Mancos wins prestigious Wells Fargo Cup award

Mancos wins prestigious Wells Fargo Cup award

August 30, 2001

STAFF REPORT

AURORA — Wells Fargo Banks and the Colorado High School Activities Association have announced the 2000-2001 Wells Fargo Cup winners at the state and league levels, according to a news release from CHSAA.

CHSAA commissioner Bob Ottewill and Tom Honig, president and chief executive officer of Wells Fargo Banks Colorado, said Weldon Valley (Class A), West Grand (AA), Eaton (3A), Centaurus (4A) and Fort Collins High (5A) are the winners at the state level after having achieved the highest level in their respective classifications in the activities arena. Those schools will receive a crystal cup trophy and $1,200 for their activities programs. The league winners will receive a brass cup trophy. Under Wells Fargo rules, no school can win a state award two consecutive years. However, Cherry Creek has won the large-school award three times over the last six years. Broomfield, Brush, Fort Collins, Fowler, Kent-Denver, Limon, Merino, and Ridgway have each won twice.

The Wells Fargo Cup recognizes the schools for their outstanding all-around success in athletics, music, speech, and student leadership. In all, more than 50 different high schools have received the cup since its inception in 1993-94 for providing the top all-around activities and athletic programs in their leagues. Thirty-one separate schools have now won classification awards.

"High schools throughout Colorado offer students a great variety of healthy and positive activities which complement the academic mission. The Wells Fargo Cup recipients represent the best of many outstanding programs in the state. We salute these schools that go the extra mile for their students," Ottewill said.

The Wells Fargo Cup, formerly the Norwest Cup, was one of the brainchild ideas of Ottewill. He announced his resignation from his commissioner post late last month at meeting of the CHSAA executive committee.

"The Wells Fargo Cup offers a wonderful opportunity to recognize those schools that are doing the best job of preparing their students to make meaningful contributions to society in the future. Participation in CHSAA-sanctioned activities helps these young people develop the characteristics that will benefit them forever," Honig commented.

Determination of the winners is made through an objective point system devised by the CHSAA. Points are given for a school’s finish in each athletic activity, as well as for participation in the association’s music, speech and student council programs. Bonus points are awarded for a school’s participation in the CHSAA’s sportsmanship program. Bonus points are also awarded for a school winning a state championship, but the focus of the program is on the school’s scope of activities and league-level success. Likewise, league cups are awarded based on those same criteria.

Central of Grand Junction won the Southwestern League cup for 2000-01, marking the second straight year it has done so. Mancos won the San Juan Basin League title after Dolores County had won the year before. MHS won its first league cup the first year of inception of the award in 1994. Dolores won it from 1995-97 with Nucla winning in 1998-99 and DCHS last year. Of note, winning the Western Slope (4A) League was Steamboat Springs.

Wells Fargo and CHSAA personnel will present all league and state winners throughout the fall season. No date has been set aside yet in order to present Mancos with its award.