Records at the Colorado state track and field championships fall by the wayside every May, but 2017 was a relatively quiet year when it came to making state history.
Arria Minor, Denver East
File photo by Tom Hanson
There were 14 state meet records set last spring at Jeffco Stadium, with half of those coming courtesy of the Class 3A girls field. Overall, only one all-classification record was logged – Brie Oakley of
Grandview (Aurora) set a girls 3200 record at 10 minutes, 9.26 seconds, capping a brilliant career for the Wolves. Oakley's time bested that of
Niwot's Elise Cranny, set in 2014, by more than 7 seconds.
As the 2018 state championships get under way Thursday in Lakewood, the bar has already been raised. So far this spring, four Colorado prep records have been shattered with one more meet remaining.
Denver East standout sprinter
Arria Minor, who swept state titles in the 100, 200 and 400 in each of her first two seasons, broke the girls 200 mark set by Ana Holland of
Regis Jesuit (Aurora) in 2013. Minor won the event at the Cherry Creek Invitational earlier this month with a time of 23.18 seconds.
Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) senior
Emily Sloan broke a four-year record in the 300 hurdles May 12 at the Continental League Championships. Sloan's winning time of 40.77 eclipsed the previous all-classification record of 41.18 set in 2014 by Carly Lester of
Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins).
Cherokee Trail (Aurora) senior
Sydnee Larkin, the defending champion in the triple jump, carved her name into the state books in the event at the Mercury Invitational in Brighton in March. Larkin's distance of 41-09 topped the previous best of 41-03.5, set by
Widefield's Nyeisha Wright in 2006.
Finally,
Cole Sprout of
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) set an all-classification record in the boys 3200 at the Jeffco League Championships on May 5 in Lakewood. Sprout's winning time of 9:01.53 was more than 3 seconds faster than that of Tanner Norman of
The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs), set just last year.
As the state meet approaches, it begs the question if whether more all-classification records will fall during the three days at Jeffco Stadium? The state meet runs through Saturday.
Class 5A and 4A open state Thursday morning, with 3A, 2A and 1A taking over Thursday afternoon. The four classifications share the stadium Friday and Saturday, with the 3A boys 4x400 relay capping things off at roughly 5:33 p.m. Saturday.
Here is a quick look at who could potentially leave a lasting legacy this weekend:
State meet heat sheets //
State meet schedule
Boys
Class 5AFountain-Fort Carson is attempting to claim its sixth title in the past eight years and potentially move within one championship of tying Fort Collins for the most all-time. The Trojans enter with the top times in all three sprint events, the 300 hurdles, three relays and two field events.
Fountain-Fort Carson enters the 4x100 relay with a seed time of 41.70.
Overland (Aurora) owns the Colorado and state meet record of 41.27 set in 2007. The team is less than a second off the 4x200 relay time of Valor Christian, set in 2013. Senior
Jequan Hogan, the defending champion in the triple jump, comes into state with a top mark of 50-08.5. The state meet and Colorado record is 51-00.25, set in 1973 by Victor White of
Harrison (Colorado Springs).
One year after
Monarch (Louisville) went 1-2 in the pole vault, Coyotes junior
Max Manson enters state with a height of 17 feet, which is only 3 feet away from the state record set by his father, Pat, in 1986. Pat Manson also owns the all-classification record of 17-07.5, set the same year.
The all-classification 1600 time of 4:10.98 has stood for 37 years.
Broomfield's Michael Mooney is just more than 1 second off that time coming into state at 4:11.99.
Class 4AVista Ridge (Colorado Springs) ran away with its second 4A crown in five years last May, but the field is open for the taking this weekend. The Wolves have top seeds in three field events, with
Raymon Harper leading the charge in the high jump and long jump. Harper is one of a handful of athletes who could overtake the 4A state meet record of 6-foot-11 in the high jump, set in 2013 by Colt Sessions. Harper is seeded fourth in the triple jump, with teammate
Micah Hilts first.
Sprout is a heavy favorite in the 3200. The sophomore is seeded second in the 1600 to
Niwot's Cruz Culpepper both runners are in striking distance of the 4A state meet record, and possibly the all-classification mark.
While no athlete will challenge the overall discus record set by Mason Finley in 2009, the 28-year-old state meet record of 183-11 could be in jeopardy.
Pueblo East's Kain Medrano leads 4A with a throw of 182-03 this spring.
Harrison's
Tyrese VanHorne could make a run at titles in the 100, 200 and 400. The Panthers are also in the mix in three of the four relays.
Class 3ALutheran (Parker) has held a monopoly in 3A in recent years with three consecutive championships (and four overall, including a 2A title in 2014). Look for a competitive meet between the Lions and The Classical Academy – Lutheran is strong in the sprints, while TCA is always a distance power.
Lutheran's
Ethan Loper could challenge the 3A state meet record of 21.66 in the 400. The Lions are seeded either first or second in three of the four relays.
Bayfield's Carl Heide has the top seed time in the 110 and 300 hurdles, and has times that could challenge 3A state marks in both events. The Wolverines are also strong in the pole vault, with three contenders, and should make a push for championships in the shot put and discus.
Watch for
Roaring Fork (Carbondale) to contend in the three jumping events, with
Justin Thompson seeded first in the long jump and triple jump.
Jasper Germain is tied for the top mark in the high jump and is second to teammate Thompson in the triple jump.
Class 2ACedaredge is seeking a third consecutive trophy, and has senior
Ty Grant seeded first in the 100 and 200. The Bruins are also seeded first in two relays and second in a third.
Ben Kelley, Soroco
File photo by Tom Hanson
Ben Kelley of
Soroco (Oak Creek) will be one to watch on the track this weekend. The senior, who swept the 800, 1600 and 3200 last May, is going for titles in the 400, 800 and 1600. Kelley, who set a 2A state meet record in winning the 800 in 2017, is seeded first in two events and second in the 400. His current time of 4:17.23 in the 1600 would best the state meet record set in 2016 by more than 2 seconds.
Rangely's Patrick Scoggins is seeded second to Grant in the 200 and second to Kelley in the 800, while coming in first in the 400.
Hoehne's Jacob Yates is looking to defend his 110 hurdles championship, and is seeded first in both hurdle events. Hoehne is also the top seed in the 4x100 relay.
Another event to keep an eye on is the discus, where defending champion
Lane Walter of
Crowley County (Ordway) enters state with a throw that is more than 36 feet ahead of the next closest competitor. Walter's mark of 176-04 isn't far off that of
Brush's Mike Tomasini, who set a 2A state meet record in 1964 of 178-06.5.
Class 1AHeritage Christian (Fort Collins) has captured four of the previous five 1A state championships and is the favorite again. The Eagles are seeded first in three of four relays, and
Levi Kilian is seeded first in the 800, 1600 and 3200. Kilian's seed times in the latter two events – along with that of teammate
Seth Bruxvoort – would already beat the previous 1A state meet records. The Eagles could be poised to set a number of 1A meet records this weekend.
Cotopaxi's Arlo Garner is the top seed in the 110 and 300 hurdles and is second in the 100.
Girls
Class 5AGrandview captured its first state championship last spring on the strength of three relay titles. The Wolves' depth was on display, from sprints to distance and field events. Defending it will be a tall order though, as teams like Rock Canyon, Cherokee Trail, Denver East and
Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) are loaded with talent.
All eyes will be on East's Minor as she goes for a third three-peat in a row in the 100, 200 and 400. Minor is the top seed in all three events and has teammates
Syanne Algee and
Kyairra Reigh pushing her.
Broomfield's Madison Mooney is the top seed in the 800 and 1600. Mountain Vista, behind
Jenna Fitzsimmons, will be a contender in all distance events as well.
Larkin already owns the all-classification record in the triple jump, but she's the top seed in the long jump as well.
Sloan will be looking to sweep the 100 and 300 hurdles. She already owns the all-classification record in the 300 hurdles, and her seed time of 13.35 in the 100 is .26 seconds off the all-classification record owned by Dior Hall in 2014.
Rocky Mountain's
Gabriella McDonald is the top seed in the shot put and discus and the defending champion in both events. She set a 5A state meet record in the discus last spring.
Finally,
Mia Manson of
Monarch is the defending champion in the pole vault. Her top mark of 12-08 this spring isn't far off the 5A state meet record of 13-01 set in 2008.
Class 4AAir Academy held off Niwot and
Valor Christian last May to win the 4A crown, but the Cougars and Eagles are eager to chase down the title this weekend.
Niwot's
Mary Gillett is seeded either first or second in the 100, 200 and 400 and 300 hurdles. The Cougars have the top seed in four of the five relays, with the 4x400 time currently better than the 4A state meet record. Freshman
Taylor James is the top seed in the high jump with a leap that equals the 4A state meet record established in 1999. James is also seeded second in the 800.
Valor Christian's
Anna Hall is someone to keep an eye on this weekend. The junior is the top seed in the 200, the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles and the long jump. Her seed time of 41.80 seconds in the 300 hurdles is the second-fastest in the state behind Rock Canyon's Sloan, and the 4A state meet record could go to Hall.
Lauren Gale of
Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs) is seeded in the top four in the 100, 200 and 400.
Liberty Ricca is the top seed in the 3200.
Class 3AThe Classical Academy returned to 3A last year and did what it has done so many times – win a state championship. The Titans have won nine 3A crowns since 2006, and won the 4A title in 2016. TCA is the top seed in two relays this weekend and is loaded with depth across a number of events.
Watch out for
Lutheran, though. The Lions were fourth in 2017, but senior
Maya Evans is the top seed in the 100, 200 and long jump. She is within striking distance of the 3A state meet record in the two sprint events; she set a state meet record in the long jump as a junior, and her top mark of 20-08.5 set on May 11 is ever so close to the all-classification record of 21-00.75 that was set in 2005 by Montbello's Chelsea Taylor. Evans was also on the 3A record-setting 4x100 relay that is seeded first. The Lions are also seeded second in two other relays and
Katie Dack-Howell is the top seed in the shot put.
Erika Willis of TCA set a 3A meet record in winning the pole vault as a junior, but her 12-04 this spring is second to
Hayley Rayburn of
Platte Canyon (Bailey) at 12-09.
Bayfield's Jordan Lanning's high jump mark of 5-07.25 is just behind the 3A meet record of 5-07.5 set last spring.
Meanwhile,
Esther Diza-Mbelolo of
D'Evelyn (Denver) is the top seed in both hurdle events. The
Peak to Peak (Lafayette) duo of
Quinn McConnell and
Anna Shults has the Pumas' distance program excelling.
Class 2APaonia's five consecutive 2A championships is the longest current streak in the state, though the Eagles graduated a number of key seniors last year.
McKenna Palmer (triple jump) is the only top seed the team has coming into state.
Highland (Ault) sophomore
Remington Ross, the defending champion in the 100, comes into state as the top seed in that event and the 200. Ross is also seeded second in the long jump.
Kaiya Firor of
Hotchkiss is the top seed in the 300 hurdles and is in the top three in the 100 and 400.
Telluride's Soleil Gaylord is the top seed in the 1600 and 3200 and is third in the 800.
Holyoke sophomore
Taeryn Trumper is the top seed in the long jump by nearly two feet. Her distance of 18-02 is a little more than 7 inches off the 2A state meet record.
Class 1ASpringfield claimed its first 1A crown last May, and the Longhorns have a good shot at repeating. Four of the team's five relays are seeded first, and sophomore
Benisa Ellis is seeded first in the 800 and second in the 400.
De Beque finished second last spring, and junior
Faith Novess is in good position to have a terrific meet. Novess is the top seed in the 100 and 300 hurdles, and her times would challenge for 1A state records in both events. She is also the top seed in the high jump with a mark that would also set a 1A record, and she's seeded second in the 200 to
Kim/Branson's Zariah Mason. Mason is the top seed in the 100 and 200, events in which she set 1A records last May.
Emma Schaefer of
Shining Mountain (Boulder) is continuing the school's legacy in the distance events. The defending champion in the 1600 and 3200, Schaefer is the top seed in both events.
Genoa-Hugo's Heather Graham won the shot put last spring, and she is the top seed in the shot and discus. Her throw of 138-01 in the discus is nearly 7 feet better than the 1A state record set two years ago.
