Track teams head to Grand Junction for 4A, 2A Regionals

Track teams head to Grand Junction for 4A, 2A Regionals

May 10, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

All four of the local high schools boys and girls track and field teams will be in Grand Junction on Saturday, May 12, to participated in their respective Regional championships at Stocker Stadium.

Montezuma-Cortez High School will send its boys and girls to compete in the Class 4A Region I meet while Dolores, Dolores County, and Mancos will be competing in the 2A Region V meet. Joining Cortez will be Battle Mountain, Delta, Glenwood Springs, Moffat County, Montrose, Palisade, Rifle, and Steamboat Springs. Joining Dolores, Dove Creek and Mancos will be Crested Butte Academy, Crested Butte Community, DeBeque, Grand Valley, Hayden, North Park, Norwood, Nucla, Ouray, Plateau Valley, Ridgway, Silverton, Sorocco, Telluride, Vail Christian, and West Grand.

The top three placers and any athletes who hit predetermined standards will qualify for the State Track and Field Championships with any Panthers qualifying heading to Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood and any Bulldogs, Bears, and Blue Jays qualifying heading to Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo the weekend of May 18-19.

"I think we have shot at winning it or at least finish among the top four out of the 10-team meet," MCHS head boys coach Bob Archibeque commented. "We will score our share of points. Our main goal is to win as a team. We will do what we can to score points. We are putting things together with a team emphasis. We may not have many of those athletes who score firsts and seconds, but we have quite a few who will score fourths, fifths, and sixths. And yes, we do have a few who can score firsts and seconds. Any who happen to qualify for State then we we will take them up the following week."

Archibeque said Glenwood Springs has an excellent team, led by all-everything Jacob Brennan who has already signed a letter of intent to attend Colorado State University. Glenwood Springs has four or five athletes who can score a lot of points. Rifle has some good throwers and relays. Montrose has some good distance runners and throwers. Moffat County is down this year, according to Archibeque.

Josh Lee is one of those Panthers who can score quite a few points and get a return ticket to State. He finished fourth in the long jump a year ago at State. Lee will also run in some of the sprints, including running around 22 seconds. Jeff Yarbrough has been high jumping 6-feet-4 and could challenge. Yarbrough also has been jumping over the hurdles well. Jeff Anderson has been jumping over the high bar well lately. A.J. Herrmann also has been running the hurdles well.

The relays have been looking good with Nate Foster, Walt Pape, Levi Hill, and Lee have been competing in several of them. The 4X100 and 4X200 especially have looked good. Pape has looked good in the 400 with times around 52. Jordan Davis is a threat in several distance events. He could place in the 800.

One of the strengths this season has been in the weight department. Brian Balfour, Derique Duran, and Colin Tansey have all thrown the shotput and discus well. Tansey and Duran have been placing high at meets all over the Four Corners area in the shotput.

Kyle Dowdy and James Durnin have been up-and-coming and could score. Durnin, though, has been struggling with a hip flexer and is just now recovering.

The Mancos boys, who are coming off winning last week’s San Juan Basin League title, have a good chance to win Regionals, according to head coach Tim Dunham.

"I think both the boys and the girls have a shot to win Regional titles," Dunham remarked. "The boys have been looking very good. While the girls (second last week at the league meet) did not score as many points, they could have if we had put them in other events. I just put them into events they have been in all season."

Travis Clark is a definite threat to win the discus event. Has thrown several times over 132 feet this season. Kelley Smith also will be right in there in that event. Josh Seymour also could place.

Up-and-coming Kent Russell could score some points in the long jump.

The 4X400 relay has looked good and Dunham believes they have a shot to win a title. Philip Wilson, Jesse Rousset, Jacob Tallent, and Doyle Edgerton are the competitors. Mancos’ 4X800 team of Sven McNeil, Micah Sucherman, Preston Hennrich, and Edgerton could win the title or at least qualify for State.

Dunham said that Sven McNeil is a threat to win in the 800 while Rousset and Wilson could battle it out for one, two in the 400-meter run. Levi Martinez should not be overlooked in the 800. Hennrich could place in the 3,200 while Sucherman could score in the 1,600. Alan Cummings also will participate in several distance events and relays.

Cody Beaver of Dolores looks to be back in top form and is a definite threat to repeat as Regional and State champion in both the 110 high hurdles and 300 intermediates.

Dolores’ Derek Thompson could place in the discus. Garrett Nielson has been running hard in both the 100 and 200 dashes. Andrew Webster has been running distance races in good form through much of the season. Thierry Monville and Chris Buckholts may help the team out on some relays.

Bru Meyer of Dolores County could be a placer in the 400. Lyle Joe is a threat in the 800. Jake Williams is a threat in the 800.

The Panther girls are improved this year because most of them have another year’s experience under their respective belts.

In the weights, Christine Tilton is the person to beat in both the shotput and discus.

Connie Berger has been jumping well in the long jump and high jump.

"I think those two girls are our biggest hopes for individuals," MCHS head girls coach Doug Anderson said. "Julie (Christensen) could set a school record in the 800 and still not qualify because the running events are so good on Western Slope."

Cortez could do well in the 800 medley relay. The Panthers also have a solid 4X200 squad.

Kristi Christensen and Dawn Keck are both good hurdlers. Tasha Toles will participate in some sprints. Tessa Haukeness has been strong lately in the 400. Julie Christensen has been a constant threat in the 800 with teammate Hannah Mortensen right behind her. Marie DeBolt is another candidate in the 200. Becca Whitehead is a good choice to score in the 3,200. DeBolt, Toles and Keck have been mainstays on some of the relays.

Anderson said Moffat County is strong in every facet of the sport and could run away with the Regional title. Palisade has got a great distance runner in Natalie Hughes, who has won the 1,600 and 3,200 for three straight years at State. Rifle has some good sprinters.

The Bulldogs won the league meet last week on the girls’ side. Shandra Johnson of Dolores County is a young all-around athlete. She could place and qualify in the long jump and hurdles. Joellen Nidiffer is a triple jump threat. Alyssa Redshaw is an excellent young sprinter.

Charlene and Christine Atkins have looked good in the 800. Krystal Neely has looked good in the 1,600. Tia Wood is another middle distance runner who has a shot to place.

Dolores County also has a good 800 medley relay team.

Mancos could certainly do some damage and win many events or place high in several more.

Dunham said that Amanda Kennedy is in a good position to win both the 100 and 200. She also has a chance to place in the triple jump. Kerri Morgan may be the person she has to beat in that event. Jori Yeomans is the main threat in both the 800 and 1,600. Lacey Morris is contender in the 400.

Rachel Russell is the weight girl for Mancos. She has won or placed high in meets all over the Four Corners area. Jori Yeomans has a chance in the high jump.

Dolores girls have a good one in Sheena Burns who runs the 400. Jennifer Trevillian, who has been injured for some of the season, is a threat in the 100 and 200. Dolores runners who could place include Ann Fecteau, Gloria Spada, Kori Ackles, and Ashley Ramirez. Kristen Gustafsen has been very consistent lately.