Kourtney Rathke could feel it.
Everything was clicking.
A smile stretched across her face as she heard the distance of her third and final long jump.
"19-6."
Her second jump was 19-7, and prior to that?
20-1.
She had four jumps well beyond 19-feet at Friday's Centaurus Twilight.
"I was really happy with the consistency over 18, 19 (feet)," she shared. "And getting one over 20 was really exciting for a PR, and first time over 20."
No matter that dark, ominous clouds loomed above as Winter was preparing its ugly return to the Colorado's Front Range. Temperatures plummeted into the lower 40s as the sun was back into a temporary hibernation.
"I think (the weather) kind of helped me have no expectations," she explained. "(You) just kind of go out there and have fun. Sometimes that's all you need."
The low-key approach clearly worked for the Peak to Peak senior, as she went near her previous personal best of 19-11 three times, and over 20 for a new PR. Rathke's leapt beyond 18-7 every time she's competed this season, but she found a new stride Friday as the winds swirled and Winter returned.
"Today, to have four jumps over 19-feet was super exciting," she said. "And proving to myself that jumping close to 20 isn't a fluke."
Rathke's 20-1 performance was a Colorado No. 1.
A Colorado Spring was in full affect, as the first half of the Centaurus Twilight was, well, bearable. And I write "A Colorado Spring" because it can be 80-degrees one day, and 40 and snowing the next.
Friday's storm rolled through the afternoon like a dump truck on a busy street, bringing the chaos of snow and light winds that made some events just a bit too dicey to compete - like the pole vault.
While snow hampered the latter half of the Centaurus Twilight, it didn't slow too many people down.
Oh, Spring in Colorado...
RESULTS | PHOTOS | VIDEOS
...
Sanaai Hancock made light work of the girl's hurdles.
The Cherokee Trail senior swept the hurdles, running a 5A No. 2 in the 100H, clocking 14.74. She also won the 300H in 46.41.
On the topic of sweeps...
It was a Prok-Sweep of the distance events.
Mia Prok ran away with the first event of the day - the girl's 3,200 - clocking 10:59, while her younger sister Anna Prok did the same in the 1,600 later in the day, running 5:06.77.
Anna Prok ran away with the girl's 1,600.
Of additional note, Mia's 10:59 in the 3,200 was the 15th sub-11 clocking in the 3,200 in Colorado this season.
It looks like last year''s record-breaking 17 sub-11s could go down this year, as we still have four weeks remaining in the season (and the 2024 Colorado State Championships...)
The reason that last bit of information is important is because last year 12 girls broke 11-minutes at State.
Editor's Note: 9:56 3,200 runner Isabel Allori is likely to join the club soon.
Moving along...
On the boy's side of the competition Jacob Schwarting made sure there wasn't any.
The Centaurus senior chased the school record on his home track and nearly had it. Schwarting soloed a 4:19. 71, which was a nine-second victory.
Schwarting was just a stride behind Kyle Berg's 4:18.18, but he still have four weeks to go.
Another impressive performance came in the 3,200, where Niwot sophomore Ryder Keeton telescoped away with a 9:32 victory. That's a 4A No. 4, and No. 2 in the sophomore class.