GREELEY — Those calling this season a “down” year for Jefferson Country track and field programs aren’t paying close enough attention.
There were plenty of Jeffco storylines scattered all over the 2013 CHSAA Track & Field State Championships Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Jeffco Stadium.
Winning the 5A boys team title was Cherokee Trail with a score of 74.5 and the best 5A girls team was Cherry Creek with a team score of 86.
The best 4A boys team was Vista Ridge with a score of 80 and the best 4A girls team was Niwot with a 70 score.
But breathing down those team’s necks were several Jeffco schools.
Ralston Valley (16 team points), Pomona (six) and Bear Creek (three) all left their mark on the 5A boys’ side of the meet, while Lakewood (18 team points) and Arvada West (15) scored points on the 5A girls’ side.
In 4A Jeffco, Wheat Ridge (eight team points), Alameda (three) and Arvada (two) scored for the boys and Golden (18 team points) and D’Evelyn scored for the 4A girls.
“I think Ralston Valley has an underrated team and I think we showed that this season,” Ralston Valley senior Keenan Gibson said.
Gibson went from not qualifying for state last season to finishing fifth in the 400-meter dash on Saturday.
“It is my senior year, I wanted to work as hard as possible and leave it all out there,” Gibson said.
Lakewood senior Maddie Ivy came out of nowhere and left her mark at the championship meet.
Ivy was an up-and-coming track star as a freshman who had her prep career derailed because of concussions.
However, Ivy gave track one more run and after dominating one week previously at Jeffco’s league championships she ran to a ninth place finish in the 1600-meter run in 5:09.61.
“I thought things went really well. I wanted to really push myself and see what I was capable of,” Ivy said.
Ivy also finished eighth in the 3,200-meter run in 11:00.96.
In addition, Bear Creek sophomore Olabisi Johnson not only qualified for the state meet rolling over his 5A Jeffco competition last week, but he also made the podium twice with a pair of top-nine finishes in the 110-meter hurdles (15.50) and the 300-meter hurdles (40.09; 9).
And perhaps the best overall Jeffco athlete to shine at the state meet was Golden’s Payton Miller.
The junior finished third in the 200 meter dash (25.09) and then took fifth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.95.
5A Jeffco boys’ finishers
110-meter hurdles: 9. Olabisi Johnson, 15.50, Bear Creek
300-meter hurdles: 9. Olabisi Johnson, 40.09, Bear Creek
High jump: 2. Hunter Price, 6-5, Ralston Valley
400-meter dash: 5. Keenan Gibson, 48.96, Ralston Valley
Shot put: 9. Jacob Buys, 48-00.5, Ralston Valley
3200-meter run: 4. Marcello Laguera, 9:42.83, Pomona
5A Jeffco girls’ finishers:
100-meter hurdles: 9. Talia Marquez, 15.37, Arvada West
1,600-meter run: 9. Maddie Ivy, 5:09.61, Lakewood
3,200-meter run: 8. Maddie Ivy, 5:09.61, Lakewood
Triple jump: 3. Stephanie Bess, 37-9.75, Arvada West
Long jump: 3. Talia Marquez, 17-9.5, Arvada West
Pole vault: 3. Lauren Brunsdale, 11-8, Lakewood; 5. Lauren Santi, 11-02, Lakewood; 7. McKenzie Patarino, 10-8., Lakewood
4A boy’s finishers:
100-meter dash: 7. Jesus Castaneda, 10.99, Alameda
Triple jump: 2. Peter Greco, 46-4.5, Wheat Ridge
Discus: 2. Stephen Sowal, 151-8, Arvada
4A girls’ finishers:
200-meter dash: 5. Payton Miller, 25.09, Golden
400-meter dash: 3. Payton Miller, 54.95, Golden
Triple jump: 9. Courtney Smith, 34-07.75) D’Evelyn
