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Blink and you missed it.
There were records falling at all corners of Jeffco Stadium at the 2024 edition of the Colorado State Track and Field Championships.
Two all-time, all-classification state records fell on the first day of competition.
That's what kind of Colorado State Championships went down.
On Day One Northfield's Karamoko Sacko torched a 13.45 in the prelims of the 110H to take down a 20 year-old state record - and he'd lower that two days later, but we'll come back to that...
Previous recover-holder Wilbert Smith ran 13.61 back when no current high schooler at the 2024 state meet was born - in 2004.
Likewise, Broomfield's Lilly Nichols finally did what I've been writing about for three years now - set a new pole vault state record -- and ironically enough, she wasn't the only one - the previous state record of 13-9 was broken by three pole vaulters this weekend.
Nichols cleared 14-0 on Thursday, which was threatened a day later when Peak to Peak's Kourtney Rathke, and The Classical Academy's Anna Willis both surpassed the previous 13-9 record, clearing 13-10.
But Nichols' one-day-old record survived. It's currently a US No. 4, while Rathke and Willis are tied for a US No. 7.
Photo by Tim McDonald
State record No. 3 came on Day Two, when Cherokee Trail's 4x200 broke their own state record, and became the first Colorado squad to ever break 1:25, when they ran 1:24.93.
Editor's Note: to clarify, when I write "state record" I'm not referring to a state meet record (there were plenty of those...), I'm referring to all-time, all-classification state records.
Back to Sacko...
On Day Three the Northfield senior lowered his two day-old state record, running 13.43 in the 110H finals. The time is a US No. 4.
On the topic of almost state records, the Niwot boy's 4x800 ran a All-Time No. 2 of 7:43.92.
There was plenty to talk about...
Let's get into the highlights!
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Photo By Tim McDonald
Moving along to highlights in 1A...
The wind wasn't quite cooperating by the time DeBeque's Scottie Vines was set to jump.
The Colorado state record-holder still cleared 7-0, which not only kept his streak of seven-foot clearances alive, but it was his third-consecutive state title in the high jump.
Roxy Unruh swept the sprints. The Cheyenne Wells sophomore ran 12.21 in the 100, 25.64 in the 200, and 57.52 in the 400 - her 100 and her 400 were personal bests.
Photo by Brandon Lindner
Meanwhile in 2A Eboselulu Omofoma capped her high school career with perfection. The Dayspring Christian Academy senior swept every individual event she competed in, winning the 100H in 14.24, the high jump in 5-7, and the triple jump in 35-11.75.
What's additionally impressive is that she wracked up PRs in the 100H and the high jump, despite her busy weekend.
On the topic of domination, Nadhia Campos swept the distance events, running 5:12 in the 1,600, and 11:14 in the 3,200.
Photo by Tim McDonald
In 3A Heidi Nielsen came, saw, and conquered.
The Classical Academy junior swept the sprints, winning the 100 in 11.86, and the 200 in 24.08. She torched a 3A state meet record of 24.04 in the 200 prelims, and her winning time in the 100 was a PR.
On the topic of domination, cue Isabel Allori.
The Liberty Common senior swept the distance events, and picked up a rare quadruple - she won the 800 in a mind-blowing 2:09.16 PR, the 1,600 in 4:45.44, the 3,200 in 10:39, and she was the anchor leg in Liberty Common's 4x800 state champion squad.
Likewise, Kourtney Rathke was everywhere on and off the track.
The Peak to Peak senior won the long jump in 18-9, the triple jump in 36-9.75, the pole vault in 13-10, and finished third in the 100H in 15.27.
Of additional note on the pole vault, and as mentioned further up in this story - Rathke and Anna Willis both cleared 13-10 in a wild back-and-forth competition that saw both go over the previous state record, and state-meet record.
Speaking of being everywhere cue Andie Rasmussen.
Photo by Brandon Lindner
The Eaton senior won the 300H in 43.83, and the 400 in 55.44 - both were PRs. She also finished fifth in the 200.
Resurrection Christian's Jackson Fagerlin ran away with the mid-distance titles, running 1:53.18 in the 800, and 4:15.99 in the 1,600.
Moving along to 4A...
Mikey Munn may not have competed at State before, but that didn't stop him from dominating in his first - and last - appearance.
The Windsor senior swept the sprints, running 10.58 in the 100, 21.33 in the 200, and 47.96 in the 400.
On the topic of sweeps, Niwot sophomore Rocco Culpepper kicked to win - twice - in the mid-distance events. He won the 800 in 1:55.23, the 1,600 in 4:17.23, and he anchored Niwot's 4x800 4A state meet record squad, who ran the second-fastest time in all-classifications in the event.
Photo by Brandon Lindner
Battle Mountain went 1-2 in the 3,200, which saw a wild kick-finish between defending state champ Will Brunner, and Porter Middaugh. Both were clocked at 9:01, with Brunner getting the lean at a .22, to Middaugh's .33.
Of additional note, Coronado freshman Oliver Horton was third in 9:12.
Backtracking to the topic of Not Qualifying For State Then Winning State, cue Matthew Kwong.
The Northfield junior was a 44-foot triple jump last year. And this year he won the state title with a 47-7.25 PR.
Photo by Brandon Lindner
Reese Kasper stunned the field in the 300H
The Niwot junior hadn't broken 43-seconds in event this season, but she blazed a 42.23 to win the event with nearly a full-second PR.
Meanwhile Addison Ritzenhein did Addy Ritzenhein things.
The Niwot sophomore dominated the distance events, winning the 1,600 in 4:47, the 3,200 in 10:28, she finished third in the 800 in 2:13, and anchored Niwot's 4x800 state champ squad.
Cheyenne Mountain's Lauren Raley might not have been thinking about a 800 state title a month ago, but that changed a week ago, and became a reality Friday.
The Cheyenne Mountain senior - who didn't qualify for last year's state championship in the 800 - not only claimed the 800 state title this year, but she ran a PR of 2:10.49.
On the topic of Didn't See This Coming A Year Ago - Golden freshmen Abigail Trapp pulled off the very rare feat of sweeping the sprints.
Trapp won the 100 in 12.22, the 200 in 24.88, and the 400 in 55.05.
And she's got three more years in front of her...
In 5A it was the Peyton Sommers and the Cherokee Trail Show.
Sommers swept the sprints in dominating fashion, running 10.54 in the 100, 21.13 in the 200, and 46.59 in the 400.
Sommers was also part of Cherokee Trail's 4x200 state record squad.
The 800 saw the official arrival of Ben Lee.
We featured him our Future Stars series a month ago, but now he's not a Future Star - he is one. The ThunderRidge sophomore won the 800 in 1:52.76.
Meanwhile the distance events belonged to Valor Christian senior Dane Eike. He won the 1,600 in 4:13.47, and he defended his 3,200 state title, running 9:07.
On the topic of going out with a bang, Monarch's Tyler Rowan won the pole vault in a PR of 16-9 - that marked his seventh-consecutive win in the event this season.
The throws was a battle between two of the best in the state - Jarrius Ward and Charlie Lafore. Not only did both throw over 190-feet in the discus, but Ward set a 5A state meet record of 203-4 to win the event.
Lafore turned the tables in the shot put, winning in 64-06.50.
While Ward and Lafore battled for supremacy in the throws, Ralston Valley's Mary Ella Brooks made no contest of the girl's side of the competition.
Brooks won the shot put in a PR of 40-8.5, and the discus in 128-11.
Valor Christian's Ellie Londo sizzled in the 100, running a state-leading 11.73. She also finished third in the 200, which Heritage freshman Zona Welling won in 24.15.
Sticking with the theme of freshmen winning state titles, cue Zenobia Witt.
The Eaglecrest freshman won the long jump in 19-9.5.
Meanwhile Gabriella Cunningham was flawless in the hurdles.
The Grandview senior torched the competition, running 13.73 to win the 100H, and 42.10 in the 300H.
In the distance events Bethany Michalak made the most of her Last Time At JeffCo.
The Air Academy senior had her storybook ending, as she capped her high school career in dominating fashion.
In addition to walking at graduation Wednesday, she went on to win the 3,200 Friday morning in 10:27, and the 1,600 two days later in 4:47.