CHSAANow

Tag: John Mall

  • Volleyball rankings: University inches closer to Eaton in 3A

    It’s not going to be easy to knock Eaton off its perch as the top team in the Class 3A CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings, but University is certainly making moves with those hopes.

    The Bulldogs jumped to No. 2 in the rankings this week and are one of only four teams to even take a set from the Reds.

    Bayfield also jumped up in this week’s poll, coming in at No. 7 which is two spots better than their previous ranking.

    No new teams broke into the 3A poll this week.

    Rock Canyon remains the No. 1 team in the 5A poll, but Arapahoe is certainly gaining attention as the Warriors jump to No. 3 this week. They were sitting at No. 6 a week ago, but going 2-0 – including a win over Cherry Creek – certainly helped in their leap.

    Fairview is the lone addition to the 5A rankings, landing at No. 10.

    A still undefeated Lewis-Palmer team hangs on to the No. 1 spot in 4A with a unanimous vote.

    Cheyenne Mountain and Valor Christian also held on to their positions at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.

    Pueblo West has continued to play well and jumped two spots to land at No. 4.

    Thomas Jefferson (No. 9) and D’Evelyn (No. 10) are the two new teams in the 4A poll.

    Paonia is still the No. 1 team in 1A with Dayspring Christian still sitting firm at No. 2.

    There is a new No. 3 team, however, as the Colorado Springs School jumped two spots from last week’s rankings.

    There are two new teams in the 2A poll this week as Fowler breaks in at No. 9 and John Mall comes in at No. 10.

    Like all other classes, the No. 1 spot in 1A went unchanged as Fleming still sits on top of the poll.

    La Veta jumped to No. 3 this week after improving to 16-0 on the season.

    Otis (No. 9) and Prairie (No. 10) are the two new teams in the 1A poll.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rock Canyon (9) 14-1 99 1 2-0
    2 Fossil Ridge (1) 13-1 78 2 2-0
    3 Arapahoe 13-2 71 6 2-0
    4 Chatfield 12-2 61 5 2-0
    5 Mountain Vista 11-2 57 4 2-1
    6 Denver East 9-3 48 3 1-1
    7 Highlands Ranch 11-3 38 8 2-0
    8 Chaparral 10-5 31 10 2-1
    9 Cherry Creek 11-4 19 7 0-2
    10 Fairview 10-4 9 – 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Ralston Valley 7, Coronado 5, Fort Collins 5, Castle View 4, Fruita Monument 4, Grandview 4, Lakewood 4, Loveland 4, Legend 2, Rampart 2.
    Dropped out
    Ralston Valley (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Lewis-Palmer (12) 15-0 120 1 2-0
    2 Cheyenne Mountain 10-4 98 2 2-0
    3 Valor Christian 10-3 88 3 2-0
    4 Pueblo West 12-2 67 6 3-0
    5 Holy Family 13-4 66 4 1-1
    6 Niwot 11-3 58 7 2-0
    7 Silver Creek 13-2 48 5 1-1
    8 Eagle Valley 12-2 32 8 1-0
    9 Thomas Jefferson 11-2 20 – 1-0
    10 D’Evelyn 12-0 18 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Berthoud 17, Montrose 14, Mead 8, Ponderosa 4, Roosevelt 2.
    Dropped out
    Berthoud (9), Mead (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (12) 15-1 120 1 2-0
    2 University 11-5 87 4 1-1
    3 Colorado Springs Christian 14-4 75 2 2-1
    4 Sterling 16-4 64 3 5-1
    5 Valley 13-4 59 5 2-0
    6 Resurrection Christian 11-3 51 6 1-0
    7 Bayfield 10-3 40 9 1-0
    8 Salida 14-1 30 7 3-0
    9 Middle Park 13-1 25 8 2-0
    10 Delta 11-3 24 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Pagosa Springs 23, Coal Ridge 16, Prospect Ridge Academy 11, Rye 11, Bennett 10, Alamosa 5, Faith Christian 3, St. Mary’s 3, The Vanguard 3, Grand Valley 1, Lutheran 1, Platte Valley 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (7) 13-1 112 1 2-0
    2 Dayspring Christian (5) 14-0 110 2 1-0
    3 Colorado Springs School 13-2 73 5 2-0
    4 Lyons 12-3 68 3 2-0
    5 Hoehne 13-2 67 6 0-0
    6 Yuma 12-3 65 4 1-0
    7 Simla 10-4 59 7 1-1
    8 Ridgway 13-1 42 8 2-0
    9 Fowler 12-4 20 – 2-0
    10 John Mall 12-3 12 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 12, Denver Christian 8, Telluride 8, Ignacio 5, Rangely 4, Union Colony 4, Highland 2, West Grand 2, Akron 1, Byers 1, Custer County 1.
    Dropped out
    West Grand (9), Denver Christian (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (5) 14-1 85 1 2-0
    2 Kit Carson (1) 16-0 79 2 4-0
    3 La Veta (2) 16-0 73 5 4-0
    4 Flagler 15-2 56 3 4-1
    5 Weldon Valley 12-3 47 6 1-0
    6 Nucla 11-1 30 7 1-0
    7 McClave 12-2 27 4 3-1
    8 Heritage Christian 10-4 25 9 1-0
    9 Otis 11-4 16 – 1-0
    10 Prairie (1) 10-4 15 – 4-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Kiowa 14, Holly 6, Sierra Grande 6, Springfield 6, Cotopaxi 5, Genoa Hugo/Karval 3, Briggsdale 2.
    Dropped out
    Holly (8), Sierra Grande (10).

  • Football roundup: Grandview gets big bounce-back win against Cherry Creek

    Cherry Creek Grandview football
    More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    A week after being upset by Eaglecrest, Grandview had a big bounce-back win against Cherry Creek.

    The ninth-ranked Wolves got rushing touchdowns from Hayden Blubaugh and Gunnar Lamphere, then relied on a stout defense to secure the 17-6 win.

    “It was a great bounce-back week for our kids, and our defense really stepped up tonight,” Grandview coach John Schultz told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show.

    Blubaugh, the Wolves’ star running back, gave his team a 7-0 lead in the first quarter with a 57-yard run. No. 7 Cherry Creek responded in the second quarter with a rushing score from Trey Windham.

    Grandview added a field goal before the half to lead 10-6 at the break. Lamphere, the quarterback, added his TD in the third quarter.

    “It was a good grind-it-out victory for our offense,” Schultz said.

    The game set an attendance record for Legacy Stadium.

    [divider]

    8-man: (2) Daypsring Christian 51, (6) Hoehne 50 (OT)

    In a wild one, Dayspring Christian outlasted Hoehne in overtime.

    The two teams traded scores most of the night, but Hoehne did start to pull away by halftime, leading 30-16 at the break.

    It remained a two-score game after the third quarter, with Hoehne holding a 38-29 edge, and the Farmers pushed it to 44-29 with 9:17 remaining the fourth.

    But the Eagles refused to go away. They scored 16 unanswered points in five minutes to tie the game at 44, and the teams headed to overtime deadlocked there.

    In OT, Dayspring Christian was able to secure the win.

    [divider]

    3A: Mead 49, (3) Longmont 35

    Mead got perhaps the best win since the program was restarted in 2010, topping city rival Longmont in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

    “We just kept plugging. That’s kind of the mantra we’ve been using,” Mead coach Jason Klatt told the Scoreboard Show. “Our kids just didn’t get ratted. We’ve shown a resiliency, and our kids don’t really care if we’re down two touchdowns, or seven points. It doesn’t matter. We just kept on plugging and I’m really proud of our kids tonight.”

    The two teams went crazy scoring in the first half, and Longmont held a 32-28 lead at halftime. The Trojans pushed it to 35-28 after three quarters, but didn’t score again.

    “I’m so proud of our defensive staff and our defensive kids,” Klatt said. “We really just hung in there tonight, and we started gaining confidence as the game wore on that we could stop them.”

    Mead tied it up on Riley Glynn’s third passing touchdown, and four minutes later Evan Hanson returned an interception for a score to give the Mavericks the lead.

    Nathan Mackey had three total touchdowns, including two rushing scores and one receiving.

    It was Mead’s third-straight win after dropping its season-opener.

    [divider]

    8-man: (1) Sargent 22, (5) Norwood 20

    The new No. 1 team Sargent held firm with a big top-5 win.

    “It was a total team effort. They jumped out ahead 6-0, and we just kept battling and battling,” coach Trevan Pepper told the Scoreboard Show.

    The Farmers led 22-8 early in the third quarter, and then 22-14 as the fourth quarter started, but they were able to hold on.

    Sargent made a stop on a two-point attempt in the fourth quarter to win.

    “It was a good victory for us,” Pepper said.

    [divider]

    3A/2A: Durango 14, (6) Bayfield 6 (OT)

    The two area rivals met for the first time in 80 years, and Durango pulled off the overtime win.

    Peyton Woolverton hit Jake Bourdon for a four-yard TD in overtime to give his team the lead, which they followed with a two-point conversion.

    “We had it timed out well in practice and it was just like second nature down there because we’d done it already so many times,”Boudron told the Durango Herald after the game.

    Durango’s Dawson Marcum then ended the game with an interception on Bayfield’s possession in overtime.

    [divider]

    3A: (7) Silver Creek 20, (10) Roosevelt 10

    The Raptors improved to 4-0 with a big top-10 win.

    “It’s a huge win,” Silver Creek coach Mike Apodaca told the Scoreboard Show. “We had the opportunity to play Roosevelt eight-to-ten times over the last few years, and we’ve never been able to beat them at their place. For our program in general, that was a big win and a step in the right direction.”

    Silver Creek led most of the way, though it was only 7-3 at halftime, and Roosevelt did take a brief 10-7 lead in the third quarter.

    “Our defense kept us in it,” Apodaca said.

    [divider]

    Notables

    • High winds affected a number of games across the state, to the point that they caused the postponement of the Rye/John Mall game, according to Rye AD Beth Burns. The winds were so bad that several cars had their windows blown out, one soccer goal slid on the field, and another blew over the fence. The two teams will play Saturday at 1 p.m.
    • 6-man No. 2 Kit Carson beat No. 5 Cheyenne Wells 22-14. The game featured a 20-minute lightning delay, and a big rain storm late in the fourth quarter. “To our kids’ credit, they really hung on and persevered and came up with the win,” coach Jim Trahern told the Scoreboard Show.
    • A top-5 showdown in 1A ended with No. 2 Strasburg beating No. 4 Limon 43-12.
    • 4A No. 6 Pine Creek beat No. 5 Vista Ridge 39-14. Both teams are now 2-2.
    • Another top-10 matchup in 4A saw No. 9 Ponderosa handle No. 10 Rampart, 37-6. “Our team is starting to click a little bit,” Ponderosa coach Jaron Cohen told the Scoreboard Show.
    • Snow made its first appearance at a game this season, when Grand Valley hosted Aspen. Grand Valley won 48-34.
    • In 2A, No. 7 D’Evelyn picked up a good win by topping No. 10 Platte Valley 22-12.
    • 1A No. 5 Bennett edged No. 10 Burlington 15-13.
    • Centauri got a big 26-12 upset win against 1A No. 6 Buena Vista. “They were fired up and ready to go, and they did everything we asked them to do,” coach Kyle Forster told the Scoreboard Show of his defense.
    • Pikes Peak Christian upset No. 10 West Grand 20-8 in 8-man. The keeps all-time wins leader Chris Brown at 309 career wins.
    • Cheraw knocked off No. 7 Sierra Grande in 6-man.
    • Legacy football won its second game in a row after the tragic bus accident that shook the community. This night, the Lightning beat Horizon 38-21.
    • Lutheran beat Falcon in overtime, 21-14.
    • Pueblo West made a late stand to secure a 20-13 win over Dakota Ridge. Dakota Ridge was at the 6-yard-line with 17 seconds remaining.
    • Faith Christian had a 98 1/2 yard touchdown tonight in a 34-7 win over Brush. Freshman Isiah Kroll hit senior Brandon Herman.
    • 4A No. 8 Windsor trailed at the half, but rallied to beat Greeley West 28-7.

    [divider]

    More coverage

  • Volleyball rankings: Lewis-Palmer new No. 1 in 4A

    Lewis-Palmer volleyball team
    (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

    Lewis-Palmer is back as the No. 1 team in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings.

    After suffering a five-set loss to Rock Canyon, Cheyenne Mountain fell out of the top spot for the first time since winning the 2015 4A state championship.

    It was just one move in what is a very different looking top 10 from a week ago.

    Holy Family jumped two spots to No. 3 while Berthoud jumped three spots to No. 6.

    Three new teams cracked the top 10 as Montrose came in at No. 7, Thomas Jefferson  lands at No. 9 and Valor Christian rounds out the rankings at No. 10.

    There was also a lot of movement in the 3A rankings, which also saw three new teams break in. Eaton held on to the top spot, but Resurrection Christian made the jump to No. 2.

    Sterling (No. 5), Pagosa Springs (No. 7) and Delta (No. 10) are the three new teams in 3A.

    After rattling off two wins last week, Chatfield is still the No. 1 team in the 5A rankings.

    Rock Canyon and Highlands Ranch each jumped two spots to land at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.

    Fossil Ridge (No. 8) and Cherokee Trail (No. 9) are the two new teams in the 5A rankings.

    Paonia remains the top team in the 2A rankings.

    The biggest 2A jump of the week belonged to Dayspring Christian who jumped from No. 5 to No. 3.

    There were no new teams in the 2A poll.

    Fleming is the new No. 1 team in the 1A poll, taking five of eight first-place votes.

    Prairie made a sizable jump from a week ago, coming in at No. 5 which is four spots better than its previous ranking.

    Flagler (No. 6) and Kiowa (No. 10) are the two new teams in this week’s 1A poll.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Chatfield (6) 4-0 93 1 2-0
    2 Rock Canyon (2) 6-1 90 4 1-0
    3 Highlands Ranch (2) 5-2 56 5 1-0
    4 Arapahoe 5-2 51 7 1-0
    5 Chaparral 3-3 50 2 0-1
    6 Denver East 2-1 40 3 1-1
    7 Mountain Vista 3-0 36 8 1-0
    8 Fossil Ridge 2-0 27 – 1-0
    9 Cherokee Trail 4-3 21 – 1-0
    10 Cherry Creek 2-2 16 10 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Heritage 12, Fairview 11, Fort Collins 10, Castle View 8, Coronado 7, Pine Creek 7, Legend 6, Ralston Valley 5, Smoky Hill 5, Grandview 3, Loveland 3, Rampart 3.
    Dropped out
    Grandview (6), Lakewood (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Lewis-Palmer (8) 8-0 105 2 6-0
    2 Cheyenne Mountain (2) 1-1 99 1 0-1
    3 Holy Family 6-2 60 5 1-1
    4 Longmont 7-0 52 4 6-0
    5 Ponderosa (1) 1-7 48 3 0-2
    6 Berthoud 5-2 42 9 2-0
    7 Montrose 5-2 28 – 4-1
    8 Pueblo West 4-1 24 8 4-1
    9 Thomas Jefferson 7-1 18 – 2-0
    10 Valor Christian 2-2 16 – 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Eagle Valley 14, Niwot 13, Erie 12, Littleton 12, Windsor 12, D’Evelyn 10, Canon City 7, Palmer Ridge 7, Mead 6, Evergreen 4, Glenwood Springs 4, Silver Creek 4, Battle Mountain 3, Discovery Canyon 2, Mullen 2, Fort Morgan 1.
    Dropped out
    Windsor (6), Evergreen (7), Eagle Valley (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (12) 4-1 128 1 2-0
    2 Resurrection Christian 7-1 85 4 6-1
    3 Colorado Springs Christian 3-2 68 2 2-0
    4 Valley 5-3 67 3 4-2
    5 Sterling 6-1 54 – 5-1
    6 University 3-4 45 5 3-3
    7 Pagosa Springs 4-1 32 – 1-0
    8 Middle Park 4-0 30 10 3-0
    9 St. Mary’s 6-1 29 7 5-1
    10 Delta 7-3 26 – 4-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Platte Valley 26, Jefferson Academy 17, Bennett 13, Coal Ridge 12, Salida 12, Alamosa 11, Faith Christian 10, Peak to Peak Charter 9, Manitou Springs 7, Centauri 5, Colorado Academy 3, The Vanguard 3, La Junta 2, Rye 2, Grand Valley 1, Lutheran 1.
    Dropped out
    Platte Valley (6), Lutheran (8), Coal Ridge (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (6) 4-0 98 1 2-0
    2 Lyons (2) 6-0 82 2 1-0
    3 Dayspring Christian 5-0 70 5 1-0
    4 Yuma (1) 2-2 47 3 1-1
    5 Colorado Springs School 6-1 43 6 5-1
    6 Highland 5-0 34 7 1-0
    7 John Mall 7-0 33 8 2-0
    8 Simla 4-0 31 9 2-0
    9 Union Colony 6-2 28 4 3-2
    10 Telluride (1) 5-1 26 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 18, West Grand 15, Custer County 10, Ignacio 10, Ridgway 10, Hoehne 8, Hotchkiss 8, Rangely 7, Soroco 5, Dolores 4, Meeker 4, Haxtun 3, Limon 3, Mancos 3, Byers 2, Denver Christian 2, Evangelical Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (5) 7-1 73 2 5-1
    2 Kit Carson (1) 6-0 69 1 4-0
    3 Weldon Valley 6-1 53 4 2-0
    4 La Veta (1) 6-0 52 3 1-0
    5 Prairie (1) 4-2 41 9 3-0
    6 Flagler 3-0 30 – 1-0
    7 Otis 4-3 26 6 3-2
    8 Briggsdale 4-2 21 5 3-1
    9 Springfield 3-1 13 7 2-1
    10 Kiowa 3-2 10 – 3-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Front Range Baptist 9, Idalia 9, McClave 9, Nucla 6, Genoa Hugo/Karval 4, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 4, Caliche 3, Holly 3, Kim 3, Wiley 2, Liberty-Stratton 1.
    Dropped out
    Idalia (8), McClave (10).

  • Volleyball rankings: New faces lead three polls

    Chatfield opens it season Tuesday, Aug. 30, at home against Valor Christian. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Chatfield volleyball is No. 1 in 5A. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    A trio of new teams are taking over No. 1 spots in the CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings this week.

    With plenty of changeover in the Class 2A poll, Paonia comes in as the new top team. The Eagles have not dropped a set yet and cruised to a 2-0 start.

    Dayspring Christian jumped three spots to No. 5, but it was the bottom of the poll that showed the most change.

    Highland (No. 7), John Mall (No. 8), Simla (No. 9) and Telluride (No. 10) are all new to the 2A rankings, showing that a title run in that class could be wide open come November.

    The same theory could hold true for 5A. Chatfield comes in as the new No. 1 team, jumping two spots in the process.

    Despite a five-set loss to Cheyenne Mountain, Caparral jumps from No. 2 to No. 6.

    Three new teams broke into the 5A rankings with Highlands Ranch landing at No. 5, Mountain Vista coming in at No. 8 and Lakewood breaking in at No. 9.

    Cheyenne Mountain and Lewis-Palmer hang on to the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the 4A poll.

    Holy Family notched the biggest jump of the week, leaping three spots to land at No. 5.

    At No. 10, Eagle Valley is the only new team to the 4A poll.

    Only one team broke into the 3A rankings as well as Middle Park comes in at No. 10. Resurrection Christian made a big jump to land at No. 4 this week. The Cougars were sitting at No. 9 in the preseason rankings.

    Eaton holds on to the top spot in 3A.

    Kit Carson takes over the No. 1 spot in 1A thanks to a 2-0 start. Previous No. 1 Fleming is also undefeated on the year, but dropped one spot to No. 2.

    Weldon Valley (No. 4) and McClave (No. 10) are the two newcomers to the 1A poll.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Chatfield (8) 2-0 91 3
    2 Chaparral 3-2 67 6
    3 Denver East 1-0 65 4
    4 Rock Canyon (1) 5-1 61 1
    5 Highlands Ranch (1) 4-2 55 –
    6 Grandview 2-1 33 7
    7 Arapahoe 4-2 31 9
    8 Mountain Vista 2-0 26 –
    9 Lakewood 1-1 20 –
    10 Cherry Creek 1-1 15 8
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherokee Trail 10, Fossil Ridge 9, Grand Junction 9, Fairview 8, Legend 8, Far Northeast Warriors 7, Coronado 6, Pine Creek 5, Prairie View 5, Rampart 4, Fort Collins 3, Liberty 3, Loveland 3, Smoky Hill 3, Eaglecrest 2, Doherty 1.
    Dropped out
    Fairview (2), Cherokee Trail (5), Fossil Ridge (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Cheyenne Mountain (10) 1-0 109 1
    2 Lewis-Palmer (1) 2-0 91 2
    3 Ponderosa 3-3 81 4
    4 Longmont 1-0 64 6
    5 Holy Family 5-1 60 8
    6 Windsor 0-0 46 7
    7 Evergreen 1-1 31 3
    8 Pueblo West 0-0 21 10
    9 Berthoud 3-2 18 9
    10 Eagle Valley 4-2 14 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Montrose 13, Roosevelt 9, Thomas Jefferson 9, Woodland Park 8, Glenwood Springs 6, Niwot 6, Mead 5, Palmer Ridge 5, Valor Christian 4, D’Evelyn 3, Sierra 2.
    Dropped out
    Montrose (5).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Eaton (10) 2-1 104 1
    2 Colorado Springs Christian 1-2 75 4
    3 Valley 1-1 70 2
    4 Resurrection Christian (1) 1-0 53 9
    5 University 0-1 51 3
    6 Platte Valley 1-0 44 6
    7 St. Mary’s 1-0 40 10
    8 Lutheran 0-2 28 5
    9 Coal Ridge 1-0 26 7
    10 Middle Park 1-0 17 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Manitou Springs 13, Pagosa Springs 11, Alamosa 10, Delta 10, Bennett 9, Sheridan 8, Peak to Peak Charter 6, Rye 6, Faith Christian 4, Sterling 4, The Vanguard 4, Aurora West College Prep 3, La Junta 3, Centauri 2, Englewood 2, Liberty Common 2, Salida 2, Grand Valley 1, Lamar 1.
    Dropped out
    Manitou Springs (8).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Paonia (6) 2-0 80 2
    2 Lyons (1) 5-0 71 3
    3 Yuma (1) 0-0 61 1
    4 Union Colony 3-0 54 5
    5 Dayspring Christian (1) 4-0 47 8
    6 Colorado Springs School 1-0 41 7
    7 Highland 4-0 26 –
    8 John Mall 5-0 24 –
    9 Simla 2-0 17 –
    10 Telluride (1) 4-1 16 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Byers 14, Ridgway 12, Sargent 10, West Grand 10, Ignacio 9, Wray 9, Burlington 8, Hotchkiss 8, Rangely 7, Custer County 6, Soroco 6, Dolores 4, Mancos 3, Denver Christian 2, Hoehne 2, Meeker 2, Evangelical Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Limon (4), Fowler (6), Ridgway (9), Byers (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Kit Carson (3) 2-0 66 3
    2 Fleming (4) 2-0 63 1
    3 La Veta 5-0 52 4
    4 Weldon Valley 4-1 36 –
    5 Briggsdale 1-1 32 5
    6 Otis 1-1 30 7
    7 Springfield 1-0 28 6
    8 Idalia 1-1 25 8
    9 Prairie 1-2 18 2
    10 McClave 3-0 11 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Caliche 6, Flagler 6, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 6, Holly 3, Antonito 2, Belleview Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Caliche (9), Flagler (10).

  • Football preview: La Junta returns strong senior class with championship ambitions

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    A 47-7 loss in the Class 2A state semifinals is not the way the La Junta Tigers envisioned ending their season.

    Especially considering that in the 11 games prior to their loss at the hands of eventual state champion, Bayfield, the Tigers surrendered less than six points per game.

    But with 11 starters returning on the defensive side of the ball, La Junta is looking to put its stamp on the 2016 season and reach heights that will they hope will include a state title trophy at the end of the year.

    “We have to play great defense,” coach Clint Buderus said. “That’s a big emphasis for us and if we can stay in a game and keep it close, that’s all we can ask for.”

    It’s not just the defense that will provide the experience that the Tigers will need to overcome last year’s loss. For the last two seasons, La Junta has steadily become a better team and the senior class as a whole has had its eyes on this season as one that can be truly special.

    “The first time we went (to the playoffs) three years ago, these kids were all sophomores and they were all playing,” Buderus said. “This class has been together for a long time. The majority of them got a taste of it and they’re excited to get going again.”

    But excited doesn’t quite cover the range of feelings going through this senior class. The players were dominant in the regular season and for their first two playoff games.

    With Bayfield proving to be just as good as advertised, the Tigers know that they have something to prove as the regular season prepares to kick-off.

    “Our mentality right now is to ficus on one game at a time,” running back/linebacker Dax Bender said. “We know our expectations and we just need to be solid throughout the year.”

    Bender was one of the key two-way players for the Tigers a year ago, running for over 500 yards while registering six turnovers on the defensive end.

    He’ll be just one La Junta player amongst a strong senior class that Buderus will lean on for the Tigers.

    “I really think we have a 12 leaders,” Buderus said. “I really do. Our kids are so close. They do everything together, they spend all their time together. It’s good to have a leader (like Bender) to put everybody on his back and take you.”

    And that’s exactly what he plans on doing. The Tigers have been without a state football championship since 1958 and there is no doubt in their mind that they have the talent on the field this season to end that streak.

    “We’ve been working really hard since our freshman year and we have a lot of varsity experience,” Bender said. “That’s the plan (to bring home a title) but we have to play really hard every game. We can’t let anyone undercut us.”

    And if anything, that disappointing loss to Bayfield will only serve as firewood for La Junta. Buderus knows that that the season ending the way it did will only provide fruitful longterm results.

    “The kids were upset,” Buderus said. “But I think it was good for us to get there. Obviously we wanted to get the win, but I don’t think the outcome should’ve been what it was. I think we were a little in the spotlight and we’d never been there. I think you need to knock on the door before you can kick it in.”

    [divider]

    Small-school football preview

    Defending champions:

    Returning All-State athletes:

    • 2A: Cade Becker (Sr.) Bennett, Jesse Rodriquez (Jr.) Bennett, Isaiah Sanchez (Sr.) The Academy, Livan Santander (Sr.) Delta, Michael Stevenson, (Sr.) Resurrection Christian, William Wallace, (Sr.) Strasburg, Sam Westbrook (Sr.) Bayfield
    • 1A: Kevin Bailey (Sr.) Rye, Jack Baroni (Sr.) Buena Vista, Jett County (Sr.) Burlington, Matthew Davidson (Sr.) Ellicott, Keith Dunagan (Sr.) Crowley County, Justin Engesser (Sr.) Colorado Springs Christian, Tyler Illgen (Sr.) Meeker, Braden Kappel (Sr.) Limon, Justis Marshall (Sr.) Burlington, Jason Murphy (Sr.) John Mall, Connor Peterson (Sr.) Platte Canyon, Dagan Rienks (Sr.) Paonia, Trevor Smith (Sr.) Paonia
    • 8-man: Trenton Armintrout (Sr.) Norwood, Levi Basler (Sr.) Akron, Justin Hacsi (Sr.) Sargent, Chad Mikelson (Sr.) Sedgwick County, Bridger Reese (Sr.) Akron, Hunter Robins (Sr.) Hoehne, Caleb Urwiller (Sr.) Dayspring Christian
    • 6-man: Jaxon Crawford (Sr.) Kit Carson, Jaxon King (Sr.) Fleming, Fred Turner (Sr.) Eads, Alex Vandenbark (Sr.) Fleming, Darian Wagner (Sr.) Arickaree/Woodlin, Trevor Warren (Sr.) La Veta

    Regular season begins: Aug. 25

    Postseason begins: Oct. 29

    State championship: Nov. 19 (6-man), Nov. 26 (8-man, 1A and 2A)

  • Championship Count: Valor Christian tops in team titles; Cheyenne Mountain has most individual wins

    Valor Christian football stadium
    Valor Christian won a state-best seven team championships in 2015-16, including Class 5A football. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    AURORA — Valor Christian’s athletic department had a banner season in 2015-16, leading the state with seven team championships.

    In terms of individual sports, Cheyenne Mountain led the way with 11 individual champions.

    We broke down the 2015-16 championship count below. Find a complete championship database, including title game scores, in our archives.

    Previous Championship Counts:

    • 2014-15: Cherry Creek (5 teams); Thompson Valley (14 individuals)
    • 2013-14: Regis Jesuit (6 teams)
    • 2012-13: Cherry Creek (5 teams) & Cheyenne Mountain (5 teams)
    • 2011-12: Cherry Creek (5 teams)
    • 2010-11: Cheyenne Mountain (7 teams) & Regis Jesuit (7 teams)
    • 2009-10: Cherry Creek (5 teams)
    • 2008-09: Cherry Creek (5 teams)
    • 2007-08: Cherry Creek (5 teams)

    [divider]

    Team Championships

    Valor Christian had the most team championships this season with seven. The Eagles won boys golf, softball, football, girls basketball, girls swimming, boys lacrosse and baseball.

    The seven titles are the most since Regis Jesuit and Cheyenne Mountain each won seven in 2010-11.

    Five teams tied for second place in the state with three team championships this season: Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Academy, Kent Denver, Pomona and Regis Jesuit.

    Colorado Academy and Valor Christian each had a state-best three girls championships, while Valor’s four titles were the most on the boys’ side.

    In all, 67 different teams won a team championship in 2015-16, including 16 teams which won multiple championships.

    A breakdown of team championships is below.

    Rank Team Girls Boys Co-Ed Total
    1 Valor Christian 3 4 0 7
    2 Cheyenne Mountain 2 1 0 3
    2 Colorado Academy 3 0 0 3
    2 Kent Denver 1 2 0 3
    2 Pomona 1 2 0 3
    2 Regis Jesuit 0 3 0 3
    7 Broomfield 1 1 0 2
    7 Cherokee Trail 1 1 0 2
    7 Cherry Creek 1 1 0 2
    7 Eaton 2 0 0 2
    7 Fairview 2 0 0 2
    7 Grandview 2 0 0 2
    7 Heritage Christian 1 1 0 2
    7 Lutheran 1 1 0 2
    7 Mountain Vista 1 1 0 2
    7 Yuma 2 0 0 2
    17 Air Academy 1 0 0 1
    17 Alamosa 0 1 0 1
    17 Aspen 1 0 0 1
    17 Battle Mountain 0 1 0 1
    17 Bayfield 0 1 0 1
    17 Bennett 1 0 0 1
    17 Buena Vista 0 1 0 1
    17 Castle View 0 0 1 1
    17 Cedaredge 0 1 0 1
    17 Cheyenne Wells 1 0 0 1
    17 Colorado Springs Christian 0 1 0 1
    17 Dawson School 0 1 0 1
    17 Durango 0 1 0 1
    17 Eads 0 1 0 1
    17 Eaglecrest 1 0 0 1
    17 Evergreen 0 1 0 1
    17 Faith Christian 0 1 0 1
    17 Fleming 0 1 0 1
    17 Fort Collins 1 0 0 1
    17 Fossil Ridge 0 1 0 1
    17 Holly 0 1 0 1
    17 Idalia 1 0 0 1
    17 Lewis-Palmer 1 0 0 1
    17 Lyons 0 1 0 1
    17 Meeker 0 1 0 1
    17 Monarch 1 0 0 1
    17 Mountain Range 1 0 0 1
    17 Mountain View 0 1 0 1
    17 Niwot 1 0 0 1
    17 Otis 1 0 0 1
    17 Overland 0 1 0 1
    17 Palmer Ridge 1 0 0 1
    17 Paonia 1 0 0 1
    17 Peak to Peak 0 1 0 1
    17 Ponderosa 1 0 0 1
    17 Pueblo County 0 1 0 1
    17 Pueblo East 0 1 0 1
    17 Pueblo West 0 1 0 1
    17 Salida 1 0 0 1
    17 Sanford 0 1 0 1
    17 Sedgwick County 0 1 0 1
    17 St. Mary’s 0 0 1 1
    17 Strasburg 1 0 0 1
    17 Telluride 1 0 0 1
    17 The Classical Academy 1 0 0 1
    17 ThunderRidge 1 0 0 1
    17 University 1 0 0 1
    17 Vail Christian 1 0 0 1
    17 Vail Mountain 1 0 0 1
    17 Valley 0 1 0 1
    17 Windsor 0 1 0 1

    [divider]

    Individual Championships

    img_9138-2
    Cheyenne Mountain had a state-best 11 individual champions in 2015-16. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Cheyenne Mountain also had an outstanding year in terms of individual titles, leading the state with 11 championships. The program was well balanced: Six championships came from its girls teams, and five came from the boys.

    Lutheran’s 10 individual championships were the second-most in the state, including a state-best nine boys titles. Regis Jesuit was third with nine individual titles, and Air Academy and Pomona tied for fourth with eight apiece.

    A total of 135 schools had at least one individual champion, and 82 had multiple champions. Of those, 21 schools had at least five individual champions.

    Find a breakdown of individual champions below.

    Rank Team Girls Boys Total
    1 Cheyenne Mountain 6 5 11
    2 Lutheran 1 9 10
    3 Regis Jesuit 4 5 9
    4 Air Academy 5 3 8
    4 Pomona 4 4 8
    6 Fairview 5 2 7
    6 Fossil Ridge 5 2 7
    6 Paonia 6 1 7
    9 Cherry Creek 3 3 6
    9 Discovery Canyon 5 1 6
    9 Kent Denver 2 4 6
    9 Valor Christian 5 1 6
    13 Arapahoe 4 1 5
    13 Cedaredge 2 3 5
    13 Fort Collins 3 2 5
    13 Fountain-Fort Carson 1 4 5
    13 Heritage Christian 3 2 5
    13 Peak to Peak 4 1 5
    13 Resurrection Christian 0 5 5
    13 Silver Creek 2 3 5
    13 Springfield 2 3 5
    22 Boulder 0 4 4
    22 Denver East 3 1 4
    22 Kim 4 0 4
    22 Moffat County 4 0 4
    22 Palmer Ridge 0 4 4
    22 Poudre 0 4 4
    22 Pueblo County 0 4 4
    22 Rock Canyon 4 0 4
    22 Sangre de Cristo 4 0 4
    22 The Classical Academy 2 2 4
    32 Aspen 0 3 3
    32 Cherokee Trail 3 0 3
    32 Colorado Academy 0 3 3
    32 Eaton 3 0 3
    32 Evergreen 3 0 3
    32 Lyons 0 3 3
    32 Manitou Springs 1 2 3
    32 Meeker 0 3 3
    32 Niwot 3 0 3
    32 Pine Creek 0 3 3
    32 Ponderosa 1 2 3
    32 Sedgwick County 1 2 3
    32 Shining Mountain 0 3 3
    32 Sterling 2 1 3
    32 Valley 0 3 3
    32 Windsor 2 1 3
    48 Alamosa 0 2 2
    48 Baca County 2 0 2
    48 Battle Mountain 0 2 2
    48 Berthoud 0 2 2
    48 Buena Vista 0 2 2
    48 Caliche 2 0 2
    48 Canon City 1 1 2
    48 Chaparral 0 2 2
    48 Delta 2 0 2
    48 Durango 0 2 2
    48 Estes Park 2 0 2
    48 Faith Christian 2 0 2
    48 Flagler 0 2 2
    48 Fort Morgan 0 2 2
    48 Grandview 2 0 2
    48 Highland 1 1 2
    48 Highlands Ranch 0 2 2
    48 Hinkley 0 2 2
    48 John Mall 0 2 2
    48 Lake City Community 1 1 2
    48 Longmont 0 2 2
    48 Mesa Ridge 0 2 2
    48 Monarch 0 2 2
    48 Montrose 0 2 2
    48 Mountain View 0 2 2
    48 Otis 1 1 2
    48 Rocky Ford 0 2 2
    48 Rocky Mountain 2 0 2
    48 Salida 0 2 2
    48 SkyView Academy 0 2 2
    48 St. Mary’s Academy 2 0 2
    48 Telluride 2 0 2
    48 Thompson Valley 0 2 2
    48 Vail Christian 1 1 2
    48 Wray 2 0 2
    83 Akron 0 1 1
    83 Arickaree 0 1 1
    83 Bear Creek 0 1 1
    83 Burlington 1 0 1
    83 Castle View 0 1 1
    83 Centauri 0 1 1
    83 Cheraw 0 1 1
    83 Coal Ridge 1 0 1
    83 Colorado Springs Christian 1 0 1
    83 Crowley County 0 1 1
    83 Dolores Huerta 0 1 1
    83 Eads 0 1 1
    83 Elizabeth 1 0 1
    83 Ellicott 0 1 1
    83 Fleming 1 0 1
    83 Fort Lupton 0 1 1
    83 Fruita 0 1 1
    83 Glenwood Springs 0 1 1
    83 Granada 1 0 1
    83 Grand Junction 0 1 1
    83 Greeley Central 0 1 1
    83 Green Mountain 1 0 1
    83 Heritage 1 0 1
    83 Holy Family 0 1 1
    83 Hotchkiss 1 0 1
    83 Jefferson 0 1 1
    83 Kiowa 1 0 1
    83 Lakewood 0 1 1
    83 Lamar 0 1 1
    83 Legacy 0 1 1
    83 Mancos 0 1 1
    83 McClave 0 1 1
    83 Mountain Vista 0 1 1
    83 Mullen 0 1 1
    83 North Park 0 1 1
    83 Olathe 0 1 1
    83 Palisade 0 1 1
    83 Pawnee 0 1 1
    83 Peyton 0 1 1
    83 Pueblo East 0 1 1
    83 Roaring Fork 0 1 1
    83 Roosevelt 0 1 1
    83 Sedgwick County/Fleming 0 1 1
    83 Sheridan 0 1 1
    83 Skyline 1 0 1
    83 Soroco 0 1 1
    83 Standley Lake 1 0 1
    83 Steamboat Springs 1 0 1
    83 Summit 1 0 1
    83 Vail Mountain 1 0 1
    83 Vista Peak 1 0 1
    83 Vista Ridge 0 1 1
    83 Weld Central 0 1 1

  • All-state boys track & field teams for 2016 season

    State track Henry Raymond Poudre
    Poudre’s Henry Raymond is the 5A boys track and field athlete of the year. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The 2016 all-state boys track and field teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

    These teams were created based upon results at the state meet.

    In order to be considered for athlete of the year, they must first have made the all-state team by winning a championship.

    Athletes of the year were selected based upon their performance at the state meet. Coaches of the year were selected based upon the team champions.

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Athlete of the year: Henry Raymond, Poudre

    Coach of the year: Jeff Donnel, Pomona

    First Team
    Name School Year Event(s)
    Malic Bonner Fountain-Fort Carson Sophomore 4×400
    Max Borghi Pomona Sophomore 4×100
    Austin Campbell Regis Jesuit Senior High Jump
    Sergio Cedano Fountain-Fort Carson Junior 4×400
    Jacob Condill Chaparral Senior Discus
    David Cunningham Highlands Ranch Senior Long Jump
    William Dixon Monarch Sophomore 4×800
    Adam Eckhardt Pomona Junior 4×100
    Jason Farrell Fountain-Fort Carson Sophomore 4×200, 4×400
    Jeremy Gonzales Pomona Junior 4×100
    Isaac Green Monarch Junior 4×800
    Angel Heredia Hinkley Sophomore 300 hurdles
    Ben Hogan Monarch Senior 4×800
    Zach Litoff Monarch Junior 4×800
    Christian Lyon Fountain-Fort Carson Senior 100 meters, 200 meters, 4×200, 4×400
    Jalen Lyon Fountain-Fort Carson Sophomore 4×200
    Miles Matulik Pomona Junior 4×100
    Jake Moretti Pomona Junior Shot Put
    Henry Raymond Poudre Senior 800 meters, 1600 meters, 3200 meters
    Connor Roberts Cherry Creek Senior Pole Vault
    Thomas Robillard Fort Collins Senior 110 hurdles
    Darrien Wells Hinkley Junior 400 meters
    Donovan Williams Fountain-Fort Carson Junior 4×200
    Danny Williams Pomona Senior Triple Jump

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Athlete of the year: Caleb Ojennes, Palmer Ridge

    Coach of the year: Kevin Clark, Mountain View

    First Team
    Name School Year Event(s)
    Jacob Bejarano Roosevelt Senior High Jump
    Conlan Berger Longmont Senior 4×100, 4×200
    Conor Bertles The Classical Academy Senior Shot Put
    William Chandler Durango Senior 4×800
    Trevor Cook Longmont Senior 4×100, 4×200
    Will Domier Holy Family Junior 100 meters
    Logan Goodner Longmont Senior 4×100, 4×200
    Aaron McCoy Canon City Junior 300 hurdles
    Ian Meek Montrose Junior 1600 meters, 3200 meters
    Seamus Millett Durango Senior 4×800
    David Moenning Durango Senior 800 meters, 4×800
    Garrett Obermeyer Palmer Ridge Senior 4×400
    Caleb Ojennes Palmer Ridge Senior 200 meters, 400 meters, 4×400
    Brandon Pappas Palmer Ridge Junior 4×400
    Anthony Peters Vista Ridge Senior Triple Jump
    Bailey Rosenstrauch Palmer Ridge Senior 4×400
    Ramon Salgado Mountain View Senior Pole Vault
    Jay Shuman Palisade Senior 110 hurdles
    George Silvanic Palmer Ridge Senior Discus
    Harry Steinberg Durango Junior 4×800
    Logan Stewart Mountain View Senior Long Jump
    Eli Sullivan Longmont Senior 4×100, 4×200

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Athlete of the year: Kent Harris, Lutheran

    Coach of the year: Darwin Horan, Lutheran

    First Team
    Name School Year Event(s)
    Sunday Abarca Aspen Junior 400 meters
    Luke Arkell Lutheran Sophomore 4×100, 4×200
    Ben Butler SkyView Academy Senior 3200 meters
    Bryce Coop Manitou Springs Junior 4×400
    Jacob Dack Lutheran Junior Shot Put
    Adam Dawson Lutheran Junior Discus
    Isaiah Delacerda Alamosa Junior 4×800
    Jasper Germain Roaring Fork Sophomore High Jump
    Kharon Hall Lutheran Senior 4×100, 4×200, Triple Jump
    Matt Hanson Lutheran Senior 110 hurdles
    Kent Harris Lutheran Senior 100 meters, 200 meters, 4×100, 4×200
    Chad Jackson Alamosa Freshman 4×800
    Jared Keul Manitou Springs Junior 800 meters, 4×400
    Oscar Martinez Alamosa Junior 4×800
    Caleb Palmer Alamosa Junior 4×800
    Conner Plackis Manitou Springs Senior 4×400
    Gallian Roberts Salida Senior 300 hurdles, Long Jump
    Luke Rodholm Manitou Springs Junior 4×400
    Taylor Stack Salida Senior 1600 meters
    Harrison Tomko Lutheran Senior 4×100, 4×200
    Victor Zimmerman Sterling Junior Pole Vault

    [divider]

    Class 2A

    Athlete of the year: Shane Gates, Cedaredge

    Coach of the year: Kirby Henderson, Cedaredge

    First Team
    Name School Year Event(s)
    Evan Anderson Resurrection Christian Senior 400 meters, 4×100, 4×400
    Cooper Daniels Vail Christian Senior Pole Vault
    Shane Gates Cedaredge Senior 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, High Jump
    Jaylen Hayes Ellicott Junior 4×200
    Adrian Hernandez Mancos Senior 4×800
    Simon Kearns Mancos Sophomore 4×800
    Ben Kelley Soroco Sophomore 800 meters
    Jake McKie Mancos Sophomore 4×800
    Chad Mikelson Sedgwick County Junior Long Jump, Triple Jump
    Ro Paschal Mancos Senior 4×800
    Garrett Quintana John Mall Senior Shot Put, Discus
    Paul Roberts Lyons Senior 1600 meters, 3200 meters
    Jarod Seery Ellicott Senior 4×200
    Conner Stahla Resurrection Christian Junior 4×100, 4×400
    Michael Stevenson Resurrection Christian Junior 4×400
    Chiante’ Stewart Ellicott Sophomore 4×200
    Jack Taylor Resurrection Christian Sophomore 4×100
    Kevin Vargas Ellicott Senior 4×200
    Cooper Ward Resurrection Christian Senior 100 meters, 200 meters, 4×100, 4×400

    [divider]

    Class 1A

    Athlete of the year: Jordan Cherin, Shining Mountain

    Coach of the year: Joe Packard, Heritage Christian

    First Team
    Name School Year Event(s)
    Chris Athey Lake City Community Junior 4×800
    Zane Bearfoot Cheraw Senior 4×100
    Ian Beckett McClave Sophomore High Jump
    Isaac Borchers Lake City Community Sophomore 4×800
    Andy Borunda Springfield Senior Shot Put, Discus
    Shiloh Bremer Cheraw Junior 4×100
    Jordan Cherin Shining Mountain Senior 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters
    Luke Duggan Pawnee Senior 1600 meters
    Beau Dukes Springfield Freshman 4×200
    Bowman Ellis Springfield Junior 4×200
    Blayden Fletcher North Park Sophomore 110 hurdles
    Luke Gilliland Heritage Christian Senior 3200 meters
    Tate Goble Otis Sophomore Pole Vault
    Tristan Headrick Cheraw Senior 4×100
    Rafe Hutches Springfield Senior 4×200
    Cameron Klann Flagler Junior 100 meters, Long Jump
    Matt Lee Heritage Christian Senior 4×400
    Trent Leoffler Arickaree Senior Triple Jump
    Riley Moore Lake City Community Sophomore 4×800
    Taylor Motschall Heritage Christian Junior 4×400
    Marshall Thornton Springfield Senior 4×200
    Brendon Trujillo Cheraw Junior 4×100
    Fred Turner Eads Junior 300 hurdles
    Robbie Wagner Heritage Christian Senior 4×400
    Liam Whinnery Lake City Community Senior 4×800
    Caleb Wickstrom Heritage Christian Senior 4×400

  • Grandview’s Brie Oakley kicks off 2016 state track meet in record-breaking fashion

    State track 2016 Brie Oakley Grandview
    Grandview’s Brie Oakley. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    LAKEWOOD — Welcome to an elite club, Brie Oakley.

    At Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood during the first day of the track and field state championships, the Grandview newcomer shattered a 26-year-old Class 5A state meet record in the 3,200-meter run.

    After finishing as the state runner-up to Lauren Gregory of Fort Collins during her first-ever cross country season last fall, Oakley’s torrid early pace — 2:30 through 800 meters, 5:09 through 1,600 — dropped the field and rewrote a long-standing record held by legendary Boulder High runner Melody Fairchild. Her time of 10:33.16 seconds clipped Fairchild’s 10:34.09 from 1990. She also easily outdistanced second-place finisher Megan Mooney of Horizon (11:09.34), a Florida State recruit.

    “It was just so surreal with this being my first track season,” Oakley said. “I just wanted to go out fast and not look back.”

    From a newcomer to a champion and record holder in the state’s highest classification, Oakley also ran the anchor leg of a 3,200 relay that placed fifth in 9:32.21. She is the No. 12 seed for the 800 on Friday and the No. 1 seed with a time of 4:57.91 in the 1,600 on Saturday.

    “I originally played soccer, but got kind of burned out,” she said. “One of my friends was on the cross country team and she always talked about it. I had run some 5k’s before, so I figured I would try it out. I just fell in love with running.”

    With only 3,200 relays and 5A 3,200s as finals on the track during Thursday’s morning session for the bigger schools, distance runners took center stage.

    State track 2016 Henry Raymond Poudre
    Poudre senior Henry Raymond. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Poudre senior Henry Raymond, appearing in his first-ever individual events at state after coming off an injury-riddled junior track season, entered the weekend in an unfamiliar position. As the No. 1 seed in all three distance disciplines — the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 — he is a potential rare threat to sweep the trio.

    In the 3,200, Raymond conserved energy for his later events during a tactical early pace. Then, after breaking away with Regis Jesuit’s Jack Davidson and Mountain Vista’s Paxton Smith, he scorched a 58-second last quarter to win with a time of 9:25.21. Davidson was second in 9:27.51, while Smith was third in 9:30.50.

    During the weekend’s first foursome finals, Cherry Creek (9:23.64) successfully defended their 5A girls 3,200 relay crown. Lisa Swartz, Jordan McCurdy, Jamie Johnson and Devon Peterson kept Fairview (9:25) and Rocky Mountain (9:29) at bay.

    In the 5A boys 3,200 relay, Monarch’s Ben Hogan, William Dixon, Zach Litoff and Isaac Green pulled away with a winning time of 7:51.57, as Green pushed the Coyotes from a close third, behind Boulder and Mountain Vista, to a win on the anchor leg. The Panthers (7:53.97) and Golden Eagles (7:57.50) both broke eight minutes as well.

    The Air Academy girls had a wire-to-wire victory in the 4A 3,200 relay, with super talent Katie Rainsberger on the fourth leg, during an 18-second win over Niwot in 9:14.28. The Kadets had Kayla Wiitala, Lilliana Hamilton and Maria Mettler as the other baton-carriers.

    David Moenning, in a style reminiscent to Green’s, went from third to first while slipping past Mountain View and Palmer Ridge with a winning 7:53.60 to the Bears’ 7:54.37. Palmer Ridge, after their third consecutive team title, was the defending champion in the event.

    In 5A field event action, Jacob Condill of Chaparral (157-3) and Gina Coleman of Fountain-Fort Carson (145-9) were the winners of the discus throw, while Regis Jesuit’s Austin Campbell (6-9) claimed the 5A high jump.

    Cherry Creek senior Connor Roberts (15-10) held off Monarch freshman phenom Max Manson (15-7) in the pole vault, while Fossil Ridge senior Chloe West was the girls champion with a mark of 12 feet, 2 inches. Audra Koopman of Fort Collins (19-5) won the girls long jump.

    In other notable 4A action from Friday, Anthony Peters of Vista Ridge beat a field of three 46-plus triple jumpers with a mark of 46 feet, 11.5 inches. Depree Kimber of Pueblo South (46-7) and Breon Michel of Vista Ridge (46-3) finished in second and third, respectively.

    Silver Creek sophomore Rylee Anderson, after winning the high jump at 5 feet, 5 inches a season ago, raised her level to 5 feet, 7 inches and another championship.

    The state track and field championships resume on Friday at 8:20 am with the 2A 3,200-meter finals for boys and girls.

    [divider]

    Lutheran’s Kharon Hall making his own name

    Kharon Hall wanted to see his name etched into the record books. After all, his sister was already firmly in there and he figured she could use a little company.

    Dior Hall, the Colorado record holder in the 100 hurdles at George Washington in 2014 with a time of 13.09, not to mention a star at the University of Southern California, has a brother who is making a name all his own.

    A defending state champion in the triple jump, Hall had gone 45 feet, 3.5 inches in 2015 to win Class 3A. But the Lutheran senior wanted more.

    “Ever since I was a little kid my sister has been the star,” he said. “Everybody would know who she was and they would know me as, ‘Dior’s little brother.’ Now that I’m at this platform and setting records, everybody knows me as myself.”

    After a winning mark and new personal best of 46-2.25 at the St. Vrain Invite last week, Hall leapt a monstrous 48 feet, 1.75 inches on Thursday, passing the previous 3A record of 47 feet, 5 inches by Marcus Brown of La Junta in 1999.

    “I would like to give all glory to God, my family and my coaches,” he said. “They’ve pushed me and kept me motivated. I trusted in my training.”

    For a Lutheran program in search of their third boys team title in a row (3A in 2015, 2A in 2014), the Lions had a promising opening day for the boys and the girls. Adam Dawson, a junior, claimed the discus crown with a toss of 173 feet, 1 inch. Fellow junior Morgan Barone won the high jump by clearing 5 feet, 5 inches. The Lions also had their usual dominating sprint crew in qualifying heaps of athletes into Friday and Saturday’s finals on the track.

    Among other champions during the small-school portion of Thursday, John Mall senior Garrett Quintana (54-2) won the 2A shot put, Paonia senior Ashley Van Vleet (5-4) won the 2A high jump, and Sterling junior Victor Zimmerman (14-6) won the 3A pole vault.

    The 1A girls discus state record of 117-00 was smashed by three competitors — Sangre de Cristo’s Jenna McKinley (131-6) and the Eads tandem of Brooke Lenox (124-6) and Mariah Smith (118-8). Flagler junior Cameron Klann set a new 1A record in the long jump by leaping 21-11.75, inching past Stratton’s Kyle English (21-10.5, 2014).

    Rachel (12:16) and Rebekah Rairdon (12:24), senior sisters for Heritage Christian, won gold and silver in the 1A 3,200. Fellow senior and teammate Luke Gilliland won the boys 3,200 in 10:30.

    Estes Park junior Lily Tomasula-Martin pulled away from Peak to Peak freshman Anna Shults to win the 3A 3,200 11:16-11:25. She defended her 2015 title. Skyview Academy senior Ben Butler went back-to-back in the 3,200 as well with a winning time of 9:22.27 to 9:30.60 by Taylor Stack of Salida.

  • All-state girls basketball teams for 2015-16 season

    The 2015-16 all-state girls basketball players of the year. (Photos: CHSAANow.com contributors)
    The 2015-16 all-state girls basketball players of the year. (Photos: Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com; Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com; Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com; Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)

    The 2015-16 all-state girls basketball 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 week-long vote of coaches.

    A specific player of the year vote was held in each class, as was a vote for coach of the year.
    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Grandview Cherry Creek girls basketball
    Grandview’s Michaela Onyenwere is the 5A girls basketball player of the year. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Player of the year: Michaela Onyenwere, Grandview

    Coach of the year: Matthew Asik, ThunderRidge

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Brenna Chase Broomfield W/PG Senior
    Mackenzie Forrest Lakewood G Senior
    Michaela Onyenwere Grandview G/F Junior
    Taylor Rusk ThunderRidge SG/W/F Senior
    Jaz’myne Snipes ThunderRidge P/F Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Nicea Eliely Rampart G/F Senior
    Tatum Rembao Loveland PG/SG Junior
    Symone Starks Highlands Ranch PG Senior
    Ashley Van Sickle Ralston Valley PG Junior
    Leilah Vigil Highlands Ranch F/G Sophomore

    Honorable mention: McKenna Bishop, Senior, Lakewood; Jenna Henderson, Senior, Aurora Central; Whitney Jacob, Junior, Mullen; Kylie Jimenez, Junior, Horizon; Ashley Madden, Junior, Pomona; Molly McCabe, Senior, Mountain Vista; Sydney Mech, Sophomore, Cherry Creek; Caitlin Navratil, Senior, Dakota Ridge; Chelsea Pearson, Senior, Mountain Vista; Carmen Ramey, Senior, Gateway; Riley Snyder, Sophomore, Fruita Monument; Jordyn Vega, Senior, Arapahoe.

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Mesa Ridge TCA girls basketball
    Mesa Ridge’s Kylee Shook is the 4A girls basketball player of the year. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Player of the year: Kylee Shook, Mesa Ridge

    Coach of the year: Amy Bahl, Evergreen

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Katie Chavez Holy Family PG/SG Senior
    Heidi Hammond Valor Christian SG Senior
    Samantha Kisiel Evergreen Senior
    Kylee Shook Mesa Ridge C Senior
    Oliana Squires Sand Creek G Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Kristina Cavey Berthoud G/F Senior
    Liah Davis Sand Creek F/P Senior
    Madison McCoy Valor Christian PG Senior
    Jillian Shew Skyview PG/G Senior
    Chloe Welch Mesa Ridge PG Sophomore
    Sydney Wetterstrom Longmont C Senior

    Honorable mention: Khiya Adams, Senior, Falcon; Holly Brooks, Senior, Montrose; Ashlyn Brown, Senior, Palisade; Linsi Calvo, Senior, Centaurus; Katrina Chandler, Junior, Durango; Kanecia Cooks, Senior, Sierra; Maddy Dickens, Senior, Thompson Valley; Madi Gaibler, Senior, Longmont; Abby Garnett, Sophomore, Golden; Kylie Martin, Junior, Eagle Valley; Logan Newhall, Senior, Evergreen; Emily Nortnik, Junior, Delta; Nadirah Oakman, Senior, Sierra; Sydney Prey, Junior, Golden; Lexi Reed, Senior, D’Evelyn; Shannon Sanchez, Senior, Pueblo West; Aubrey Sotolongo, Senior, D’Evelyn; Monique Stevens, Junior, Battle Mountain; Amanda Ward, Senior, Windsor; Olivia Whitworth, Junior, Elizabeth.

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Manitou Springs Lutheran girls state basketball
    Lutheran’s Kristen Vigial is the 3A girls basketball player of the year. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

    Player of the year: Kristen Vigil, Lutheran

    Coach of the year: Mark Duitsman, Lutheran

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Morgan Barone Lutheran Senior
    Jenna Knudson Sterling G Senior
    Taylor Lee-Hammer Pagosa Springs Senior
    Shelby Megyeri Manitou Springs G Junior
    Kristen Vigil Lutheran Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Roni Fringer Centauri G Senior
    Brooke Garretson Manitou Springs F Senior
    Angala Jensen Manitou Springs F Senior
    Madison Lewis Pagosa Springs Senior
    Maya Love Kent Denver Senior

    Honorable mention: Nyesha Anderson, Senior, Manual; Leah Camilletti, Senior, Moffat County; Ember Canty, Sophomore, Centauri; Kylie Chavez, Junior, Sterling; Hannah Cook, Senior, Faith Christian; Hristina Geraskova, Junior, Faith Christian; Morgan Lewis, Sophomore, Pagosa Springs; Caiden Rexius, Senior, Eaton; Adrianna Rios, Senior, Platte Valley; Bailey Schumacher, Senior, Eaton; Jonni Smith, Senior, Bishop Machebeuf.

    [divider]

    Class 2A

    (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)
    Yuma’s Logan Hixon is the 2A girls basketball player of the year. (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)

    Player of the year: Logan Hixon, Yuma

    Coach of the year: Mike Neill, Yuma

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Nellie Freeman Cedaredge G Senior
    Logan Hixon Yuma PG Senior
    Peighton Roth Yuma G Senior
    Tara Traphagan Yuma C/F Senior
    Ashley Vanvleet Paonia C Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Sophia Anderson Paonia PG Junior
    Taiylor Holland Swink Senior
    Hannah Lenz Wray Senior
    AJ Miller Akron Senior
    Mikaela Parker Calhan F/G Senior
    Briana Peterson Soroco Senior

    Honorable mention: Erika Bradsby, Junior, John Mall; Ashlea Carothers, Junior, Kiowa; Cheylin Corman, Senior, Burlington; Hilda Garcia, Sophomore, Ignacio; Megan Gerk, Senior, Haxtun; Hannah Gilmore, Junior, Cedaredge; Jayci Hollenbaugh, Senior, Limon; Helen Janes, Junior, Kiowa; Bailey Jones, Junior, Del Norte; Dana Lenz, Senior, Sanford; Quincy Lester, Junior, Sargent; Khristen Mooney, Senior, Wray; Nia Prescott, Senior, Rye; Hope Roweth, Junior, Swink; Ellie Seibel, Senior, Ignacio; Morgan Smith, Freshman, Wray; Makenzy Sutton, Senior, Ellicott; Maison Tolle, Sophomore, Highland.

    [divider]

    Class 1A

    Idalia Briggsdale girls basketball
    Idalia’s Reagan Shaffer is the 1A girls basketball player of the year. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Player of the year: Reagan Shaffer, Idalia

    Coach of the year: Colin Nicklas, Briggsdale

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Karleigh Cooley Sangre de Cristo Senior
    Darian Hale Briggsdale G Senior
    Susana Herarra Idalia Senior
    Micayla Isenbart Kit Carson Sophomore
    Reagan Shaffer Idalia Senior
    Shaelynn Wood South Baca Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Bree-ann Carwin South Baca Junior
    Keri Hogan Jim Elliot Christian Senior
    Tess Hornung Kit Carson Freshman
    Sarah McGinley Heritage Christian Junior
    Jenna McKinley Sangre de Cristo Senior
    Taylor Nittler Kim Senior

    Honorable mention: Leilani Carrasco, Senior, Briggsdale; Haley Dollerschell, Senior, Prairie; Macie Magallon, Junior, Norwood; Brooke Slane, Senior, Sangre de Cristo; Jennay Terrel, Senior, Idalia; Torrie Thompson, Senior, Stratton/Liberty; Ashley Yergert, Sophomore, Kim.

  • State wrestling notebook: Shelton, seeking fourth title, wins first match

    Meeker's T.J. Shelton. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Meeker’s TJ Shelton, pictured shortly after his opening-round win on Thursday. More photos from the first day of state wrestling. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    DENVER — Meeker’s TJ Shelton opened his quest for a fourth title with a pin of Wiggins’ Dillon Donaghy in 49 seconds in the first round of Thursday’s Class 2A state wrestling tournament.

    Shelton, who wrestles at 170 pounds, will face Edgar Pedigo of Custer County in Friday’s quarterfinals. Pedigo pinned Rhett Uhland of Eads in 4:22.

    Shelton won 2A’s 170-point title as a freshman, 160 pounds as a sophomore, and 170 again as a junior last season.

    He is aiming to become the state’s 19th four-time champion.

    Last season, Paonia’s Jesse Reed won a fourth championship, and Broomfield’s Phil Downing did the same in 2014. Only once before has the state has had a four-time champion in three-consecutive tournaments. The came in 2003-05, when a total of five wrestlers accomplished the feat.

    [divider]

    Willits makes triumphant return to state

    Pueblo County Grant Willits wrestling
    Grant Willits. More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Grant Willits has a lot to prove this year.

    The junior from Pueblo County came into the 2015 state wrestling tournament with his eyes on taking his second state championship. But when weigh-ins took place, Willits missed his cut by a tenth of a pound and was disqualified.

    Thursday he made a triumphant return to the floor at Pepsi Center and pinned Littleton’s Poe Di in the 4A 126-pound bracket.

    “It feels nice,” Willits said. “I definitely feel like I have a chip on my shoulder. This whole summer I just thought about it all the time and worked harder and harder to make up for what happened last year and try to chase a title this year.”

    Willits will face Riley Prough from Glenwood Springs in Friday’s quarterfinals.

    [divider]

    Returning champions, unbeatens roll on

    • In addition to Shelton, each of the other returning champions in every class advanced to the quarterfinals during the first session at the Pepsi Center. There are a total of 26 — six each in class 2A and 3A, nine in 4A, and five in 5A.
    • Included in that group are two juniors who have each won championships in their first two seasons: John Mall’s Jonathan Andreatta (2A 120), and Pueblo County’s Hunter Willits (4A 152).
    • Likewise, all wrestlers who entered the day unbeaten stayed that way. There are five undefeated wrestlers in both 2A and 4A, and three in 3A. The 5A tournament does not have an unbeaten in its field.

    Quick pins, total pins

    • 40 wrestlers finished with pins in less than a minute during the first round on Thursday. Of those, 12 came in less than 30 seconds.
    • The quickest pin of the day belonged to Sergio Campos of Hotchkiss, who took down Calhan’s Matthew Heitmann in 15 seconds at 2A 106. The record for the quickest pin is four seconds.
    • In the first round of each of the four tournaments, there were a total of 213 pins. By class, 2A had the most first-round pins with 68, 4A had 52, 3A had 51, and 5A had 42

    Team races

    • In 2A, defending champion Rocky Ford leads the field at Round 1 with 30.5 points. Meeker, runner-up a year ago, was second with 28. Centauri is third with 25.
    • The 3A race is also being led by a defending champion in Valley, which sits at 30 points after the first round. Berthoud is currently in second (24 points), and Dolores Huerta is third (22).
    • Pueblo County jumped out ahead in the 4A team race, and leads with 34.5 points. The Hornets were runner-up last season. Greeley Central is second with 29.5, Cheyenne Mountain is third with 25, and defending champion Thompson Valley sits fourth with 19.5.
    • Pomona heads the 5A race with 27 points. Legacy and Pine Creek sit in a tie for second with 21 points, Ponderosa is fourth with 16.5, and Poudre is fifth with 15.5.

    Friday’s schedule

    • The 2A/3A championship quarterfinals will begin at 10 a.m. at the Pepsi Center, with first-round consolations immediately following.
    • The 4A/5A championship quarterfinals are scheduled for 12:45 p.m., against with first-round consolations immediately following.
    • Semifinals in all classes are scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
    • Find a complete schedule here.

    Notables

    • Berthoud’s Christian Kalinoski beat Eaton’s Hayden Gavette 2-1 in a match that went three overtimes in the 3A 106-pound bracket.
    • Estes Parks’ Eric Todd also had a three-OT win, beating Coal Ridge’s Jacx Power 8-7 in 3A 160.
    • One other match went to overtime: Highland’s Bryson Fogg beat Meeker’s Hunter Garcia in 2A 145.
    • Fort Morgan’s Toby McBride, a CSU football recruit, pinned Wheat Ridge’s Nikolos Schnebly in 27 seconds. McBride is a two-time champion.

    More coverage