If there has been a positive to the warm, dry weather that's prevailed throughout the month of March thus far, it's that the spring sports season is off to a strong start.
Optimal weather conditions make for optimal playing conditions – or, in the case of track and field, prime conditions for practices and meets.
While typical March weather often shoves teams indoors and can sometimes wipe out meets altogether, that hasn't been the case in 2017. The season may only be about two weeks old, but a handful of meets around the state have already taken place.
Montrose's Ian Meek won two events in Class 4A.
File photo by Tom Hanson
There is no guarantee Mother Nature will cooperate the rest of the way – and the state meet is now less than two months away – so every event counts as teams prepare to invade Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood in May.
In Class 5A,
Pomona (Arvada) put together a strong state showing last spring to hold off
Fountain-Fort Carson and earn its first title in the sport. Those two teams figure to be among the favorites again this season.
In 4A,
Mountain View (Loveland) held off
Palmer Ridge (Monument) a year ago, but a number of the top programs took hits to graduation. Palmer Ridge is looking to regain that top spot and claim a third title in four years.
In 3A,
Lutheran (Parker) claimed a third consecutive championship (two at 3A and one at 2A) and returns a number of athletes to a team seeking four in a row.
Manitou Springs hopes to have a say in that this spring.
Cedaredge and
Resurrection Christian (Loveland) engaged in a battle for the 2A crown last May, with the Bruins coming out on top by 13 points. The Cougars have the experience edge heading into this season though, especially in the relays.
Heritage Christian (Fort Collins) locked up its third 1A title in four seasons with a strong performance at Jeffco Stadium, though
Springfield gave the Eagles a run for their money.
With teams already entering or about to head into spring break, here is a quick look at each of the five classifications:
Class 5AWhile Pomona has to do without sprinter
Max Borghi, who is recovering from a knee injury sustained during the football season, the Panthers still bring back 75 percent of their winning 400 relay and runner-up 800-relay squad. The team also has returning state placers in the shot put and the discus, even without defending shot put champ Jake Moretti, who graduated early.
Fountain-Fort Carson graduated 100 and 200 champion Christian Lyon, but
Donovan Williams took third in the 100 and second in the 200.
Malic Bonner was third in the 400 – an event in which the top four placers are back – and the Trojans won the 800 and 1,600 relays with just one senior in Lyon.
Darrien Wells of
Hinkley (Aurora) won the 400 as a junior and
Angel Heredia took the 300 hurdles as a sophomore. The Thunderbirds were third as a team.
The distance events bear watching after the graduation of Poudre's Henry Raymond, who swept the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.
Defending state champion: Pomona
State Meet: May 18-20 at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
Returning all-state athletes: Malic Bonner, Jr., Fountain.-Fort Carson; Max Borghi, Jr., Pomona; Sergio Cedano, Sr., Fountain-Fort Carson;
William Dixon, Jr., Monarch;
Adam Eckhardt, Sr., Pomona; Jason Farrell, Jr., Fountain-Fort Carson;
Jeremy Gonzales, Sr., Pomona;
Isaac Green, Sr., Monarch; Angel Heredia, Jr., Hinkley;
Zach Litoff, Sr., Monarch;
Jalen Lyon, Jr., Fountain-Fort Carson;
Miles Matulik, Sr., Pomona; Derrien Wells, Sr., Hinkley; Donovan Williams, Sr., Fountain-Fort Carson.
Class 4AThe 2016 state field was senior-heavy, and only five state champions are back for the 2017 season.
Palmer Ridge's
Brandon Pappas was a member of the winning 1,600-relay team, and the Bears had three juniors on the runner-up 3,200 relay. Pappas also placed fifth in the 800 run.
Montrose's Ian Meek was a two-time champion as a junior, taking the 1,600 and 3,200 – both times edging
Tanner Norman of
The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs), who is also a senior this spring. The Indians also had another junior make waves in the throws, with
Sam Distel taking second in the discus and sixth in the shot put.
Will Domier of
Holy Family (Broomfield) captured the 100 as a junior by .01 seconds.
Air Academy's Nik Chappee placed in top six in the 100, 200 and 400.
Defending state champion: Mountain View
State Meet: May 18-20 at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
Returning all-state athletes: Will Domier, Sr., Holy Family;
Aaron McCoy, Sr., Canon City; Ian Meek, Sr., Montrose; Brandon Pappas, Sr., Palmer Ridge;
Harry Steinberg, Sr., Durango.
Class 3AThe sprint events belonged to Lutheran's Kent Harris, who took the 100 and 200 as a senior. With his graduation,
Aspen's Sunday Abarca may be the runner to beat. Abarca placed third in the 100 and 200 and won the 400 by .12 seconds over Manitou Springs'
Jared Keul.
Keul claimed the 800 for the Mustangs, and was a member of the winning 1,600-relay team with
Luke Rodholm and
Bryce Coop, who also return.
Lutheran won both the shot put and discus with juniors in
Jacob Dack and
Adam Dawson, and
Luke Arkell was part of the winning 400- and 800-relay teams as a sophomore.
Alamosa didn't graduate a single runner off its winning 3,200-relay team. Three of the top five finishers in the pole vault were juniors from
Sterling, including state champion
Victor Zimmerman.
Defending state champion: Lutheran
State Meet: May 18-20 at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
Returning all-state athletes: Sunday Abarca, Jr., Aspen; Luke Arkell, Jr., Lutheran; Bryce Coop, Sr., Manitou Springs; Jacob Dack, Sr., Lutheran; Adam Dawson, Sr., Lutheran;
Isaiah DeLaCerda, Sr., Alamosa;
Jasper Germain, Jr., Roaring Fork; Jared Keul, Sr., Manitou Springs;
Oscar Martinez, Sr., Alamosa;
Caleb Palmer, Sr., Alamosa; Luke Rodholm, Sr., Manitou Springs; Victor Zimmerman, Sr., Sterling.
Class 2AResurrection Christian swept the sprint events, but champions Cooper Ward (100 and 200) and Evan Anderson (400) are gone.
Wiggins' Shane Finegan made the finals of each of those events as a junior, placing second in the 400.
Resurrection Christian claimed the 400 and 1,600 relays, with
Conner Stahla a member of both those squads as a junior.
Sedgwick County's Chad Mikelson won the long jump and triple jump as a junior.
Hoehne's Jacob Yates was top three in the 110 and 300 hurdles.
Other top athletes like Lyons' Paul Roberts (distance), Cedaredge's Shane Gates (hurdles and high jump) and John Mall's Garrett Quintana (throws) have also graduated, opening the door for new champions.
Defending state champion: Cedaredge
State Meet: May 18-20 at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
Returning all-state athletes: Jaylen Hayes, Sr., Ellicott;
Simon Kearns, Jr., Mancos;
Ben Kelley, Jr., Soroco;
Jake McKie, Jr., Mancos; Chad Mikelson, Sr., Sedgwick County; Conner Stahla, Sr., Resurrection Christian;
Chiante' Stewart, Jr., Ellicott;
Jack Taylor, Jr., Resurrection Christian.
Class 1AWith Jordan Cherin of
Shining Mountain (Boulder) (first in the 200, 400 and 800, second in the 100) having graduated, the running events have opened up.
Flagler's Cameron Klann won the 100 as a junior and was third in the 200. Klann also won the long jump.
Lake City Community's Izaac Borchers placed third in the 800 and second in the 1,600 and 3,200 as a sophomore and helped the 3,200 relay team claim a state title.
Sophomores were also strong in other events, with
Blayden Fletcher of
North Park (Walden) (110 hurdles),
McClave's Ian Beckett (high jump) and
Otis' Tate Goble (pole vault) winning titles.
Defending state champion: Heritage Christian
State Meet: May 18-20 at Jeffco Stadium, Lakewood
Returning all-state athletes: Chris Athey, Sr., Lake City Community; Ian Beckett, Jr., McClave; Izaac Borchers, Jr., Lake City Community;
Beau Dukes, So., Springfield;
Bowman Ellis, Sr., Springfield; Blayden Fletcher, Jr., North Park; Tate Goble, Jr., Otis; Cameron Klann, Sr., Flagler;
Riley Moore, Jr., Lake City Community;
Fred Turner, Sr., Eads.
