Lutheran's relays created a stir in Fort Morgan last weekend. This weekend they show up in Keenesburg. Colorado Track XC file photo.
As the weather that has wiped out today's two meets does its thing, let's take a moment or two to think ahead to the rest of the week. The weather looks amenable through Saturday for most of the state, though perhaps higher elevations could see some issues on Saturday.
| 03/12 |
Hopefully, the weather is kinder to the Jeffco 4A crowd tomorrow than it was the Jeffco 5A crowd today. Doubtless, there will be at least a chill in the air, but such is the nature of spring sports.
Wheat Ridge High School
|
Lakewood, CO |
| 03/12 |
This is a very local, but often very competitive, meet among about six or so schools. They keep the number of schools down so they can keep the number of entries per school per event up and still get the meet done in daylight--not the kind of meet where you want to be four-eventing your kids (if there even is a kind of meet where you want to do that).
Fossil Ridge High School
|
Fort Collins, CO |
| 03/12 |
We have about ten or eleven teams headed to the north end of Denver for this meet. Fortunately, you can't quite see the action from I-25 or we'd have gridlock on Denver's main north-south arterial as cars stopped to catch a glimpse of the action.
Thornton High School
|
Thornton, CO |
| 03/12 |
They're serious about their JV track and field in Weld County. Don't be telling anyone this meet isn't happening because of the weather unless you're dead-on certain about that. Or, maybe you'd enjoy wearing the bullseye at discus practice on Thursday...
Platte Valley High School
|
Kersey, CO |
| 03/14 |
The restaurants in Rifle are already stocking up in anticipation of big crowds. Something on the order of 20 teams are headed to the garden spot of Garfield County, most of them for their season opener. This could get very competitive for an early season meet and should afford us a close-to-home early season look at Coal Ridge, a team that should be very good this season. Colorado Track XC will be on-hand for this one. If you can't be there, we'll bring the news from the meet to you.
Rifle High School
|
Rifle, CO |
| 03/14 |
Weld Central Early Season Invite Keenesburg is the place. It should be about 15 teams, and if you missed Lutheran out at Fort Morgan last weekend, they're traveling almost as far on Thursday. Clearly, Lutheran has a soft spot in its heart for this corner of the state. Prairie View, another team that looked good at the Fort Morgan opener is headed here, too, but with a much shorter trip than Lutheran.
Weld Central High School
|
Keenesburg, CO |
| 03/15 |
You can pretty well figure out which teams will be in attendance for this one. And, to a team, they're all glad the meet is not being held at the NAAC. I've yet to hear a track coach utter a kind word about that facility. Not to dash hopes or such, but Stephanie Bess won't be at the meet wearing the familiar purple of Arvada West. She'll be indoor pole vaulting it in New York City.
Pomona High School
|
Lakewood, CO |
| 03/15 |
On the other side of Denver, the other A suburb is holding its own city championships. They should do a virtual meet on the results, combining all results into either Arvada or Aurora and have an 'A' team championship.
Eaglecrest High School
|
Aurora, CO |
| 03/15 |
I don't know if they're just really excited to get started in Montrose or if Avid was somebody's name and the meet is named, in turn, in honor of that individual. In any case, it's a small, local kind of meet and, unlike Rifle, not the kind of meet that's going to put the month into the black for any local dining establishments.
Montrose High School
|
Montrose, CO |
| 03/15 |
This is the second at-bat for the CSU-Pueblo Thunderbowl. Last week's meet was canceled in advance of a much nicer Saturday than anticipated. Roughly 25 teams, and the Colorado Track XC coverage crew, are pointed at this one on Saturday morning. It's highly likely this is the state's biggest event of the weekend, and there is any number of eager young individuals ready to get their seasons underway at this one. Durango takes the prize for being the school coming from the greatest distance to this one, but it's also a substantial drive for couple other of the schools in attendance.
Pueblo Centennial High School
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Pueblo, CO |
| 03/15 |
Think Patriot League and northeastern plains small schools and you have pretty much summarized the collection of teams for this event. Among other things, this looks to be a nice early look at some small school distance types.
Brush High School
|
Brush, CO |
| 03/15 |
Down the road a way from Montrose, Delta handles a much larger crowd. About a dozen schools are headed here. And, although basketball isn't over for just everyone yet, we should get a nice look at the Delta County programs all in one place. That means we see our first (of many) showdowns between Paonia and Hotchkiss, the presumptive 2A favorites.
Delta High School
|
Delta, CO |
| 03/15 |
Frederick Pow Wow Invitational With all the other meets going on Saturday, you would think it difficult to get a pow wow together, but Frederick has somehow managed. I'm taking Broomfield as the meet favorite here--though surely nobody is pointing at a meet this early as a must-win on their schedule. And, just so that nobody gets confused about who is where, Alexei Cox is headed to New York for New Balance Nationals Indoor.
Frederick High School
|
Frederick, CO |
| 03/15 |
Venerable Memorial Stadium hosts this one, and it's a meet that's been going on for years out of memory. Between Banana Belt and this one, you can figure most of Colorado Springs and Pueblo are covered. And, this meet is only a little smaller, in terms of team count, than the Banana Belt. In honor of Coach Kevin Clark's allegiance to the school where he cut his coaching teeth, Colorado Springs gets a little taste of Loveland at this meet. We'll see how the Colorado Springs schools hold up against the 4A power with the swagger of a team that already has a meet already under their belt. Colorado Track XC has coverage lined up for this one.
Harrison High School
|
Colorado Springs, CO |
| 03/15 |
Dual meet format scoring. Four schools (or is it six?). And probably a little bit of pent-up frustration on Arapahoe's part on account of losing today's meet.
Arapahoe High School
|
Centennial, CO |
| 03/15 |
If there is a meet larger than Banana Belt this week, this is likely the meet. Everyone from Cherry Creek to Vail Christian, and lots of folks in between (but mostly larger schools), is coming to Sports Authority Stadium. George Washington is on the list of attendees, but Dior Hall and Darby Gilfillan have dates this weekend in New York.
ThunderRidge High School
|
Parker, CO |
| 03/15 |
TR doesn't have all the action in Douglas County this weekend. A good part is headed to Valor Christian. It is an impressive list of teams, to include Thompson Valley, Palmer Ridge, Niwot, Mullen, Cheyenne Mountain, and several more traditional track powerhouses--including, of course, Valor itself. There should be some heavy duty sprint and relay action to be found at this meet, as the 4A powers vie for the early psychological advantage. Colorado Track XC has coverage lined up for this one. Not to put any pressure on Matt Norton or anything, but I always expect great things when I get an article from him. He actually teaches this kind of stuff in his day job. As an aside, Valor will have to get along without the services of Zac Petrie at this one. Like a few others, Petrie heard the call of NBNI.
Valor Christian High School
|
Highlands Ranch, CO |
| 03/15 |
It is yet another large meet on a large-meet weekend. Schools like Lakewood, Loveland, Eaton, and Brighton will be pounding the black track in Windsor. There's reason to believe there will be some good pole vault action at this meet, but don't show up on Saturday for the pole vault. All the PVC (pole vault competition) takes place on Friday, probably because the track layout was configured for older, smaller pole vault pits and there isn't enough room any more for the larger pole vault pits without creeping out into lane one and lane two. I'm not sure of that--and feel welcome to advance my education on that matter--but that would be my first and best guess from afar.
Windsor High School
|
Windsor, CO |
| 03/15 |
San Juan County, New Mexico, is becoming the new home away from home for the schools of Southwest Colorado. Several of them will be making their way to Farmington, New Mexico, to compete against New Mexico's 2013 boys and girls 4A state champions in this meet. Track and field keeps getting better in New Mexico, and when that happens it's hard to keep the just-across-the-border folks away. Plus, it's a whole lot warmer 1500 feet lower in Farmington than it is at 7000 feet in Bayfield, Mancos, and environs.This one does not count as a Colorado rankings meet. Next weekend's meet in New Mexico does, however.
Piedra Vista High School
|
Farmington, NM |
So, here we are, headed into basketball's showcase weekend, and just about every team in the state is going somewhere for a track meet. Gone are the days when half the track teams in the state shut down for this weekend, and the other half limped into meets with partial squads. Track and field is now officially a March sport here in Colorado.
There are very good meets all over the state this weekend. Make sure to enjoy the fun of it all--and it looks as if the weather will be at least mostly cooperative this weekend.
Keep checking back for results, photos, and video!