Photo coming soon to this space.
With only 10 points separating the top four boys teams in 2A from all over the state in the virtual meet, the race to the trophy on Saturday is bound to hold our interest all weekend. Lutheran and Lyons, whose strengths are total opposite, come in as the favorites, but Rye and Resurrection Christian are more than happy to sieze on any opportunity they can for points.
The race for the girls trophy looks to be between Hotchkiss and Paonia with Highland and Lyons just a little bit back.
To start the day off Paonia and Hotchkiss took the top two seeds in the sprint medley and the 4x200 into Saturday. Vanguard and Resurrection Christian took the top seeds in the boys race. Lutheran was DQd in the second heat 4x200 and will not be there for the final on Saturday.
Apparently, the DQ was a take-your-pick kind of affair between an exchange that didn't quite happen within the zone and a #4 runner down on the track that led to an impromptu hurdle drill for the Liberty Common #4 leg in the next lane over. Doubtless, one issue led to the next.
Trenton Shelton from Meeker takes the best 100m time to finals with a 11.10. The story developing behind him was most fascinating for the sake of team scoring.
The Lutheran Lions qualified no less than four boys for Saturday's finals. Kent Harris, Chris Youngs, Josh Clausen and Darian Perez are in line to score some serious points for their team. Harris added “The meet is going good. After we got DQd in the 4x200 it was a little rough, it was good to go out and run well.”
In the hurdle prelims Miranda Mathiason from Highland continued her impressive season and took the top seed by almost a second in to the final. Colin Munster from Haxton will lead the boys into the final. Resurrection Christian has Cole Watson ready to score points. Lyons sends Zach Christiansen and Chris Leonard to finals. Rye, not wanting to be left out, sends Colt Wallace. Look to this race as a serious turn of points for whichever team can make the most of it.
Hotchkiss gained some serious pointage out of the 4x800, winning in 9:40.89 over Lyons in 9:43.12 and Paonia in 10:13.57.
The boys 4x800 was a dandy. Coming into the day it was difficult to see anyone breaking the 2A meet record of 8:09.70 from 2006 by the boys from Peyton. The top overall seed coming in to the race held an 8:18.95 as their season best. The Rye Thunderbolts decided to live up their name. They stormed out of the starting box and when the race was over Corbin Pagnotta, Brett Ryder, Sean Daniels, and Samuel Ambler had thunderstruck a new all-time 2A meet record at 8:03.94. The team from Vanguard took second also faster than the old record in 8:07.79. Lyons was third in 8:17.11.
The same story repeated itself in the girls sprint prelims as Marissa Storey took the top overall time in the 100 and the 200. Paonia is sending a duo of underclassmen to finals in freshman Brianna Van Fleet and sophomore Marisa Edmonson.
When the boys prelims came around Lutheran bettered their feat from the 100m by sending five, yes five, runners to the finals of the 200m.
Jennifer Celis from Hotchkiss, the current holder of the 400m meet record headlines the girls final. She will be joined by her teammate Sophie Schell. Paonia will also send two to the finals with Briana and Ashley Van Vleet.
When it came time for the boys to run a lap, Nico Forcatto from Liberty Common was the only qualifier under 50 seconds with 49.89. Lutheran, in its ongoing quest to paint the podium purple, sends two to the finals.
Chris Carpenter from South Park long jumped 22-06.75 for the state championship. Trey Zupancic from Rye took second followed by John Broadhead of Telluride and Trent Poulson from Lyons.
Swink'sJared Berg is the 2014 2A shot put champion by virtue of being the only thrower over 46 feet. Berg won the title by almost two feet. Ashley Van Vleet continued her impressive day winning the girls high jump at 5-4.
After day one of the meet Paonia girls are in the early lead with 17 points over second place Hotchkiss with 10 and third place Hoehne with 8. Rye currently has command over the boys side with 18 points followed by Lyons with 13 and Peyton with 12. Lutheran has yet to score a point, but that will change in a serious way once the sprint finals begin.