4A boys: Palmer Ridge, handily

By the time Thomas Busath got the stick on leg #3, Valor was already fading from view. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Frankly, it was difficult to miss seeing this one coming. And, when it came time for the show, Palmer Ridge barely missed a beat anywhere all weekend. This was one of the most thoroughgoing state meet routs any of us have ever witnessed.

The final team tally showed Palmer Ridge with 103 points and two very good teams in Valor Christian and Broomfield with 66 and 65 points, respectively. 

Palmer Ridge has been a strong relay team all season, and none of that went away at the state meet. The 4x100 missed making finals and the 4x800 finished fifth, but the 4x200 and 4x400 both claimed meet titles. The domination of these two relays was illustrated by the 3:15.51 state meet record posted by the team of Marcus Garrison, Logan Malone, Thomas Busath, and Caleb Ojennes in the 4x400 finals. The meet title was long since decided at this point, but there were still matters of hunger and pride on the line--and Palmer Ridge comes up short in neither of those categories. 

Aside from relays, it wasn't so much a matter of Palmer Ridge dominating events as it was a matter of a relentless presence in the event scoring. Palmer Ridge won no events other than relays, but tallied four points (Garrison) in the 100, seven points (Ojennes) in the 200, 11 points (Ojennes and Malone) in the 400, three points (Josh Bethany) in the 800, seven points (Bethany and Eric Hamer) in the 1600, seven points (Hamer) in the 3200, eight points (Evan Malin) in the 110s, 13 points (Busath and Malin) in the 300s, three points (Jordan Swango) in the high jump, and 15 points (Jacob Rother and Kyle Yoder) in the pole vault.

When you're planning your event meet strategy, you'd better have a deliciously good plan if that's the kind of mountain you're setting out to conquer. Simply stated, neither Valor nor Broomfield had the kind of event diversity necessary to mount a serious challenge. The team title mystery ended sometime early in the day on Saturday. Things were going so well that the Palmer Ridge coaching staff could barely stifle their own grins as the Saturday of the state meet developed. 

That's not to say all the superlatives for the weekend belonged to Palmer Ridge--just more than their share.

Jackson Spalding was indomitable in the throws, winning at marks of 58-9 and 181-5. Both were well ahead of the rest of the field. Kevin McClanahan had no peers at any sprint distance. 10.67, 21.33w, and an amazing 46.78 (a 4A meet record) were the winning times. If McClanahan was tired after the 200, he was doing an excellent job of hiding it. Nick Meihaus doubled up on the bar events, going 6-10 in the high jump and 15-0 in the pole vault. 

And, as a parting memo to the rest of 4A--we need a better plan next year.

 

Colorado State Track and Field Championships

On-Site Coverage

 

1A girls: non-stop suspense

If you are looking for unsung heroes in Shining Mountain's state championship story, look no further than Paisley Sheehan. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Hurdle Race + Destruction Derby = Viral Video Success!

Want to watch the actual race video of the above carnage from a hurdles race at the Colorado High School Track & Field State Meet this past weekend? Check out the linked article with video with a story context or watch the video directly here.

Another tidal wave of records

The lengthy list of state meet records from 2014 includes a 53.44 400 from Nicole Montgomery. Photo by Alan Versaw.

5A boys: a tale of tumbling batons

The eventual top teams were nicely represented the 5A boys 100 meter final, but it was Trey Smith of Douglas County in lane one who took the event title. Photo by Alan Versaw.

The 3A 110 meter hurdles train wreck

Nothing at today's opening day of the 2014 Colorado State Track and Field Championships generated as much buzz and conversation as the train wreck at the fifth hurdle of the 3A boys 110 meter hurdles prelims, first heat. Photo by Eric Versaw.

State Saturday track event heat sheets

One of the things you can look forward to on Saturday is a kind of rematch of today's 4x200 final between Fountain-Fort Carson and Cherokee Trial in the 4x100. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Friday notes: 5A

Cerake Geberkidane and Blake Yount battled for the entire last 300 meters of the 5A boys 800. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Friday notes: 1A

Clay Russell keeps Idalia's Erick Enriquez-Acosta in second place around the third turn. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Seeing red

TCA's Andrea Willis sets a new 3A pole vault standard at 11-6. Photo by Tim Hilt.

Friday notes: 4A

Elise Cranny's 10:17.48 3200 eclipsed all other state meet news on Friday. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Friday notes: 3A

Coal Ridge extended their tradition of relay excellence with a big win in the girls 4x200. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Friday notes: 2A

Morgan Hartigan pitched a win for Paonia in the shot put with a throw of 39-10. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Tales from the pit

Taylor Alexander rose to the occasion to reset her own 1A state meet record, a few times over. Photo by Tim Hilt.

Thursday notes: 3A

Sarah Yocum had a very nice first day of her first state meet, with promises of more to come. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Thursday notes: 4A and 5A

Fort Collins moved by Monarch on the second leg of the 4x800 and never looked back. Photo by Alan Versaw.

 

Videos

Colorado State Championships - 3A Boys 110 Hurdles Prelims Colorado State Championships - 4A Girls 3200 Finals Colorado State Championships - 5A Girls 4x200 Prelims Colorado State Championships - 5A Boys 4x200 Finals
Colorado State Championships - 5A Boys 800 Finals Colorado State Championships - Olabisi Johnson Interview Colorado State Championships - Alleandra Watt Interview Colorado State Championships - Andy Bowles Interview
Colorado State Championships - Ashley Miller Interview Colorado State Championships - Broomfield Eagles 1600 Boys Colorado State Championships - Corissa Guynes Interview Colorado State Championships - Carly Lester Interview
Colorado State Championships - Cedaredge Bruins 4x100 Girls Colorado State Championships - Cerake Geberkidane Interview Colorado State Championships - Cherokee Trail Cougars 400 Boys Colorado State Championships - Cherry Creek Bruins 4x400 Boys
Colorado State Championships - Chris Baker Interview Colorado State Championships - Conner Wilburn Interview Colorado State Championships - Clay Russell Interview Colorado State Championships - Dior Hall Interview
Colorado State Championships - Dominic Compoz Interview Colorado State Championships - Elizabeth Cardinals 4x100 Boys Colorado State Championships - Fountain Fort Carson Trojans 4x40 Colorado State Championships - Fountain Fort Carson Trojans 100
Colorado State Championships - Hannah Carr Interview Colorado State Championships - Harrison Panthers 4x100 Girls Colorado State Championships - Heather Harrower Interview Colorado State Championships - Hotchkiss Bulldogs 400 Girls
Colorado State Championships - Jayce Hall Interview Colorado State Championships - Jackson Spalding Interview Colorado State Championships - The Classical Academy Titans 300 Colorado State Championships - Jordyn Colter Interview
Colorado State Championships - Katie Rainsberger Interview Colorado State Championships - Kayla Pinnt Interview Colorado State Championships - Kayla Zink Interview Colorado State Championships - Kelsi Lasota Interview
Colorado State Championships - Kevin McClanahan Interview (1/2) Colorado State Championships - Kevin McClanahan Interview (2/2) Colorado State Championships - Lance Munoz Interview Colorado State Championships - Lauren Gregory Interview
Colorado State Championships - Lutheran Lions 100 Boys Colorado State Championships - Lyons Lions 110 Hurdles Boys Colorado State Championships - Manitou Springs Mustangs 4x100 Bo Colorado State Championships - Marissa Storey Interview
Colorado State Championships - Miguel Molas Interview Colorado State Championships - Miranda Mathiason Interview Colorado State Championships - Nick Deray Interview Colorado State Championships - Nicole Montgomery Interview
Colorado State Championships - Palmer Ridge Bears 4x400 Boys Colorado State Championships - Paonia Eagles 200 Girls Colorado State Championships - Lyons Lions 1600 Boys Colorado State Championships - Pine Creek Eagles 4x400 Girls
Colorado State Championships - Rachel & Rebekah Rairdon Intervie Colorado State Championships - Ryan Dollerschell Interview Colorado State Championships - Ryan Younggreen Interview Colorado State Championships - Sarah Yocum Interview
Colorado State Championships - Shining Mountain Waldorf Lions 4x Colorado State Championships - Sophia Anderson Interview Colorado State Championships - Spencer Long Interview Colorado State Championships - The Classical Academy Titans 4x40
Colorado State Championships - Trevor Lyons Interview Colorado State Championships - Will Schmidt Interview Colorado State Championships - Zac Petrie Interview

Girls Highlights

Boys Highlights