Hunter Warwick brings the top returning hurdle times to the track in the 4A classification. Photo by Alan Versaw.
Fans of track and field in Colorado aren't used to thinking of of Palmer Ridge as a legitimate contender in track and field. With the school set to graduate its first class this spring, that's could be on the cusp of changing.
The Bears may still be a little thin depth-wise, but they also have two of the top individual talents in the 4A classification in Hunter Warwick (110 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles) and Spencer Wenck (1600, 3200). Warwick figures as a state favorite in both hurdle events. On the strength of a stellar cross country season, Wenck has likely leapfrogged a few folks coming back who finished in front of him in the distance events last spring.
But, even if Warwick and Wenck win two events each in the state meet this spring, that alone is highly unlikely to bring a state championship to the school situated just a few meters from the top of Monument Hill. Warwick and Wenck will need help, but these two promise to make a good start on things.
Where will the help come from? That's hard to say. Palmer Ridge was a very young track team last spring. 15 and 16 year old boys can make enormous leaps in performance over the course of one year. Or, they can lose interest and decide not show up for track when the next season starts.
Palmer Ridge is at a turning point even at this early stage in the history of the program. This season may have a great deal of bearing on whether they become a perennial track and field power or simply a school that turns out a high-end talent every other year or so.
If the Bears make the transition into a solid program with a pipeline regularly bursting with talent, much could hinge on how the supporting cast performs this spring. Names like Brandon Schow (800, 1600), Winn Howard (high jump, triple jump), Lance Wilde and Evan Fullenbach (throws), and Jonas Escobedo (200, 400) hold the keys to turning this program into a track and field powerhouse.
Keep half an eye open to see how things progress for Palmer Ridge as the season rolls through April and into May.