Grand Junction's Jamie Derrieux,right, gets a wary sidewards glance from Durango's 4x200 anchor, but the wariness was to no avail--Grand Junction dominated the outcome of the relay. Photos by Michele Bisbee.
The Phil Wertman Invitational is unique on the Western Slope in that it was the original Friday twilight meet. Beginning as the Wildcat Invitational, the 2005 Fruita Monument HS Track & Field team decided rename the meet in honor of their retiring head coach of twenty-seven years.
A Big 10 pole vault champion for the University of Iowa, Phil fought for and brought to Stocker Stadium the Iowa high school tradition of beating the heat (or was it humidity?) and giving the athletes the opportunity to shine under stadium lights.
Last year, a restaurant grease fire across the street took out the stadium power just ten minutes prior to the start of the running events, and the meet appeared to be destined for a bit more twilight and less lights tha...