2017 Palmer Terror: The Creek Runs High

McCurdy, Smith, And Hollines Lead Cherry Creek Assault


It's generally pretty tough to beat a team that can throw three multiple event winners at you. And, in a nutshell, that is the story of Cherry Creek's domination of the girls team scoring.

Jordyn McCurdy took turns being pushed to the finish line, first by teammate Devon Peterson in the 1600, then by TCA's McKenzie Elliott in the 800. But, the result was the same in both cases--McCurdy had better wheels over the last 800 meters. McCurdy used a 5:25.20 time to win the 1600 and a 2:20.72 to win the 800. 

McCurdy's two titles followed on the heels of a pair of hurdle crowns for Delaney Smith. Smith easily won her heat in prelims of the 100 hurdles, then came back to win finals at 15.09 into the teeth of a fairly stiff -3.4 breeze. Seemingly, most of the breeze in the 300 hurdles was the one created by Smith herself as she pushed air to either side en route to a 45.93.

And, it was Mariela Hollines who forged two victories in the sand, jumping 16-9.5 to win the long jump and 35-3, both wind legal, to win the triple jump. 

The lone additional girls event title for Cherry Creek waited until the end of the day when the Bruins beat the field to the finish line of the 4x400. 

Those 70 first-place points were nicely supported by a distribution of second, thirds, and lesser places, such that no team was able to keep pace with the Bruins. Looming large among those contributions were Avery Paxton's second in the pole vault, Devon Peterson's second in the 1600 and third in the 800, and a second in the 4x100.