Records made to be broken at Colorado state track & field meet

It's a safe bet that at least some records are likely to fall when the state's best converge on Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood later this week.

The three-day state track and field championships begin Thursday morning, and with it comes the opportunity for athletes to enter their names into state annals.

But it isn't just about setting state-meet records – for the elite, the Colorado prep records are within reach as well.
Look no further than Smoky Hill (Aurora) senior Blake Yount, who rewrote the top mark in the boys 800-meter run earlier this month at the Cherry Creek/Grandview Invitational.

Yount's time of 1 minute, 51.20 seconds broke his own record set last spring in the Centennial League Championships of 1:51.63. It also edged the 2001 time of Fairview's James Hatch at 1:51.23, which came in an out-of-state meet in Ohio.

Yount is still aiming for his first state title in the event after finishing .12 seconds behind Denver East's Cerake Geberkidane a year ago. But what makes his record all the more impressive is that there was no preseason training for the senior – instead, he spent his winter playing hockey for Cherry Creek, which won the state title March 7.

"To run that time at that speed and in that fashion is pretty remarkable in less than 12 weeks," Smoky Hill coach Kirk Cooper said. "He's still gaining fitness."

Yount will compete in the 400 and 800 at state in addition to a pair of relays. Cooper said that Yount is a team-first guy who is fueled by the performances of his teammates. At the same time though, he constantly wants to keep improving.

Next fall Yount is headed to the University of Oklahoma. As of this moment, his name is etched into the record books and his time will provide motivation for future competitors.

"I think he's incredibly proud of it, as he should be," Cooper said. "It's not just our school record, it's something above and beyond that. I hope he's not 100 percent satisfied. I hope the kid goes on to college and runs 1:47 or 1:48 or better, because he has the mindset to do it for sure."

Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) senior Jordyn Colter, who won the 5A girls 800 and 1600 last May, also owns a Colorado prep record that was set this spring. Colter's time of 2:05.48 in the 800 at the Stutler Bowl Twilight Qualifer on April 24 bested the 1996 time of 2:07.53 set by Eaglecrest's Tara Mendozza.

Last May, George Washington's Dior Hall broke an 18-year-old record in the girls 100 hurdles with a time of 13.09. Rocky Mountain's Carly Lester did the same thing in the 300 hurdles at 41.18, which topped the previous best set in 2000.

So, what other events this weekend could see athletes challenging Colorado records? Here are a few possibilities:

Boys

800: Yount already owns the Colorado prep record, but Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) senior William Mayhew has his own opportunity at making a little history. Mayhew ran a 1:52.07 at the Cheyenne Mountain Invitational, which set a 4A record. Mayhew also has the best time coming into the 4A 1600 in his bid to go for a pair of individual titles.

1600: Dominic Carrese of Fountain Valley (Colorado Springs) isn't just fast by 3A standards – the senior owns the top time in the entire state this season at 4:14.50, set at the Pueblo Twilight. Carrese is less than 2 seconds away from the 3A state meet record of 4:12.65, and the Colorado prep record is 4:10.98. That was set in 1981 by Widefield's Rich Martinez. Mayhew is less than a second off of Carrese's time.

3200: It's no secret that Lyons junior Paul Roberts excels at running long distances. Roberts owns the state's top time this spring in the 3200 at 9:13.55 (by almost 10 seconds), which is more than 15 seconds faster than the current 2A state meet record. The Colorado prep record is 9:05.89, set in 2003 by Smoky Hill's Brent Vaughn. Roberts owns the overall 2A record in both the 1600 and the 3200.

High jump: While it's far from an easy task, Pine Creek (Colorado Springs) senior Dionne Taylor has the chance to at least leap over the 29-year-old 5A state meet record in the high jump. Taylor has the high mark in the event this season at 7 feet, and Brighton's Jeff Martinez has the 5A record of 7-2 back in 1987. The Colorado prep record is 7-4, set in 1991 by Buena Vista's Matt Hemingway. Austin Campbell of Regis Jesuit (Aurora) hit 6-11 earlier this season.

Pole vault: Monarch (Louisville) senior Andrew Barlow comes into the event with the state's top overall mark at 16-6.5. The state meet record (17-3) and Colorado prep (17-7.5) are held by Aurora Central's Pat Manson, set in 1986. Those marks give the defending 5A state champion something to shoot for coming into state.

Girls

100/200: The expected battle between defending state champion Alleandra Watt of Pine Creek (Colorado Springs) and Shayna Yon of Cherokee Trail (Aurora) is something to watch. A year ago Watt was .23 seconds away from beating out the 1987 Colorado record of 11.31 seconds in the 100, set by George Washington's Caryl Smith. Watt's preliminary time in the 200 was .30 seconds off the record of 23.29 of Regis Jesuit's Ana Holland in 2013. Yon (100) and Watt (200) have the two top times in both sprint events coming into state.

1600: Cherry Creek's Colter already owns the state's top 800 time, but the 1600 could be within her grasp as well. Niwot's Elise Cranny set the Colorado mark of 4:47.56 in 2013, and Colter just missed out on beating that time at the Cherry Creek/Grandview Invitational. The senior ran a 4:47.93, which set a record for the 5A field.

3200: Fort Collins super-sophomore Lauren Gregory easily won the state title in this event as a freshman, but she outdid herself at the Liberty Bell Invitational in late April. Gregory's time of 10:25.72 was nearly 14 seconds faster than her winning state time; Cranny set a Colorado prep record a year ago with a time of 10:17.48.

Also of note in 1A girls: Shining Mountain (Boulder) senior Ginger Hutton is the top seed in the 400, 800, 1600 and 3200. She already owns 1A records in the 400 and 800, and her current times would set 1A state meet records in three events (she is less than 1 second off in the 1600).