Canon City returns to Pueblo this weekend where last Saturday Katie Till wrapped a nice 400 around the track to give the Tigers a come-from-behind win in the SMR8. Photo by Paul Jaeger.
While the non-Tuesday practice weather has been a sharp improvement over last year, the meet situation this year seems inclined to give last year a run for the money. As of the same place on the calendar last year, we had lost six of 27 rankings meets. This year, we've lost five of 24 rankings meets, but several of the 19 that did happen didn't make it to the 4x400 relays.
Here's hoping things take a turn for the better soon. At least this Tuesday was better than the last two Tuesdays. There is, however, still room for improvement on that front.
Here's a quick look ahead at the meets for the rest of the week:
| 03/19 |
Not a rankings meet, but it's very likely we'll get and post results for this meet. |
Lakewood, CO |
| 03/19 |
We have 14 teams coming to this one. They're coming from as far north as Northridge and as far south as Cheyenne Mountain.
Brighton High School
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Brighton, CO |
| 03/19 |
The territory of teams is pretty nicely defined by "Denver Public Schools." Don't necessarily expect all the big guns to be firing all of their usual rounds, however. Still, with the washout of times and events due to the wind last Saturday, we may see a little more than usual of the headliners in action. |
Denver, CO |
| 03/19 |
They get this championship meet over early each year. Several of these teams already have two full meets under their belt, so maybe it isn't so unrealistic to have a district championship this early.
Mountain Range High School
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Westminster, CO |
| 03/19 |
The bucolic feel of Roosevelt High School is rapidly succumbing to bedroom community development in Johnstown, but it's still a nice place to go for a meet. As we noted last week, they take their JV track and field seriously in Weld County.
Roosevelt High School
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Johnstown, CO |
| 03/20 |
Kit Carson County Invitational Burlington has the track, but it's mostly a convocation of small schools within an hour or two radius of Burlington.
Burlington High School
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Burlington, CO |
|
03/21 - 03/22 |
This would be the grand poobah of invitationals in Arizona, and several Colorado athletes are making the trip down--names like Rainsberger, Yon, Geberkidane, Hall, and more. It should be good; it always is.
Chandler High School
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Chandler, AZ |
| 03/21 |
This will be one of two Colorado rankings meets held outside the borders of Colorado this year. Both will be hosted at Aztec High School in New Mexico, elevation about 5700 feet. The San Juan Basin schools make a run for the border to participate in this one. And, they're all home before midnight--unlike any other travel trip they take.
Aztec High School
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Aztec, NM |
| 03/21 |
Center's six-lane track more or less comfortably hosts the entire San Luis Valley slate of track and field programs. As you might expect, Alamosa has a habit of dominating this one.
Center High School
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Center, CO |
| 03/21 |
You might think Rifle would be done hosting after last Friday's extravaganza, but the crowds will be back in Rifle again this Friday. But the crowds will be somewhat smaller, and slightly younger, this weekend.
Rifle High School
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Rifle, CO |
| 03/22 |
District 6 Stadium hosts its second meet of the season. But this time you don't have to be carrying a Loveland or Greeley ID card in order to get in the meet. So, we'll see some folks from Wyoming trickling down for this one. In all, something like 20 schools are headed for Greeley, including interesting entries like Cherokee Trail and Discovery Canyon.
Greeley Central High School
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Greeley, CO |
| 03/22 |
For the Western Slope small schools south of the I-70 corridor and north of the San Juan Basin, Hotchkiss is the place to be on Saturday. At least during track season, they don't make you run up, down, over, and around all the hills just outside of town. The track is suitably level and it's enough if you just go around the designated number of times. This one will probably provide a little better Hotchkiss-Paonia showdown than last week's meet it Delta, but the furnace is not quite yet at a full roar.
Hotchkiss High School
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Hotchkiss, CO |
| 03/22 |
They're taking all kinds of entries at this meet. All individual events are allowing up to eight entries per school. Throws are taking more than that. Clearly, they're planning on sticking around a little longer at this meet than most. Fortunately, Lamar is something of a warm spot in the state, so if it goes under the lights before it's done, it may not become a frostbite festival.
Lamar High School
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Lamar, CO |
| 03/22 |
The big meet for the Western Slope big schools is in Grand Junction at Stocker Stadium this weekend. How big it will be remains to be seen, though, as it is my understanding that the D51 schools start spring break this weekend. Mickey Dunn, though, is typically a good draw, so we'll expect more than the minimum from this meet.
Grand Junction High School
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Grand Junction, CO |
| 03/22 |
Close to 30 schools will be converging on Johnstown for this one. Good timers make for well-attended meets. Quick, what are the best eating establishments in Johnstown? There are several people who have an interest in knowing that information.
Roosevelt High School
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Johnstown, CO |
| 03/22 |
Fort Collins goes back-to-back weekends hosting big meets. This is the opener, and definitely the smaller of the two meets. Peak to Peak and Berthoud join a congregation of 5A track and field powers for this one. Of interest, Pine Creek will be making the trip up to butt heads with Fort Collins and Rocky Mountain. That, folks, could get interesting--even if it is only the third weekend of competition.
Fort Collins High School
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Fort Collins, CO |
| 03/22 |
Sports Authority Stadium will be fairly bursting at the seams with 25 teams in attendance. It's mostly south Denver metro, with a few Colorado Springs schools thrown in. Things could get very competitive here, though more than a few schools figure to be short-handed with kids gone on spring break.
Castle View High School
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Parker, CO
|
| 03/22 |
Dutch Clark Stadium will be hosting something on the order of another 25 schools, mostly out of El Paso and Pueblo Counties. A day where the forecasted high temperatue is pegged at about 55F is a good day to be comfortably ensconced in an aluminum seat at Dutch Clark. It won't quite qualify as the Dutch Oven on Saturday, but the feeling should be a fair bit warmer than being out and about in the city nevertheless.
Pueblo Centennial High School
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Colorado Track XC is slated to be on site at Mickey Dunn and The Centennnial Invitational this weekend. Once again, we'll post a live updates article so that you can tweet about noteworthy results from the meet you're attending. It's possible we add a third meet to the coverage schedule for the weekend, but details on that are not yet worked out.
Meet heat sheets will be published as they are received.
