Lewis-Palmer is starting to show that it is the real deal when it comes to boys lacrosse. The 6-1 Rangers have broken into the Class 5A CHSAANow.com boys lacrosse rankings at No. 9.
Also joining the 5A poll is Chaparral at No. 10.
Regis Jesuit and Cherry Creek remain the top two teams in the rankings.
The Bruins are coming off a win over No. 3 Mountain Vista this weekend.
Colorado Academy jumps three spots to land at No. 5.
Dawson remains the overwhelming choice as the top team in the 4A poll. Defending 4A champ Valor Christian is sitting right behind the Mustangs at No. 2.
Aspen made a four-spot jump to land at No. 5
At No. 8 and No. 10 respectively, Vail Mountain and Steamboat Springs are the two newcomers to the 4A rankings.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association.
During the regular season, new polls are released each Monday.
The mass shakeup of the Class 5A CHSAANow.com girls soccer poll was not a one-week thing.
Following last week’s crazy shuffle of top-10 teams, this week is once again in disarray.
Broomfield takes over as the new No. 1 team thanks a 1-0 win over Monarch last week. The Eagles were the No. 2 team in last week’s rankings.
Cherry Creek jumped three spots to come in at No. 2 while Regis Jesuit (No. 3) and Legacy (No. 4) each jumped four spots.
And then things get crazy.
Cherokee Trail falls to No. 5 and Mountain Vista — despite not playing a game — falls three spots to No. 6.
Two newcomers in Chaparral and Arapahoe fall in at No. 7 and No. 8 respectively while Grandview jumps one spot to land at No. 9.
Columbine, last week’s No. 1, remained in the top 10, but fell all the way to No. 10.
The 4A poll remained a little more consistent.
Valor Christian still holds the top spot, but it was The Classical Academy who climbed six spots to take over at No. 2.
Mullen (No. 4), Wheat Ridge (No. 5) and D’Evelyn (No. 6) are all one spot better than they were a week ago.
An injury-plagued Cheyenne Mountain team went 2-0 last week, but dropped to No. 8.
There were no new teams in the 4A poll.
Kent Denver took seven of nine first-place votes to remain the No. 1 team in the 3A poll.
Overall, the top five teams from last week’s 3A rankings went unchanged. The only new team, Colorado Springs Christian, comes in at No. 8, one spot behind Tri-Peaks rival Manitou Springs.
The most consistent poll of the week goes to 2A. Dawson took all six top votes to stay at No. 1 with Fountain Valley (No. 2), Denver Christian (No. 3) and Evangelical Christian (No. 4) also holding firm from last week.
Telluride is the only new team in the poll, rounding it out at No. 5.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association.
New polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Pine Creek 18, Legend 15, Rocky Mountain 15, Denver South 6, Prairie View 3, Smoky Hill 3, Ralston Valley 2.
Dropped out:
Rocky Mountain (6), Ralston Valley (9).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Valor Christian (7)
4-0-0
96
1
0-0-0
2
The Classical Academy (3)
4-0-0
83
8
1-0-0
3
Lewis-Palmer
4-1-0
66
2
1-1-0
4
Mullen
4-1-0
58
5
2-0-0
5
Wheat Ridge
5-0-0
56
6
1-0-0
6
D’Evelyn
4-0-1
47
7
1-0-1
7
Windsor
4-1-0
37
3
1-1-0
8
Cheyenne Mountain
3-2-0
34
4
2-0-0
9
Air Academy
3-3-0
18
9
0-1-0
10
Evergreen
3-2-0
12
10
1-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Sand Creek 11, Northridge 6, Palisade 5, Green Mountain 4, Ponderosa 3, Pueblo South 3, Silver Creek 3, Standley Lake 3, Littleton 2, Thomas Jefferson 2, Battle Mountain 1.
Dropped out:
None.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kent Denver (7)
3-1-0
87
1
0-0-0
2
Colorado Academy (1)
2-1-0
73
2
0-0-0
3
Jefferson Academy (1)
5-0-1
72
3
3-0-0
4
Peak to Peak
4-0-0
60
4
1-0-0
5
The Academy
3-1-0
43
5
0-1-0
6
Coal Ridge
2-1-0
34
7
0-0-0
7
Manitou Springs
4-1-0
26
8
1-1-0
8
Colorado Springs Christian
4-0-0
22
–
1-0-0
9
Vail Mountain
3-1-0
19
9
3-1-0
10
Liberty Common
1-1-0
14
6
1-1-0
Others receiving votes:
SkyView Academy 8, Prospect Ridge 6, Alamosa 4, Sterling 3, The Pinnacle 3, DSST-Stapleton 2, St. Mary’s 2, Aspen 1, Faith Christian 1, Florence 1.
Dropped out:
SkyView Academy (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Dawson School (6)
3-0-0
30
1
0-0-0
2
Fountain Valley
0-0-0
24
2
0-0-0
3
Denver Christian
2-1-0
15
3
0-0-0
4
Evangelical Christian
2-1-0
9
4
1-0-0
5
Telluride
3-2-0
8
–
2-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Front Range Christian 2, Clear Creek 1, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 1.
When the dust settled on the first set of girls soccer rankings since the preseason, much had changed.
Ultimately, it was Columbine that emerged as the new No. 1 team in a transformed Class 5A poll that added three new teams, and also all kinds of tumult following an early two weeks where just about everyone was beat by someone else.
The Rebels, off to a 3-1-0 start, received just one first-place vote out of the 10 in the classification, but rose to the top with 84 overall points, ahead of new No. 2 Broomfield (four first-place votes, 73 points).
Mountain Vista dropped one spot to No. 3, Cherokee Trail jumped from No. 10 to No. 4, and Cherry Creek — unranked in the preseason — rounds out the top five.
Rocky Mountain was the lone team to hold its spot at No. 6, Regis Jesuit is up to No. 7, and newcomers Legacy (No. 8) and Ralston Valley (No. 9) joined the fray. Grandview, the preseason No. 1 which is off to an 0-2-0 start, fell to No. 10.
Each of the three No. 1 teams in the other classes held firm. Those are Valor Christian (4A), Kent Denver (3A) and Dawson (2A).
The 3A poll added No. 8 Manitou Springs and No. 10 SkyView Academy, but there were no new teams in 4A or 2A.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association.
New polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
To appreciate where Valor Christian’s girls soccer team ended up last spring – and where the Eagles hope to go in 2017 – it’s significant to take a brief trip back in time.
Two years ago Valor Christian entered the 2015 playoffs as the No. 7 seed, looking to get back into the title hunt in Class 4A. Instead, a rash of late-season injuries hit the program hard in the first round. Centaurus handed the Eagles their first opening-round loss in the team’s brief history, ending Valor Christian’s run before it could even get started.
“I think that team that year was poised to make a deep run in state, and just had the injury-bug hit them like crazy right at the end of the regular season,” said current Valor Christian coach Brian Shultz, who returned to lead the program last season. “They lost some major contributors right before the playoffs started, and just probably didn’t have enough time to figure it out before it was go-time in the playoffs.
“Did that light a fire under the girls to get back? Absolutely, I think it did.”
Enter Shultz, who had coached Valor Christian to its only state title in 2011 and two semifinal appearances the following two seasons. He stepped down before the 2014 season to focus on teaching and coaching the Valor boys, but returned last spring.
The Eagles rediscovered their playoff magic, making it back to the championship game for the first time in five years before falling to Lewis-Palmer 1-0.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
“That was a really painful ending,” said Eagles senior Camryn Dyke, who has signed with Notre Dame. “We had a really great season last year. We definitely want to be back there this year.”
Valor Christian, ranked first in the CHSAANow.com 4A preseason rankings, returns two first-team all-state talents in Camryn and younger sister Cori, who made an immediate impact as a freshman last spring. Versatile talent Caroline Noonan was a second-team selection, and the team has five seniors who have signed to play collegiately.
Camryn Dyke will compete for the Fighting Irish, and Grace Collins (Wyoming) and Tess Boade (Duke) are also going to Division I programs. Bri Johnson (Westmont College) and Paige Kula (John Brown) will play for NAIA schools.
“We have a great group of seniors this year, some amazing girls,” said Camryn, who shared the team lead in goals scored with Johnson at 15. “I think we all just want to do it for each other and leave a legacy here.”
Kula missed last spring with a knee injury, though Shultz said her leadership still helped play a critical role in helping the team reach the title game. Boade competed for Valor’s track and field team as a junior, but is back with the soccer program for her final season.
Noonan is a junior, as is goalkeeper Alex Daws, who rotated as a sophomore but was in net during the playoff run and has committed to Wyoming.
Valor Christian finished second in the 4A Jeffco League a year ago, but took out Evergreen and league champion Wheat Ridge in the postseason. Those same two teams handed the Eagles back-to-back losses in late April, which helped reinvigorate the squad, according to Shultz.
To keep Valor Christian sharp and on its toes at all times this season, the coach strengthened the schedule even more with non-league games against the likes of two-time defending 5A champion Grandview; a Cheyenne Mountain team that won 4A titles from 2013-15; and Colorado Academy, which won 3A in 2014 and 2015 and took second last year.
That doesn’t include the gauntlet that the 4A Jeffco League serves up each spring.
“We’re just trying to prepare ourselves for the playoffs, so that any team we face at the end of the season is not going to surprise us,” Shultz said. “It’s the toughest schedule we’ve had.”
Lewis-Palmer returns a pair of first-team all-state selections, including reigning Player of the Year Brianna Alger, who has signed with Washington State. The Rangers enter the season ranked second in 4A, followed by Cheyenne Mountain, Windsor and Mullen. In addition to Valor, three more Jeffco League teams – Wheat Ridge, D’Evelyn and Evergreen – are also ranked in the top 10.
In 5A, Grandview is looking for a third consecutive 5A crown after going 18-0-1 a year ago. Kent Denver and reigning 3A POY Sage DiGuilio entered the season ranked first, with two-time defending 2A champion Vail Mountain make the jump to the 3A classification as well.
Dawson School returns 2A POY Hannah Isenhart as the Mustangs seek their first state crown.
[divider]
Girls soccer preview
Important dates:
Regular season begins: March 9
Postseason begins: May 9
State championships:
5A: 7 p.m. on May 24 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
4A: 5 p.m. on May 24 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
3A: 7 p.m. on May 23 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
2A: 5 p.m. on May 23 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Class 4A: Brianna Alger, Sr., Lewis-Palmer (1st team); Hannah Burgo, Sr., The Classical Academy (2nd team); Camryn Dyke, Sr., Valor Christian (1st team); Cori Dyke, Soph., Valor Christian (1st team); Lauren Jones, Sr., Cheyenne Mountain (1st team); Chaynee Kingsbury, Jr., Windsor (1st team); Caleigh Michael, Sr., Mullen (2nd team); Caroline Noonan, Jr., Valor Christian (2nd team); Karly Sandoval, Sr., Lewis-Palmer (1st team); Adalyn Vergara, Jr., Windsor (2nd team).
Class 3A: Jennika Chapman, Sr., Jefferson Academy (1st team); Sidney Chong, Soph., Kent Denver (2nd team); Sage DiGiulio, Sr., Kent Denver (1st team); Alex Loera, Sr., The Academy (1st team); Brooklyn Mack, Jr., Manitou Springs (1st team); Sarah Masinter, Sr., Colorado Academy (1st team); McKenna Monk, Sr., Founain Valley (2nd team); Kristi Nagai, Sr., Jefferson Academy; Anna Ponzio, Jr., Colorado Academy (2nd team); Shelby Schumacher, Sr., Kent Denver (1st team); Hannah Wilson, Sr., Colorado Springs Christian (2nd team).
Class 2A: Mikayla Grubbs, Soph., Cornerstone Christian Academy (1st team); Emma Hall, Jr., Vail Mountain (1st team); Hannah Isenhart, Sr., Dawson School (1st team); Tess Johnson, Jr., Vail Mountain (1st team); Maggie Kirkpatrick, Sr., Evangelical Christian (1st team); April Mann, Sr., Evangelical Christian (1st team); Samantha O’Brien, Jr., Clear Creek (1st team); Anwyn Urquhart, Soph., Vail Mountain (1st team).
It appears that Grandview and Kent Denver will be carrying defending champion hype into the 2017 girls soccer season.
The Wolves and Sun Devils both sit atop their respective classes of the initial CHSAANow.com girls soccer rankings.
Grandview claimed the Class 5A title in a thriller over Mountain Vista and Kent Denver came away with the 3A title after beating Colorado Academy 3-1.
Grandview was a nearly a unanimous choice as No. 1, but one first-place vote did go to Cherokee Trail, which comes in at No. 10 to start the year.
Mountain Vista will start the season ranked second, hoping this time around they can not just compete for a state title, but to claim it come May.
Columbine will start the year at No. 3 after reaching the 2016 semifinals before falling to Mountain Vista.
Broomfield, the fourth semifinal team from last year, snags a No. 5 ranking.
It was Lewis-Palmer who claimed the 4A championship last spring, but it’s Valor Christian who enters this season as the top-ranked team.
The Eagles edged the Rangers by one point to claim the top spot in the poll.
Cheyenne Mountain lands at No. 3 and is always a threat to compete for championship gold.
Windsor and Mullen come in at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively to start the year. Both teams advanced to last year’s 4A semifinals.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Kent Denver and Colorado Academy will start the year at No. 1 and No. 2 just where they ended after last spring.
Jefferson Academy starts the year ranked third after reaching the semis last year with Liberty Common taking the No.4 spot and The Academy, also a 2016 semifinalist, coming in at No. 5.
Dawson starts the year atop the 2A rankings. The Mustangs fell to Vail Mountain 7-0 in the 2A championship game last year, but are looking to make another run at a title.
Vail Mountain has moved up to 3A this season.
Evangelical Christian takes the No. 2 spot, Front Range Christian is third, Fountain Valley (a 3A team in 2016) is fourth and Denver Christian rounds out the 2A at No. 5.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association.
New polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
The 2016-17 all-state skiing teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created based upon results at the state meet. Skiers of the year were selected based upon the number of team points they produced during the meet.
Skimeister is a season-long event conducted by the Colorado High School Ski League which honors the top skier in both disciplines.
[divider]
Girls
Aspen’s Margo McHugh is the alpine skier of the year. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Alpine skier of the year: Margo McHugh, Aspen
Nordic skier of the year: Maddie Donovan, Vail Mountain
Skimeister: Haley Frischholz, Battle Mountain
Coaches of the year: Francois Nanin, Vail Mountain; Conradt Fredell, Clear Creek
First Team
Name
School
Event(s)
India Cardamone
Aspen
Slalom
Trinity Chelain
Battle Mountain
Slalom
Maddie Donovan
Vail Mountain
Skate, Classic
Bridget Donovan
Vail Mountain
Skate, Classic
Haley Frischholz
Battle Mountain
Giant Slalom, Slalom, Skimeister
Mariel Gorsuch
Aspen
Giant Slalom
Margo McHugh
Aspen
Giant Slalom, Slalom
Devan McSwain
Aspen
Giant Slalom
Whitney Merriman
Vail Mountain
Giant Slalom
Jordan Miner
Colorado Rocky Mountain
Classic
Chelsea Moore
Aspen
Skate, Classic
Kate Oldham
Colorado Rocky Mountain
Skate
Ella Pietras
Steamboat Springs
Slalom
Noelle Resignolo
Summit
Skate
Second Team
Name
School
Event(s)
Pascale Agspurger
Aspen
Giant Slalom
Emma Blakslee
Vail Mountain
Skate, Classic
Brianna Bond
Evergreen
Giant Slalom
Zoe Braun
Eagle Valley
Skimeister
Kiana Brausch
Battle Mountain
Slalom
Analise Gates
Durango
Giant Slalom
Maddie Jo Robbins
Durango
Slalom
Katelyn Krehbiel
Colorado Rocky Mountain
Classic
Harper Powell
Lake County
Skate
Delaney Pratt
Nederland
Slalom
Michel Sage
Middle Park
Skate
Rose Sandell
Eagle Valley
Skate, Classic
Lyle Shipp
Vail Mountain
Classic
Estelle Sweeney
Aspen
Slalom
Gabrielle Wheeler
Battle Mountain
Giant Slalom
Abby Wollen
Middle Park
Giant Slalom
[divider]
Boys
Vail Mountain’s Michael Resnick is the alpine skier of the year. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Alpine skiers of the year: Michael Resnick, Vail Mountain; Trey Thrope, Aspen
Nordic skier of the year: Franklin Reilly, Battle Mountain
Skimeister: Andrew McCawley, Steamboat Springs
Coaches of the year: Francois Nanin, Vail Mountain; Conradt Fredell, Clear Creek
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Vail Mountain swept the state skiing championships, capping off a two-day meet by bringing home hardware rarely seen in the school.
It is the first-ever title for the school’s girls ski team. The boys, meanwhile, have won just once before — in 1991.
The feat was made more impressive given that the program won just two of the eight individual events — both girls races in the nordic discipline. But the all-around strength of both teams carried the Gore Rangers to the championships.
The championships are the fourth and fifth in school history. The boys title is just the second male championship in any sport for the school. The only other titles have been won by the girls soccer team.
Friday’s performance continued what Vail Mountain started on Thursday, when the boys jumped out ahead to lead the field, and the girls sat just five points back in second place.
The Gore Rangers’ boys finished with 671 total points, well ahead of second-place Battle Mountain (577 points) and third-place Aspen (567). Summit (560) finished in fourth, and host Steamboat Springs (540) was fifth.
Vail Mountain’s girls won a nail-biter: They finished with 610 points, edging both Battle Mountain (606) and Aspen (604). Colorado Rocky Mountain finished in fourth place with 507 points, and Summit (500) was fifth.
Friday’s events consisted of the slalom and nordic classic at Howelsen Hill in downtown Steamboat.
Trinity Chelain. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Battle Mountain’s Trinity Chelain won the girls slalom with a two-run total of 1:35.52. She had finished 12th in the giant slalom on Thursday.
Aspen’s Margo McHugh was second to Chelain in the slalom (1:36.5), and Battle Mountain’s Haley Frischholz (1:36.55) was third.
Vail Mountain’s Whitney Merriman helped her team with a sixth-place finish that gave her team 55 points in the event.
But it was in the nordic classic where the Gore Rangers picked up their title.
Bridget and Maddie Donovan finished first and second in the event, amassing 119 points between the two. Teammate Lyle Shipp was sixth, adding another 55 points, for an event total of 174 points that provided the final four-point edge.
Andrew McCawley. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The boys slalom saw hometown senior Andrew McCawley of Steamboat Springs win the event in 1:26.15. Both of his runs were the fastest of the field. He finished eighth in the GS on Thursday.
Aspen’s Trey Thorpe (1:27.94) was second, and Vail Mountain’s Michael Resnick (1:28.36) finished third.
Vail Mountain also had Shane Cole place fifth, and Peer Carners finish sixth, giving them an event-best 169 points.
Battle Mountain’s Franklin Reilly won the boys nordic classic, ahead of Vail Mountain teammates Cameron Wolfe and Peter Littman. The Gore Rangers also had Ian Hardenbergh place sixth — again leading the event with 171 points.
In fact, Vail Mountain’s boys had the highest point total in each of the four events over the two-day championships.
The ski league also announced its season-long awards on Friday night at the banquet held at Steamboat Springs High School. Haley Frischholz of Battle Mountain was named the girls skimeister, while Andrew McCawley of Steamboat Springs was the girls skimeister.
Vail Mountain’s Maddie Donovan. More photos (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Vail Mountain hasn’t won a state skiing championship since 1991. But Thursday, the Gore Rangers put themselves in title contention.
Vail Mountain’s boys head the pack after the first day, and its girls sit in a tie for second — just five points back of first-place Battle Mountain.
It was all made possible by a number of great individual performances dotting the top-10 in the four events that were held as the state championships kicked off on Thursday. Included: a state championship race from Maddie Donovan, who won the girls nordic skate.
The boys last won a state skiing championship in 1991. The girls have never won.
Thursday started with the giant slalom, an event held on Steamboat’s All Out run.
RJ McLennan. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Evergreen’s RJ McLennan took first in the boys giant slalom, finishing both runs in a combined time of 1:37.8. A senior, he had the fastest time of each run, including a 46.17 second run that was nearly a second faster than the next skier.
Vail Mountain’s Michael Resnick (1:39.0) was second in the event, while Aspen’s Trey Thorpe (1:39.9) took third.
Evergreen had three top-10 finishers, but so did Vail Mountain, and it was the Gore Rangers — with second-, fourth- and sixth-place skiers who took home the most points (171) from the event. Evergreen had 167 points in the giant slalom.
Vail Mountain’s hot start continued in the afternoon’s nordic skate event at the Touring Center, finishing with two racers in the top five.
Middle Park’s Tyler School won the skate, finishing with the top time of 14:39.08. Battle Mountain’s Reilly Franklin (14:42.99) was second, and Cameron Wolfe of Vail Mountain (14:47.34) placed third. Summit’s Peter Haynes was fourth and Vail Mountain’s Peter Littman was fifth.
Through the two events, Vail Mountain’s boys have amassed 331 points, ahead of Aspen, two-time defending champion Battle Mountain and Summit — who all sit in a three-way tie for second with 280 points. Middle Park is currently fifth with 275.
Mariel Gorsuch. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Aspen’s Mariel Gorsuch won the girls’ giant slalom with a two-run total of 1:42.7. The junior went 51.39 in her first run and 51.33 in her second.
Gorsuch’s teammate, Margo McHugh, finished second (1:43.2). Battle Mountain’s Haley Frischholz (1:45.5), a skimeister, took third.
Aspen had four of the top six finishers in the event, though only three can score. The defending champions used that to vault ahead in the team race going into Thursday’s nordic event with 175 points.
But Battle Mountain was just behind after the GS, and used a solid showing in the skate to take the girls’ team lead with 305 points. The Huskies had each of their three scorers place among the top 17.
Vail Mountain’s Maddie Donovan was first in the skate in 16:44.1. Colorado Rocky Mountain’s Kate Oldham took second in 17:03.7, and Vail Mountain’s Bridget Donovan was third (17:12.1).
The huge 170-point showing in the skate, which included Emma Blakslee finishing seventh, catapulted Vail Mountain from fifth into a second-place tie with defending champion Aspen with 300 points.
Colorado Rocky Mountain is fourth with 268 points, and Middle Park and Summit are tied for fifth with 250.
Fielding a program for the first time in more than 20 years, Durango had a strong showing during the first day of the state meet. The Demons had freshman Analise Gates place 10th in the girls giant slalom, and senior Lucas Robbins finish 18th in the boys race.
The state skiing championships resume on Friday at Howelson Hill for both the slalom and nordic classic events.