Girls Meet: Niwot Keeps Rolling
If the state championship was awarded based on how many points a team could score in six days' time, it would be hard to beat what Niwot has done this week. After rolling the competition last Saturday at the Broomfield Shootout, Niwot showed no sign of slowing down on Thursday. Niwot piled up 131.5 points to take the win over a very good Loveland team, just like the week before. Vista Ridge Girls pulled in third with 59.75 points.
One new trick that Niwot pulled out of their hat this week was a 4A leading 9:47.51 4x800 meter relay. Mary Gillett, Jenna McCaffrey, Claire Gillett and Maggie Smith pulled off the solo effort, effectively throwing down the gauntlet by taking a 9 second lead in the classification. McCaffrey also took second in the 1600 and 800. Her 2:24.97 and 5:25.15 both clock in as seasons best.
Mary Gillett is proving herself to be among the most versatile athletes in the state as she also won the long jump at 16-7, and the 400m at 57.16.
Alexis Carroll also scored in multiple events winning both the triple jump at 36-6 and the 100m hurdles at 14.96, and taking 7th in the 300m hurdles.
Individual Standouts
Similar to last week, there were some standout distance performances. Ryan Meisner, from Rock Canyon, lowered his 800m PR by five seconds to win in 1:59.36 and set a new meet record. The big fireworks came, however, in the 1600 when Isaac Green, the senior from Monarch running at altitude, lowered the state best in the 3200 to 4:16.15. Monarch teammate Charlie Perry was second in a still more than respectable 4:23.34. Max Sevcik won the elite 3200 heat at 9:51.37, a new season best.
Adam Stark, from Loveland, won the 200m at 22.55. That is good for 6th place on the state rankings board. Devin Cadena also moved himself to 6th on the 5A 100m leaderboard with his 11.18 effort in the 100m.
Shane Finegan, from Wiggins, showed why he is one of the best 2A sprinters with his 50.09 400m. If he had not come in second, it would have been a new meet record.
Parker Garrison, from Rock Canyon, moved himself up to 9th on the 5A leaderboard with his 40.64 300m hurdle win.
On the girls' side of things, Bailee Stones, from Rock Canyon, pulled away and won the elite heat of the 3200 at 11:25.54, a 23-second season best.
Jeneen Ibrahum, also of Wiggins, won the shot put by three feet at 37-8.5. She is number one in her classification by roughly the same margin.
How About the Freshmen?
In a meet of this size there are always some standout freshman in the field. Regan Aurich, from Lutheran, ran a 59.36 for second in the 400m. Fellow Metro League standout Shannon King, from Faith Christian, ran a 2:22.90 to win the 800m. King was also the top freshman in the 300 hurdles at 50.32.
Elsewhere in the distance events, Kenadi Krueger, from Thompson Valley, made her presence known in the elite 3200m heat with an 11:38 6th place finish. Julia Mainland from Monarch was 6th in the 1600 at 5:36.
Anyone hoping for a reprieve from the Gillett family scoring points in track meets is going to have to wait a little longer as Niwot freshman Elise Gillett was 5th in the 100m hurdles at 17.60. Gillett also scored in the 300 hurdles.
On the boys' side, Isaac Roberts was the top freshman in the 3200, bettering his PR to 10:06.62 on the home track. Derek Fearon, from Rock Canyon, was also quite impressive at 10:09.
Outside of the 3200, freshman boys' scoring points were few and far between, but Nathan Rice from Thompson Valley ran a very nice 43.68 in the 300 hurdles. Mason Adams from Loveland was 2nd in the pole vault at 11-04. Ian Levin from Thomson Valley and Zace Buckhold from Jefferson Academy also scored in the triple jump.