This isn't the biggest delegation Colorado has ever sent to Simplot, but it should still be one that makes some noise.
If you go up and down the list of top-ranked Colorado athletes for this year's indoor season, you end up with a short list of those individuals who will be making the trip to Simplot. Those on that list include Katie Rainsberger, Maya Evans, Chris Youngs, Cameron Dimas, Javan Lanier, and Jay Shuman, plus Becca Schulte and Ryan Vomacka, if you count state-leading marks in odd distances.
Katie Rainsberger will be the favorite in the 800, and likely Evans in the long jump. Youngs will be under a little pressure to make his massive breakthrough at Western State on Saturday stand this weekend.
Otherwise, Colorado athletes will be facing stiff odds against winning their events--but athletics is a lot more about excellence in the face of adversity than it is about winning, as nice as winning might be.
As it has been for some time now, this year's edition of the Simplot Games is a three-day affair. I know of coaches who have given up going to this meet on account of the ordeal of surviving those three days. Others seem perfectly fine with it.
Thursday night witnesses long rounds of distance prelims and the weight throw (which has no Colorado entries this year). Friday is all about prelims and qualifying rounds. Then Saturday wraps up the meet with finals.
For many Colorado athletes attending the meet, it's a relatively short flight over the Rockies to Salt Lake City, then a relatively long shuttle ride to Pocatello. A substantial number, however, choose the Oregon Trail experience (skipping the dysentery) along I-80 across Wyoming and then angling off to beautiful Pocatello. "Beautiful," though, might be a stretch in February. I would say "sunny" Pocatello, but Pocatello simply isn't an especially sunny place in winter. I have heard, however, that there's some decent winter birding along the local river...
Colorado's largest delegations appear to be coming from the Fort Collins Track Club, Ric Rojas Running, Fossil Ridge High School, Mountain View High School, Montezuma-Cortez High School, Lutheran High School, and Roosevelt High School.
A few Colorado athletes have latched onto new and unfamiliar club affiliations since their "home" clubs were not making the trip. Taking a starring role in that experience is Heide Baron, someone most of you never in your wildest dreams imagined running for Fort Collins Track Club. Evidently, the FCTC people are a welcoming group. The real test, though, will be in whether she takes the track in a red singlet with black trim.
I don't yet know of a reliable source of photos I can tap into from the meet, but I will do my best to get a few photos to appear here. And, I'll post updates late on Thursday and Friday of results for athletes of local interest.
This isn't the biggest delegation Colorado has ever sent to Simplot, but it should still be one that makes some noise.
If you go up and down the list of top-ranked Colorado athletes for this year's indoor season, you end up with a short list of those individuals who will be making the trip to Simplot. Those on that list include Katie Rainsberger, Maya Evans, Chris Youngs, Cameron Dimas, Javan Lanier, and Jay Shuman, plus Becca Schulte and Ryan Vomacka, if you count state-leading marks in odd distances.
