Colorado Top 10 girls sports moments from 2016-17

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When diagnosing the crowning moments in girls sports over the school year, there were too many to count.

While Grandview (Aurora) stole the show with its first basketball and track and field titles – and featured dominant athletes in each sport – the Wolves were hardly alone in racking up tremendous achievements.

It'd be impossible to recount every team title and individual champion in a timely manner. So here's a subjective look, in no particular order, at some of our favorites:

Grandview, Onyenwere capture first girls basketball title
After an undefeated run that ended in the semifinals in 2016, the Grandview girls basketball team was taking nothing for granted this season. No team could touch the Wolves this time. Led by UCLA-bound Michaela Onyenwere, Grandview won by 42 in the quarterfinals, 33 in the semifinals then upended Lakewood 61-32 in the Class 5A title game. Onyenwere had 25 points and 13 rebounds in the final, and the Wolves (27-1) finished the season ranked No. 7 in the nation by MaxPreps. The season was still remarkable for Lakewood, which advanced to the championship for the first time.

Grandview's Oakley named Gatorade national cross country runner of the year
Brie Oakley gave her team an individual winner. She gave her state back-to-back wins. The Grandview senior, who won the 5A state meet in a blistering 17 minutes, 7 seconds, became the second Colorado athlete in two seasons to earn the distinction of Gatorade's national cross country runner of the year. The budding Cal athlete joins former Air Academy athlete Katie Rainsberger, who won the award in 2016. Oakley's achievements also included a course record 16:44 at the Liberty Bell meet. She also won the Nike national championship in December and obliterated the record in the 3,200 at the state track meet, finishing in 10:09.26 to help the Wolves to their first track title.

Knapp's homer lifts Cherokee Trail (Aurora) to first softball title
The 5A softball state championship game went to extra innings scoreless. Chloe Knapp made sure it didn't stay that way for long. Cherokee Trail's senior center fielder blasted a solo homer in the top of the eighth, and pitcher Emily Bell made it stand up as the Cougars blanked Broomfield 1-0. The second-seeded Cougars (22-3) barely survived the first round in an 11-10 win against No. 15 Legacy (Broomfield), but caught their groove and soon unseated the top-seeded Eagles.

Denver East's Minor repeats in three events, paces sizzling state track meet
Denver East sprinter Arria Minor won the 100, 200 and 400 dashes as a freshman. Ditto as a sophomore. With six titles in hand, one can only imagine how much faster Minor will get as an upperclassman. Maya Evans of Lutheran (Parker) actually one-upped Minor in the 3A meet, winning the 100, 200, 400 and long jump. In addition, Baylor-bound hurdler/sprinter Sarah Yocum of Faith Christian (Arvada) capped her career with eight individual championships and Silver Creek (Longmont) junior Rylee Anderson captured her third straight title in the high jump.

Eaton volleyball wrangles in fourth straight title
The Big Red Machine kept rolling at the Denver Coliseum. Utilizing 16 kills from four-year contributor Tarynn Sieg, Eaton swept Patriot League-rival Valley (Gilcrest) in the title match to win its fourth straight volleyball crown. The Reds (27-2) have gone 110-4 during the run and finished No. 11 in the nation after their undefeated 2015 campaign under coach Gwen Forster.

Colorado Academy (Denver) lacrosse records the three-peat
For the third consecutive season, Colorado Academy knocked off Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) in the state title game. With an 8-5 win, the Mustangs have swept all three and have added to their dynasty status. Claire Wright scored three goals, Sloane Murphy added two and Bridget Sutter had another dominating goalie performance. Cherry Creek, meanwhile, kept intact its streak of reaching the title game in all 21 seasons since the sport was sanctioned.

Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) rebounds from 2016 loss to capture fourth soccer title
Powerhouse Mountain Vista hadn't won it all since 2013, but a 3-1 win over Arapahoe (Centennial) did the trick. After losing to Grandview last season, two goals from Taeya Schueppert tipped the scales in this one. Leading scorer Katie Joella got the Golden Eagles (17-2-1) started with a first-half goal for coach Theresa Echtermeyer's squad. After starting 2-2-1, the Golden Eagles reeled off 15 wins to conclude the season.

Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) rockets to third straight softball title, Kilponen eyes fourth straight
Valor Christian pitcher Ali Kilponen will have a chance for history next season. She pitched her team to its third straight title – a 3-1 win against Erie in which she recorded 13 strikeouts – and will have a chance to go for four next season. The feat has been achieved only once in state history, but Marco Gonzales of the Rocky Mountain baseball team. On the softball side, former Legacy pitcher Shelby Babcock pitched in three straight as part of a five-year run by the Lightning.

Fort Collins' Gregory adds to legacy
With three cross country championships and two 3,200 track championships in her back pocket, Fort Collins senior Lauren Gregory rounded out her resume at the state track meet. She added titles in the 800 and 1,600, edging Grandview's Oakley in the latter. The Arkansas-bound Gregory departs with seven total titles and had the luxury of watching Penn State-bound teammate Audra Koopman defend her title in the long jump.

Rocky Ford softball corrals school's first girls championship
Rocky Ford knocked off perennial-power Strasburg 5-1 in the 3A softball state championship game behind a complete-game performance from pitcher Selena Medina. It was more than just a title – it was the Meloneers' first in any girls sport. In finishing 23-1 one, Rocky Ford got a monster season at the plate from senior Feliciti Jaramillo, who batted .493 with seven home runs and 39 RBI.

Paonia girls track captures fifth straight title
Behind a bevy of all-staters including Sophia Anderson, Brianna Van Vleet and Emily Pieper, Paonia became the first 2A squad to capture five straight team titles. The feat has only been achieved twice regardless of classification: Mullen (Denver) won seven straight 4A crowns in a run that ended in 2003 and The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs) won five straight in 3A from 2006-2010. Also in 2A, Telluride distance extraordinaire Soleil Gaylord repeated as champ in the 1,600 and 3,200.

Aspen triumphant in first-ever 3A swimming state meet
Girls swimming featured a third classification this season, and Aspen made the most of it. The Skiers won their first-ever title in the sport behind freestyle maven Kennidy Quist and fellow all-staters Davy Brown, Emily Driscoll and Hannah Freeman. Quist won the 50 and 100 freestyle events after finishing second in each last season in 4A. In addition, Windsor's Morgan Friesen won the 4A 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke to cap her career with six individual titles.

Honorable mention
• D'Evelyn (Denver) (4A) and The Academy (Westminster) (3A) earn first soccer titles; Denver Christian wins first ever 2A title game.
• Fossil Ridge (5A) and Dayspring Christian (Greeley) (2A) win first volleyball championships.
• Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) reclaims top spot in girls tennis after Fairview (Boulder) ended 19-year run last season.
• Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) tennis wins ninth straight 5A title; D'Evelyn earns first in 3A.
• Kent Denver (Englewood) defeated Palmer Ridge (Monument) to capture 10th field hockey title.
• Evergreen earns first basketball title with win in 4A; Lamar wins first since 1998 in 3A.
• Paonia and Kit Carson cap undefeated seasons with championships in 2A and 1A basketball.
• Grandview's Amy Chitkoksoong rebounds from runner-up finish last season to win 5A girls golf championship.
• Ralston Valley (Arvada) (5A) and Loveland (4A) win first golf team crowns; Colorado Academy repeats in 3A.