Jennifer Celis and Reid Gates produced some huge results on the western slope last weekend, bringing them honors as as the Colorado Track XC athletes of the week. Photos by Alan Versaw and Jeff McCoy.
This week, Colorado Track XC honors two Delta County athletes, Jennifer Celis of Hotchkiss and Reid Gates of Cedaredge, as the track and field athletes of the week.
Jennifer Celis represents the track part of "track and field." She had an impressive performance at the Hotchkiss Bulldog Invitational, winning the 400m in 57.50. This mark is fastest time in the state so far this season by over half a second.
As the last year’s 3A state champion in the 800 meters and runner up in the 400 meters, the junior from Hotchkiss has always been an athlete to watch out for. This season, however, Celis appears to have had a breakthrough in the 400. “Last year I ran 58s or 59s for most of the season,” Celis said. “This season, that has dropped.”
Celis was extremely pleased with her performance especially because the weather before her race wasn’t looking too promising. “It was cold and windy all morning,” Celis said. “I was praying the weather would get better, but it wasn’t letting up. But as soon as I stepped onto the track to race, the sun came out and the wind stopped and for my 400. The weather was nice!”
What followed during that brief span of nice conditions was a PR for Celis and a time that puts her at the head of the 400 field. “It’s humbling that I ran that time at the beginning of the season,” Celis said. “I feel a little bit of pressure but pressure’s good. It will become motivation.”
Celis’s season has now taken a turn she wasn’t expecting. “I thought I’d be focusing on the 800 this season,” Celis said. “Now I think this season will have more of a focus on the 400.”
Based on her performance last weekend, that seems like a good idea.
A few miles up the road, Reid Gates is having a breakthrough year of his own this season in the jumps. His performances represent well the field portion of "track and field." Gates high jumped 6-8 and long jumped 21-5.5 at the Mickey Dunn Invitational last weekend, placing first in both events.
Gates didn’t quite have the season he was hoping for last year as he injured his ankle midway through. Even though he had high jumped 6-7 earlier in the spring, he was only able to jump 6-0 at last year’s state championships, placing 6th. “I’ve come back this season healthy and ready to go,” Gates said.
The junior from Cedaredge High School competes in both the long and the high jump but prefers to focus on the latter. “I spend most of my practice in the high jump,” Gates said. “In the long jump I mostly just go to compete.”
With his focus on the high jump, Gates has his eyes set on a 6-10 jump this season. He is also hoping for a state title. “I want to compete to win,” Gates said.
On a weekend where great track performances were thinned out a little by the major storm that hit the state and shut down several meets, the performances turned in by Celis and Gates took up the slack. Colorado Track XC wishes them the best of luck as they continue on with their record-setting seasons.