Spring snowstorm hampers area prep sports teams

Spring snowstorm hampers area prep sports teams

May 8, 2001

STAFF REPORT

A spring snowstorm, which dumped several inches, and feet in some areas, of the white stuff all across Colorado played havoc with some sporting events for area teams.

The Montezuma-Cortez High School boys and girls track team, scheduled to compete in Colorado Springs on Friday, May 4, in the Cheyenne Mountain Invitational, decided to turn around on Thursday, May 3, when the weather was getting real bad at Wolf Creek Pass. Reports coming out of Colorado Springs were not good.

"We had to turn the bus around," Bob Archibeque, head boys track coach, said. "We worked out and rested over the weekend."

Although it was colder-than-normal with gusty conditions, the San Juan League Track and Field Championships were held as scheduled at Bayfield on Friday (see related story). However, the AccuTrack system went down because of the winds. This was scheduled to be a qualifier for State, which will be held May 18-19 at Pueblo’s Dutch Clark Stadium (4A State will be held at Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood that same weekend).

Dolores County was scheduled to play in the Class 2A District Baseball Tournament against Custer County this past Saturday, but that game was postponed because of wet grounds. Gunnison had received several inches of snow on Friday but the slow moving system left more snow on Saturday so the field was too wet. Dolores County competed Monday, May 7, at OTA Field.

Should the Bulldogs win, they will head to Colorado Springs. Regionals will be played this Friday, May 11, and State’s semifinals and finals on Saturday, May 12, at Sprugeon Field. Crowley County is the defending 2A state champ.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 12-1 win over Grand Valley but a 19-1 loss to Nucla at last weekend’s District I Tournament which was held at Parque de Vida in Cortez. They are led at the plate by Terence Gardner who has a .473 batting average. Keith Pierce is right behind him at .471 and Kyle Krafka swings the bat at .364.

Custer County is 16-2 overall and is coming off a 9-4 win over Cotopaxi and a 16-0 rout of Antonito in the Division II Tournament The Bobcats have several of the top hitting players in all of Class 2A. Dave Schultz leads the team with a gaudy .640 average. Chad Lockhart hits better than 50 percent of the time at .511. Kyle Butts has a .490 and Grady Camper checks in at .429.

Butts will likely get the start on the mound with Schultz coming in relief for Custer County. Dove Creek will likely go with Dallas Coker and Dallas Daves.