Loveland's girls 4 X 200 relay team climbed to the top of the rankings this weekend. To say that it was a very good weekend for relay teams from Loveland would be somewhat of an understatement. Photo by Alan Versaw.

That enormous sigh you heard this weekend could have been one of two things. If you heard it on Friday, it was the Smoky Hill girls of about five years ago relieved to find out their state 4 X 800 record still stood despite a serious assault on the mark by Thompson Valley. If you heard it on Saturday, it was Mason Finley coming to the realization of a dream--the all-time national high school record in the discus.

While Finley's discus and Thompson Valley's 4 X 800 certainly go to the front of the class, there was certainly a whole lot more in the way of extraordinary events that took place this weekend.

Let's start with the discus. Mark Sparks of Smoky Hill heaved that particular implement 192-8 on Saturday at Liberty Bell. Factor Mason Finley out of the equation and that thud you just heard was our collective jaws hitting the floor. Sparks is a big-time thrower.

And, yes, there was that really big throw down in Alamosa....

In other 5A action of special note, Alex Weinheimer of Fairview posted a nice 800 at the Boulder County Championships after a period of absence from the oval. Libby Westfall of Pine Creek and Jenna Adams of Littleton continue to battle for the top spot in the pole vault rankings and kept clearing 11 feet in multiple opportunities over the past week. Evan Appel went 9:18.16 in the 3200 to raise a few eyebrows at his home invitational. Alexandria White of George Washington had a very nice 38-8.25 triple at Liberty Bell, but I don't know if the mark was wind-aided or not. Either way, a nice mark. The 11:11.40 in the 3200 by Boulder's Sam Lewis might get a ho-hum kind of response in Colorado where it seems like half the teams in the state are producing great girls distance results, but remind yourself every once in a while that this is happening at elevation. Lewis is yet another reason for this year's juniors and seniors to be looking over their shoulders.

Moving down to 4A, Brian Ford and Katie Kruger continue to launch implements into orbit for Alamosa. Here's hoping the folks at the UFO place a few miles north of town don't get too excited at the objects aloft over the San Luis Valley. Ken Harriman of Pueblo South is also part of the latest throwing craze, sending the discus 174-2 this weekend. Interestingly, Harriman was better known for the shot put until this year, but the discus definitely seems to be on an upward trend for the CSU-bound senior. Falcon's Wes Rickman pulled off a nice 4:22.70 1600 to win at Liberty Bell.

Mullen had some very nice results at the Oregon Relays, headlined by a 2:12.86 in the 800 for Vanessa Fabrizio. If there's a 4A school lurking in the wings that just might be able to push Thompson Valley out to another great run at the 4 X 800 record, Mullen just might hold the cards.

Let's not forget that Thompson Valley also posted the best girls 4 X 400 time in the state on Friday, beating a very good Littleton team to do that.

In 3A, would you believe there are twelve boys already prequalified in the 400 and nine girls in the 3200? Prequalifiers are springing up faster than the weeds all across the state. Figure some standards, which already got tighter this year, will be tightened again next year.

Denver Lutheran's Blaise Lake now paces the 400 field at 49.23. The Classical Academy girls 4 X 800 is exploring uncharted 3A territory with a 9:17.48 mark. From the same school, Kevin Schwindt raised the stakes in the pole vault competition by clearing 14-0. Rachel Hinker is threatening to make people forget about last year's phenom in the 200. On Friday, Hinker nosed out Thompson Valley's Liz Tremblay to win the St. Vrain Invite 200 in 25.18. Hinker also makes the Lyons sprint relays run like a well-oiled machine. It appears Lyons will have to make at least one decision about what events Hinker will be running at state. Stay tuned.

Fear not, though, Sam Berggren still holds undisputed ownership of the 400 (3A or otherwise, it seems). Where Sam Berggren goes, she wins--the University Bulldog Invitational being the latest stop on her tour of domination.

Colorado Springs Christian School seems to be making a statement about everyone else's chances in the 100 hurdles. Right now, sophomore Tiffany Kenney and junior Becca Bultje sit squarely in the 1 and 2 slots after their performances this weekend.

If I had results from the Montrose meet this weekend, I strongly suspect there'd be something to say about the Cedaredge boys. Anyone not taking them into the calculations for a potential state champion is due for an ugly surprise in a little less than three weeks. It's easy to hide over on the western slope, but not quite that easy.

And that takes us to 2A. Stryker Lane of Norwood threw the discus (is this a recurring theme or what?) 158-6 at the make-up of the Pine River Invitational on Wednesday. The throwing ring there in Bayfield has seen more than it's share of great throws in the last year. Need a good throw? Take a trip to Bayfield!

Dayspring Christian was close to home at the Bulldog Invite on Saturday. It paid off nicely with a 44.34 4 X 100. Alex Dorr of Wiggins, pretty much the fastest thing in Sterling on Friday, became the first 2A boy under 2:00 in the 800. Holyoke's Kyle Carper continued his jumping exhibition tour with a stop in Sterling on Friday. And, finally, the Akron and Limon girls posted season-best marks in the classification in the 4 X 200 and 4 X 400, respectively, at the Akron Invitational.

And, with that, we've more or less closed the door on the invitational season. A few invitationals still remain in the week ahead (particularly for 4A and 5A schools), but the championship season begins this week. Fasten your seatbelts!

 

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