2A boys: safety in numbers

The uniforms at the start of the 2A boys 200 tended toward the side of monochromatic. Photo by Alan Versaw.

The aforementioned safety message would apply if you run for Lutheran High School. If you don't, there really isn't much of a safe feeling when you're running with a pack of Lions. 

Nowhere was the packing of the Lions more evident than in the 2A boys 200. In that event, Lutheran became the first school in (at least recent) Colorado history to score five athletes in a single event at state. Lutheran unloaded on an outnumbered 200-meter field, scoring Chris Youngs in first, Kent Harris in third, Josh Clausen in sixth, Darian Perez in seventh, and Ryan Lee in ninth. That, ladies and gentlemen is called dominating an event. It also goes by the name of 25 points.

Interestingly, the 25 points does not set an event record for a single team at state. That distinction would belong to Lakewood High School, a team that scored 29.5 points in the 5A girls pole vault in 2012. That record may stand for a good, long time.

The pack of Lions was only slightly less dense in the 100. There, Youngs and Harris repeated the 1-3 finish, with Darian Perez finishing fifth, and Josh Clausen finished ninth.

And, now you begin to understand how Lutheran dominated the 2A boys scoring with 80 points to 68.5 for runner-up Lyons. The domination would have been clearer yet except for a DQ on the third exchange of the 4x200 in Thursday prelims. Exchange problems also hampered the Lions' efforts in the 4x100. After a second-place run in prelims, Lutheran was relegated to ninth in finals. 

Strangely, Lutheran's on meet record came twice, once through the front door and then a second time through the back door. Lutheran set a new 2A state meet record of 3:23.40 in the prelims of that event on Friday. On Saturday, they ran a tenth of a second faster. The issue there would be that Rye ran roughly two seconds faster. But, Rye's record would not stand as the Thunderbolts were disqualified from the 4x400 finals on an obstruction foul when an incoming runner failed to clear the track in timely fashion and become an obstruction for the outgoing runner of the next team through.

Lutheran did manage to score nine points in events that involved something other than running a distance between 100 and 400 meters. Henry Waite picked up five in the discus, and KJ Hall another four in the 110 hurdles. 

Imagine what Lutheran could do if they had a distance element! If they get one in the next 10 months, 3A will be the first to find out.

While we may not be entirely accustomed to seeing Lyons in the runner-up position after a few years of abject domination of 2A, neither were they far from the top.

Lyons piled up their biggest shares of points exactly where they were expected to--at 1600 and 3200 meters. Paul Roberts won both events, but avoiding any 2A state meet records in the process. Marcel and Joel Such chipped in several more points in each. Coming back off an injury, Tullef Rudlong was not yet a match for a speedy field in the 100. Zach Christiansen and Chris Lennard picked up a few points in the 110 hurdles. Owen George and Trent Poulsen scored in the pole vault and long jump, respectively. Lyons scored in both the 4x100 and 4x800, but one of the glaring misses of the weekend was Lyons' failure to advance a team to finals in the 4x400. 

After a huge first two days of the meet Rye narrowly missed being overtaken by Resurrection Christian for third on the final day of the meet. The 4x400 DQ was definitely part of that, but, being field event heavy, Rye's early point total may have been slightly deceptive. Despite being field event heavy, however, Rye's individual performance of the weekend may well have been Samuel Ambler's 1:57.33 in the 800. Ambler also participated in a 4x800 that blew away a 2A state meet record with a clocking of 8:03.94. Ambler also won the triple jump at 44-6. If you're looking for an athlete of the 2A state meet, we may have a likely candidate for you.

Nico Forcatto was conspicuously absent from the 100 and 200, but made up any difference in wining the 400 at 49.49. Forcatto also showed up on a couple of strong Liberty Common relays. Cole Watson missed a sweep of the hurdle events when Haxtun's Colin Munster win sub-15 in the 110s. South Park's Chris Carpenter finished a monster season in the sand with a winning long jump of 22-6.75. Try to imagine Carpenter's joy at jumping in a pit where the sand was actually unfrozen. Spring arrives late in Fairplay.

 

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