DENVER — The annual D’Evelyn Dash Cross Country Invite looks a lot different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With new guidelines restricting the number of teams and runners allowed at cross country races, D’Evelyn split its cross country invite into two days. The first day of the varsity-only event featured seven teams — Arvada West, Bear Creek, Chatfield, Columbine, D’Evelyn, Longmont and Lutheran.
Chatfield girls cruised to the team title led by a pair of impressive freshmen. Chatfield freshman Reese Tucker won the individual title with a time of 18 minutes, 28.4 seconds. Her mile pace with under six minutes. Teammate and fellow freshman Aspen Webb placed second with a time of 19:10.4.
Columbine junior Elizabeth Fender placed third and a pair of D’Evelyn seniors — Sonja Morin and Kati Livingood — rounded out the top-5.
On the boys side, Arvada West took the team title. A-West senior Logan Deison, junior David Rhoades and senior Gabe Schultz placed in the top-5 to pace the Wildcats. Longmont junior Connor McCormick won the boys individual title with a time of 16:26.
LITTLETON — Nothing like a short putt for eagle to really spark an impressive round on the golf course.
Lakewood senior Ryan Liao — three-time Class 5A boys golf state qualifier — drained an eagle putt on the 517-yard, par 5 to finish his front-nine to really get his round going. The eagle on No. 9 was followed up with back-to-back birdies on No. 10 and 11 to get Liao to 5-under-par through his first 11 holes.
Lakewood senior Ryan Liao was the only golfer to shoot a round in the 60s Monday at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Liao eventually finished with a 6-under-par, 66 to win individual medalist title in the second Class 5A Jeffco League tournament of the Fall season at Raccoon Creek Golf Course. He was the lone golfer to shoot under-par.
The Tigers finished eight strokes ahead of league-leading Ralston Valley in the second of six league tournaments. Ralston Valley’s Jordan McCaslin, Gage Messingham, Trey Kirschner, Jack Larson and Logan Forister all fired rounds in the 70s to keep the Mustangs atop the overall team standings in 5A.
Liao did overtake Arvada West senior Tyler Tyson for the overall individual lead in 5A Jeffco. Tyson followed up his impressive 63 last week at Applewood Golf Course with a round of 2-over-par, 74 on Monday.
Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons is the 4A Jeffco individual leader through two conference tournaments. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
On the 4A Jeffco side, Green Mountain seniors Oliver Gibbons (74) and Jack Policaro (76) finished 1-2 at Raccoon Creek. Gibbons and Policaro are also 1-2 in the overall individual 4A Jeffco standings. Conifer senior Dakota Dolph slipped into third place after an 81 on Monday.
Green Mountain holds a 16-stroke advantage over Evergreen in the race for the 4A Jeffco team title. Evergreen seniors Jake Dekoker (78) and Jack Mitchell (79) led the way for the Cougars.
The third Jeffco League tournament is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Broken Tee Golf Course in Littleton.
GOLDEN — Arvada West senior Tyler Tyson had a record-breaking performance in the Jeffco League boys golf tournament opener Monday, Aug. 10.
Tyson fired an 8-under-par, 63 at Applewood Golf Course to break to school record at A-West for lowest round at a tournament. The Wildcats’ top golfer had nine birdies. His lone blemish was a bogey on No. 9.
“My putter,” Tyson said of what allowed him to go so low. “I putted well. I had 25 putts I think. Good wedges too. I made everything. It was fun.”
Conifer senior Dakota Dolph fired an even-par, 71 on Monday at Applewood Golf Course to win the individual Class 4A Jeffco title in the first of six conference tournaments this boys golf season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Tyson finished the best round of the day with a birdie putt on the 18th hole. He finished four strokes ahead of Ralston Valley junior Gage Messingham (4-under-par, 67). Ralston Valley cruised to the team title with Messingham, along with seniors Jack Larson (3-under-par 68) and Trey Kirschner (2-under-par 69) also finishing in red numbers.
“It gives me a pad because this is a scary little (conference) this year,” Tyson said of getting out to a sizable lead in the race for the Class 5A Jeffco League individual medalist title.
A number of the top 5A Jeffco golfers from last year have returned. Defending medalist champion — Lakewood junior Max Lange — is back, but missed the conference opener because he was in California for a tournament.
Lakewood senior Ryan Liao placed fifth Monday with a strong 1-under-par, 70. Liao has been one of the state’s top golfers finished in the top-4 at the state tournament the past two years.
“It’s nice to be back,” Lakewood coach Alan Gonzales said before the first group teed off at 8 a.m. “It’s nice to be out here. Just happy to have the opportunity to be out here and another chance to prove ourselves.”
Lakewood senior Ryan Liao is one of the top state contenders in Class 5A this season after back-to-back top-4 finishes at state the past two years. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The Tigers want to redeem themselves after failing to qualify as a team to the 5A state tournament. Lange and Liao both went to state last year, but they were the lone Tigers to advance to the two-day state tournament.
“It was good to be there with two quality individuals, but we are more than that,” Gonzales said. “We know we can do better. It’s unfinished business.”
Liao finished tied for third last year at state after placing fourth as a sophomore. Lakewood was also in the team race in 2018 finishing second.
“We want to be right there again,” Gonzales said of Lakewood in the mix for a 5A team title. “It’s more of an expectation than a goal. We should be contending.”
Liao’s goal is to cap off his remarkable prep career with his first individual state crown.
“Senior year, I’m looking to win it,” Liao said. “I’m looking to break that streak. Hopefully not take second this year. I want to skip over that spot and take first.”
It’s the last go-around for Liao who has already established himself as one of the top Jeffco golfers over the past few decades.
“Ryan is right up there,” Gonzales said of the handful of top-notch golfers that have come through Lakewood over the last several years. “He is a special player. A special kid. He is determined on the golf course.”
Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons eyes his tee shot on No. 2 at Applewood Golf Course. Gibbons shot a 1-over-par, 72 to finish second in the 4A Jeffco individual standings. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
On the 4A side Monday at Applewood Golf Course, Conifer senior Dakota Dolph’s even-par, 71 just edged Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons by a stroke to win the opening 4A Jeffco tournament.
The Rams did win the team title with Gibbons, fellow senior Jack Policaro and sophomore Jon Lord shooting rounds in the 70s to take a 21-stroke led on Evergreen for the race to the 4A Jeffco League team title.
The next Jeffco League tournament is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17, at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton.
D’Evelyn’s Carter Smith didn’t win a Class 4A boys tennis title last fall, but his name and actions became the talk of Pueblo City Park.
Smith advanced to the second day of the tournament, playing the in No. 3 Singles semifinal against Cheyenne Mountain’s Oliver Muhl. The first set went into a tiebreaker and during a volley, Smith tired to beat Muhl with a forearm shot down the line. He and Muhl both watched as the shot landed out.
But the umpire observing on the court initially ruled it in, giving the point to Smith in a very pivotal point in the match.
“I knew it out, Oliver knew it was out,” Smith said. “I conceded the point.”
Tennis is a sport where more often than not, the players are forced to govern themselves. It’s like golf. The results are based on the integrity of the game and Smith grew up believing in that very integrity.
He went on to lose the set and eventually the match to Muhl. He eventually finished third in the bracket, but held his head high knowing that played his hardest and also played honestly.
“That was all him,” coach Woody Oliver said. “We obviously promote good sportsmanship and integrity and I’ve been frustrated myself as a player when there are situations where people take advantage of the fact that tennis is a self-regulated sport and they can take advantage of certain things a lot easier than you can in other sports.”
When the tournament was all said and done, the Jaguars finished fifth in the team standings, a high mark for the team. And despite Smith not advancing to the championship match in his No. 3 Singles bracket, his points for third place were crucial to the team’s final result.
Neither he or the team went home empty-handed either. His actions during his semifinal match was the catalyst for the Jags winning the Vicky Matarrazo Sportsmanship Award. Perhaps there was no bigger proponent for them than Cheyenne Mountain athletic director Kris Roberts who was front and center to watch Smith play the justly and honestly.
“I thought that was an incredible display,” Roberts said. “I feel like in the dynamic of that situation 95 percent of the time, that call doesn’t get made. The kid overruled the adult official and I thought that was incredible.”
Knowing the team hadn’t won state, but they were getting medalists, the Jags naturally stuck around for the awards ceremony. As Ed Francis, the man who runs the 4A tournament at Pueblo City Park, told Smith’s story he made sure to emphasize the importance of honesty in tennis. Yet, even when he announced D’Evelyn as the winner of the Matarrazo award, Smith’s reaction was that of genuine surprise.
“I don’t know many of the teams there and I don’t know the coaches,” Smith said. “It was cool that they noticed that moment. It was great, especially since it was the whole team that got recognized. It meant a lot.”
He hopes that in the coming years his results and the team’s result will improve. But in that moment, his values and his belief on how to play the game took forefront and even if it resulted in a loss, he held his head high.
“I hope people realize that sportsmanship should always come before winning,” Smith said.
Every once in a while it turns out the kids can teach a lesson in high school athletics.
Jeffco Stadium and North Area Athletic Complex turned on its lights last week to recognize the Colorado High Schools Activities Association’s state track meet and honor the Class of 2020 and student-athletes across the state.
Jeffco Stadium would have hosted all-classifications of the state track meet May 21-23. NAAC’s soccer and football fields would have hosted girls soccer, along with boys and girls lacrosse games this spring.
LAKEWOOD — Jeffco Stadium and the North Area Athletic Complex will turn on their stadium lights this week.
Jeffco Stadium (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Jeffco Stadium (6th Ave. and Kipling St., Lakewood) would have hosted the three-day, all-classification state track meets starting Thursday, May 21. The spring sports season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 61-year-old stadium will turn on its stadium lights at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday (May 21-23) to honor the state track meet, graduating Class of 2020 and student-athletes who missed out on the spring athletics season.
The North Area Athletic Complex (HWY 93 and 64th Pkwy., Arvada) will also join the statewide Be The Light campaign by turning on its lights at 8:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday (May 21 and 22).
The preseason girls soccer rankings were released on Monday, and leading the charge are preseason No. 1 teams Grandview, Evergreen, Colorado Academy and Denver Christian.
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.
Salida 14, Manitou Springs 13, Stargate School 9, Lutheran 8, The Academy 8, Colorado Springs Christian 7, Roaring Fork 6, Eagle Ridge Academy 5, St. Mary’s Academy 5, Faith Christian 3, Basalt 2, Frontier Academy 2, Delta 1, DSST: Montview 1.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Denver Christian (5)
0-0
77
2
Dawson School (3)
0-0
73
3
Fountain Valley
0-0
50
4
Flatirons Academy
0-0
47
5
Crested Butte
0-0
42
6
Telluride
0-0
41
7
Colorado Rocky Mountain
0-0
30
8
Loveland Classical
0-0
22
9
Rye
0-0
15
10
Front Range Christian
0-0
12
Others receiving votes:
Ridgway 10, Del Norte 7, Belleview Christian 5, Vail Christian 5, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 2, Thomas MacLaren School 2.
