A look at the girls track all-state teams last year painted a clear picture when looking ahead to this spring. Essentially, 2017 promised to be a fast one.
An exceedingly high percentage of the all-staters in all classifications were underclassmen, meaning they are all a year faster and stronger this season.
Denver East's Arria Minor
File photo by Tom Hanson
Sure, Air Academy's Katie Rainsberger, one of the state's finest ever distance runners, is now at Oregon. But three of the five athletes of the year were underclassmen and are back for more.
It will be compelling to see what
Denver East's Arria Minor (reigning 5A athlete of the year),
Telluride's Soleil Gaylord (2A) and
Zariah Mason of
Kim/Branson (1A) have in store for this year's state meet. Minor stole the show as a freshman last year and has three seasons left. Gaylord and Mason are seniors.
With the season firmly underway, here's a look a few key storylines in each classification as high-level athletes aim to position themselves for record-breaking performances at state.
Class 5ADenver East's Minor won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes as a freshman, with her time of 52.50 in the latter a mere .01 away from the state record set by former Regis Jesuit athlete Ana Holland (now at the University of Colorado). Minor already has accumulated three first-place finishes this season.
Grandview (Aurora) distance runner
Brie Oakley (1,600 and 3,200 champ) and
Emily Sloan (100 and 300 hurdles champ) of
Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) also return as multiple winners.
Team-wise,
Fort Collins' 2016 championship was its second in three seasons. The Lambkins return one of their two individual champions in long-jump extraordinaire
Audra Koopman.
Cherokee Trail (Aurora), which finished third last season, figures to be a top-flight contender this season with four all-staters in the fold. Included is junior
Sydnee Larkin, a key piece of the Cougars' blazing relay teams and the reigning champ in the triple jump.
Arapahoe (Centennial), which edged Cherokee Trail by one point for second place last season, returns all-staters
Allison Marizza, but sophomore sensation
Anna Hall has transferred to
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch).
Defending state champion: Fort Collins
State meet: May 18-20 at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
Returning all-state athletes:
Aumni Ashby, Jr., Cherokee Trail;
Hannah Carlson, Jr., Arapahoe;
Gina Coleman, Sr., Fountain-Fort Carson; Anna Hall, So., Arapahoe (now at Valor Christian);
Jamie Johnson, So., Cherry Creek; Audra Koopman, Sr., Fort Collins; Sydnee Larkin, Jr.; Cherokee Trail; Allison Marizza, Sr., Arapahoe;
Jordan McCurdy, Jr., Cherry Creek;
Gabriella McDonald, Jr., Rocky Mountain; Arria Minor, So., Denver East (athlete of the year); Brie Oakley, Sr., Grandview;
Jaiden Paris, Jr., Cherokee Trail;
Devon Peterson, Sr., Cherry Creek; Emily Sloan, Jr., Rock Canyon;
Taylor Watson, Jr., Cherokee Trail.
Class 4AWith Rainsberger now competing in Division I, the distance events are wide open again. Most of the top pursuers in the distance events were departing seniors, as well, so it will be interesting to see who 4A's next distance star is after Rainsberger and Elise Cranny (Niwot) dominated the scene for such an extended period.
The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs) won its ninth state championship last season, but all five of the Titans' all-state athletes were seniors. Hall's move to Valor Christian is huge for the Eagles, who finished fourth last season. Hall recently won the pentathlon at the New Balance Nationals Indoor to become an All-American.
Another to keep tabs on is
Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs) junior
Lauren Gale, who won the 100, 200 and 400 at state last season. The Thunder finished fifth overall.
Defending state champion: The Classical Academy
State meet: May 18-20 at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
Returning all-state athletes:
Rylee Anderson, Jr., Silver Creek;
Tess Boade, Sr., Valor Christian;
Alexis Buckhaults, Sr., Canon City;
Maya Evans, Jr., Vista PEAK; Lauren Gale, Jr., Discovery Canyon;
Destiny Grimes, So., Valor Christian;
Jenny Hall, Sr., Discovery Canyon;
Lilliana Hamilton, Jr., Air Academy;
Ayannah Lang, Jr., Discovery Canyon;
Lily Lockhart, Sr., Delta;
Bianca Lopez, Jr., Valor Christian;
Maria Mettler, Sr., Air Academy;
Lianna Ubungen, Jr., Discovery Canyon.
Class 3AEaton won its second straight championship last season, and the Reds return senior
Tarynn Sieg, who set a meet record in the shot put (45 feet, 5 inches) last season and also won the discus.
The Reds could face challenge from
Peak to Peak (Lafayette), which was buoyed by freshman distance runners
Quinn McConnell and
Anna Shults last season en route to a third-place finish. Second-place
Moffat County (Craig) graduated athlete of the year Kayla Pinnt, but sophomore
Quinn Pinnt and senior
Emma Samuelson return for the Bulldogs.
Also keep an eye on multi-champs
Sarah Yocum of
Faith Christian (Arvada) (100 and 300 hurdles) and
Kylie Chavez of
Sterling (long jump and triple jump).
Defending state champion: Eaton
State meet: May 18-20 at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
Returning all-state athletes:
Lannan Abbott, Jr., Colorado Springs Christian; Kylie Chavez, Sr., Sterling;
Dana Kotz, Sr., Coal Ridge;
Santana Martinez, Jr., Coal Ridge; Quinn McConnell, So., Peak to Peak; Quinn Pintt, So., Moffat County;
Julia Ridgway, Sr., Colorado Springs Christian; Emma Samuelson, Sr., Moffat County; Anna Shults, So., Peak to Peak; Tarynn Sieg, Sr. Eaton;
Erica Thompson, Sr., Colorado Springs Christian;
Ivy Todd, Sr., Estes Park,
Lily Tomasula-Martin, Sr., Estes Park; Sarah Yocum, Sr., Faith Christian.
Class 2APaonia captured its fourth consecutive team championship last season, and the bad news for the rest of the classification is that the Eagles appear stacked once again. Perhaps it doesn't even seem fair that the Eagles return seven all-state selections, including multi-event talent
Brianna Van Vleet.
Paonia nearly doubled-up second place Wray last season and could be primed to take another step toward Mullen's all-time record of seven consecutive titles.
Despite Paonia's prowess, Telluride's Gaylord might be 2A's most-watched athlete after winning the 1,600 and 3,200 last season and finishing third in the 800.
Defending state champion: Paonia
State meet: May 18-20 at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
Returning all-state athletes:
Ellie Berry, Sr., Burlington;
Melanie Deering, Sr., Kiowa; Soleil Gaylord, Jr., Telluride (athlete of the year);
Megan Godsey, Sr., Wray;
Brooke Hillman, Jr., Paonia;
Isabelle Himmel, Sr., Highland;
Katie Hyke, Jr., Cedaredge;
Poppy Lightfoot, So., Paonia;
Emily Pieper, Sr., Paonia;
Randi Rapke, Jr., Paonia; Briana Van Vleet, Sr., Paonia;
Shira Woods, Jr., Paonia;
Kayla Zink, Sr., Caliche.
Class 1AShe might not have received the most notice, but Kim's Mason made a case for the most impressive state meet last season. She set 1A records in the 100 (12.52) and 200 (25.81) and helped her team to wins in the 400 relay and 800 medley – all as a sophomore.
She returns along with Tori Goode and Ashley Yergert to give the Mustangs hope that they can improve on an eighth-place team finish last season.
Heritage Christian has won two straight team titles, but the Eagles don't return any all-staters this season. Springfield finished No. 2 and returns Tatelyn Lasley, who finished first in the 400, second in the 200 and helped the Longhorns to a win in the 800 relay and second-place finish in the 800 medley.
Defending state champion: Heritage Christian
State meet: May 18-20 at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
Returning all-state athletes:
Bree-ann Carwin, Sr., Baca County;
Bailey Chintala, Jr., Fleming;
Morgan Cockroft, Jr., Fleming;
Tori Goode, So., Kim/Branson;
Miranda Hall, Jr., Lake City; Kylee Holden, Sr., Granada;
Shaylee Johnson, Sr., Fleming;
Tatelyn Lasley, Sr., Springfield;
Jacee Lawrence, So., Lake City;
Jenna Lengfelder, So., Fleming;
Megan Levine, Sr., Lake City; Zariah Mason, Jr., Kim/Branson (athlete of the year);
Audrey Rau, So., Springfield;
Jayci Westphal, Jr., Springfield;
Ashley Yergert, Jr., Kim/Branson.
