If you care to check up on me, I had Resurrection Christian pegged as the favorite for 2A Boys coming into the state meet, but I failed to take into account how relentless Kirby Henderson's Bruins would be. For the first time in 52 years, Cedaredge goes home from the state meet with the big trophy as part of their baggage.
The way it was done was to flood a massive number of the events with Cedaredge blue, the wait for the guys wearing that color to do their thing.
Cedaredge did manage three event titles on the weekend. Shane Gates won both hurdle events (15.79, -2.8; 40.62 after a 39.68 in prelims) and the high jump.
But this state title was about far more than those 30 points. When I tell you that two Bruins scored 11 points in the 100, two scored six in the 200, two scored eight in the 400, one scored five in the 800, two scored 12 in the 110 hurdles, one scored 10 in the 300 hurdles, one scored 10 in the high jump, one scored four in the long jump, one scored two in the discus, and that the relays piled up 30 points, you begin to understand what relentless means.
Though Resurrection Christian had five event titles to Cedaredge's three, the Cougars could not keep pace in all-important tally of total points. At the end of the day on Saturday, Cedaredge had 98 team points to Resurrection's 85. Lyons was a distant third with 63 points.
Outside of Gates' three event titles, Cedaredge's highest finish was a third by Bryce Klaseen in the 400. It was a blue collar, bring-your-lunch-pail kind of effort--through and through.
After a long series of near misses, Kirby Henderson's Cedaredge Bruins are now a newly-minted a state championship team. Key pieces Shane Gates, Bryce Klaseen, and JP Morgan walk to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance this spring, but there is plenty of talent coming back next year to take a whack at making this two in a row. Guys like Isaac Swoffer, Ty Grant, Brendon Klaseen, Drew Markley, Xander Purcell, and Patrick Walker figure to be central to that effort.
Were you to pick a 2A Boys athlete of the meet, you would have to give long consideration to Paul Roberts who won the 1600 and 3200 (and both in 2A meet record fashion) and finished second in the 800. And, of course, you would consider Shane Gates and his three event titles.
A third you would want to consider, however, would be Chad Mikelson of Sedgwick County. Mikelson won the long and triple jumps and added a fifth in the shot put before closing out the meet as the anchor of the Sedgwick County 4x400. Garrett Quintana of John Mall was entered in only two events, but he made short work of both the shot put and discus. Cooper Ward of Resurrection Christian doubled the 100 and 200. There weren't a lot of events left after the multiple event winners got done claiming their share.
And, even two of the one-and-done event winners left with state meet records. Ben Kelley's blistering 1:55.61 updates the 2A record book at 800 meters. Kelley very much has the look of the future of 2A distance. Cooper Daniels' 15-2 in the pole vault makes that record a bit more difficult for the next gymnast-on-a-stick guy in line.