Better Than Anyone Could Have Expected

Alec Willard and Nick Betz staged on final battle for the ages in the 4A 110 hurdles final. Photo by Alan Versaw.

We have just completed what may have been high school track and field's finest-ever event in the state of Colorado.

The list of things that were exceptional about this weekend's meet is long, and it spans the entire spectrum.

Starting with something none of us had any control over, the weather was simply outstanding. Very few marks were lost to wind all weekend. Temperatures got a little on the side of warm on Friday, but more in terms of what the athletes were acclimated to than in terms of actually, factually hot. Saturday's conditions were exceptional for athletes and spectators alike.

Records fell like rain. And, by recent Colorado standards, maybe it was that records fell faster than rain. Dozens of state meet records were broken, including a couple of all-time Colorado records. At some points, it seemed the  weekend wasn't so much a case of rewriting the record book as it was a case of throwing the old one out and starting over. And the record-breaking performances came across all classifications.

The weekend was pretty much completely free of timing issues. The meet ran on schedule all weekend. 

And, perhaps best of all there were several outstanding team races that lasted through to the very end of the meet. When all was said and done, no less than seven schools had won their first-ever state track and field championships. 

Keep coming back over the next couple of days as meet content for the weekend is added. Photo galleries and articles will continue to be added over at least the next two days, and possibly beyond.