-0
9
Moffat County
6-1
25
–
1-0
10
Manitou Springs
2-3
16
8
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Olathe 13, Trinidad 13, Faith Christian 12, Brush 8, Kent Denver 4, Delta 3, Grand Valley 3, St. Mary’s Academy 2.
Dropped out
Faith Christian (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Paonia (11)
6-0
110
1
2-0
2
Wray
5-0
96
2
1-0
3
Yuma
5-2
68
3
1-1
4
Soroco
5-1
60
5
0-0
5
Del Norte
5-2
59
4
1-0
6
Haxtun
5-1
41
6
2-1
7
Lyons
6-1
35
8
2-0
8
Evangelical Christian
5-0
34
–
1-0
9
Swink
3-2
22
7
1-0
10
Highland
5-2
20
10
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Peyton 13, Calhan 9, West Grand 8, Akron 7, Ellicott 5, South Park 5, Hoehne 4, Sargent 4, Center 3, Clear Creek 1, Simla 1.
Dropped out
West Grand (9).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kit Carson (7)
5-0
95
1
3-0
2
Fleming (2)
4-0
85
2
2-0
3
Antonito (1)
5-0
76
3
0-0
4
Kim/Branson
5-0
70
4
1-0
5
Heritage Christian
4-0
54
5
1-0
6
Kiowa
4-1
24
8
2-0
7
De Beque
4-0
21
–
1-0
8
Arickaree/Woodlin
3-1
19
–
0-0
9
South Baca
4-2
17
–
3-0
10
Idalia
4-2
16
6
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Holly 13, Cheraw 12, Belleview Christian 8, Briggsdale 7, La Veta 7, McClave 7, Sierra Grande 7, Sangre de Cristo 4, Creede/Lake City 3, Springfield 3, Deer Trail 1, Wiley 1.
The 2016 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created entirely from the results of the coaches’ vote.
[divider]
Class 5A
(Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Player of the year: Dylan McCaffrey, Valor Christian
