With its injured star Sommers as the anchor, Cherokee Trail’s victory in that relay sealed an improbable comeback on Saturday for the Cougars’ third straight title. With that, CT became just the second Class 5A boys program to three-peat, matching Smoky Hill’s feat from 2003-05.

It was only fitting that Sommers, one of the most accomplished sprinters in state history, cemented the Cougars’ gritty effort. The Penn State commit battled a right hamstring injury all season, which kept him from qualifying for state to defend his titles in the 100 and 200 meters. But Sommers gutted out a win in the 400 meters, his third time winning that race, before polishing off CT’s crown.

“I would’ve felt a lot more pressure if we came in on paper as the favorites, but we weren’t,” 22nd-year Cherokee Trail coach Chris Faust said. “Our kids just performed. This year is easily the most gratifying (of the three-peat). Every kid stepped up today, even as we were getting pushed by Eaglecrest, a phenomenal track program.

“We had Peyton get hurt, other kids get banged up. These kids changed my (pressurized outlook) from the start of the season, because their enthusiasm with each other is infectious. We are the most obnoxious team in the state when it comes to meeting their teammates at the finish line when they win.”

Cherokee Trail’s three-peat dreams looked bleak entering Saturday, as the Cougars sat in third place behind No. 1 Mountain Vista and No. 2 Eaglecrest. While breaking down the meet over dinner on Friday, Faust estimated that if all of Saturday’s events went according to seed, Eaglecrest would win by four points and CT would finish in a tie with runner-up Mountain Vista.

But Cherokee Trail overperformed on the pivotal final day, winning the title with 72.5 points as Eaglecrest came in second with 65 and Mountain Vista faded to third with 60.

After the Cougars’ Taylor Waters won the pole vault with a Colorado 2025 top mark of 16 feet, 9 inches, and his fellow senior teammate Sawyer Carr tied for sixth to nab 3.5 more points, Cherokee Trail needed to finish no worse than sixth in the 1,600-meter relay to capture the title. The combination of Nick Hoffsetz, Nurudeen Diallo, Dylan Smith and Sommers cruised to a win in the event, with their mark of 3:17.26 the best in Colorado this season.

The moment Sommers crossed the finish line is one he’ll remember forever, especially amid the injury adversity he encountered this season. Sommers ran on Saturday with a brace wrapped over his hamstring. He came into the year dreaming of state records in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races and finished feeling like all the roadblocks to individual success were worth it with how the Cougars finished as a team.

“I’ve been embracing the tough, the hurt and the pain of this season, and making the best out of it,” Sommers said. “When I crossed that line to get us the three-peat, I wouldn’t trade that moment with my teammates for the world.”

In addition to Carr’s performance in the pole vault that got the Cougars unexpected points, CT also found scoring in other areas of the meet that the seed times and marks couldn’t predict.

Sophomore Christian Mbamarah got seventh in the 100 despite not being seeded to make the finals. Freshman Joshua Strewart was fifth in the 110 hurdles. Hoffsetz picked up a point in the 200 despite not being seeded to make the finals. Junior Dylan Smith was a surprising seventh in the 400. Junior Prince David Ajibade, seeded 12th in the high jump, placed fourth.

“I just knew I had to contribute, and that was the same mindset all of our (non-event winners) had today,” Carr said. “I was feeling the pressure. I was hyperventilating. Last year, I didn’t clear a single height. I had similar feelings of anxiety coming into this meet, but I was able to lock in and clear some heights to get us key points.”

Add all those contributions up, and the Cougars were able to fend off Centennial League rival Eaglecrest, even though “every time we were hoping (the Raptors) would slip up just a little bit, they didn’t,” Faust said.

“In the state of Colorado, the best track and field is in our little corner of Aurora, within the best track and field league in the state,” Faust asserted.

Perhaps Faust reverting back to his old superstitions helped, too.

On Saturday, he went back to the same outfit he’s worn at every meet for the last two championship seasons — a gray CT jacket with a black CT cross country shirt underneath, along with black sweats — after previously abandoning the get-up down the stretch. And he went back to his ritualistic state meet breakfast on Saturday, too, by eating the Split Decision at IHOP.

Now, there’s the matter of the tattoo. Faust has gotten ink to symbolize each of the Cougars’ titles, which is now five on the boys side and two on the girls. To immortalize the 2024 championship, he got a portrait of the character Clay Davis from the show “The Wire” on the side of his right leg. For the ’23 title, it was the Flying Dutchman from “Spongebob Squarepants” on his left calf.

For his Cougars’ latest feat, he’s already brainstorming an homage to a song by the punk rock band The Transplants called “Tall Cans in the Air.”

“I’m kind of thinking three tall boys — could be PBR, could be Bud Light, whatever — and ’23, ’24 and ’25 on those cans,” Faust said.

In the 5A girls race, Fossil Ridge ran away with its first crown following what Faust deemed “an unbelievable performance for three straight days.”

The SaberCats, runners-up last year to Rock Canyon by a mere 8.5 points, posted 97 points this week to best runner-up Cherry Creek (71.5 points) as well as Eaglecrest (68) and Mountain Vista (65).

Fossil Ridge didn’t win an event until the 400-meter relay on Saturday, but racked up high podium finishes across the board to pull away on Friday and then cement the championship on Saturday. Even junior Addyson Smith getting upset in the 100- and 200-meter races, taking second in both, couldn’t stop the SaberCats.

Senior Mia Williams was third in the 800; senior Tatum Berg was fourth in the 1600, and Williams was sixth; Berg was second in the 3200; sophomore Maggie Hoyer was second in the high jump and sixth in the long jump; senior Addison Hayes was sixth in the triple jump; and Fossil Ridge place second in the 800 relay and 1,600 relay.

“During warm-ups (for the 400-meter relay), I was really anxious and worried that the individual outcomes that I had so far today were going to come into this race,” Smith said. “But the moment my teammates got me the baton, I knew it was over.

“And to win the team title, it’s been our whole goal since the beginning and really since the end of last season, and it’s something we’ve consistently talked about. We achieved it with a well-rounded team performance.”

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Deep breaths. One. Two. A warrior mindset, he calls it. The message to himself is simple and lighthearted because anything truly serious could induce panic.

Yeah, your throat’s closing. It doesn’t matter.

On Saturday, he burned to a Class 2A state meet-record time of 4 minutes, 17:84 seconds, in the boys 1,600 meters, with only a slight hint of the burning throat that had thrown askew a promising career in distance running. Bronchitis tanked any chance the senior had at cross country state championships in the fall. The winter was worse. His throat would constrict, his workouts a haze of exhaustion. Kiesewetter started taking asthma medication that didn’t work.

Flummoxed, he saw an Instagram post from fellow standout Colorado distance runner Benjamin Anderson, describing an unusual breathing condition that had hit him the same. With little other option, Kiesewetter sent a message — a “shot in the dark,” he called it — to Anderson, a senior at Mountain Vista.

“It means a lot to me that someone was like, ‘Hey, I saw you struggle through this, you got through it, how could you help me?’ And it was an honor to help him,” Anderson reflected.

They call it EILO. Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction, for long. Vocal cord dysfunction, for simple. It’s somewhat newly defined in the medical community, hence Kiesewetter’s confusion. It’s also fairly common: The National Library of Medicine pinpointed its prevalence between 5% and 10% of adolescents and young adults. Anderson referred Kiesewetter to several doctors — the same ones he was referred to by a coach who once noticed him laboring during a workout and remarked, “Dude, you can’t breathe.”

The physical rehab for EILO, as both Kiesewetter and Anderson experienced: Sticking a camera attached to a cable up the nose and down the back of the throat, monitoring vocal cords, and physically retraining breathing.

Awful, Kiesewetter put it. Still nowhere near the most difficult aspect of this strange journey.

This was completely unpredictable, Anderson advised Kiesewetter. Completely uncontrollable. The more you focused on it, the more stress it induced and the worse it got. Anderson, who finished third in the 5A 1600 Saturday, meditates every night to quell his fear. Kiesewetter does his meditations, of sorts, before races.

He didn’t fully get over that mental hump, Kiesewetter said, until a month ago. Still, he entered Saturday as the top-seeded runner in the 2A 1,600 field.

He heard footsteps fade behind him down the stretch, and adrenaline took over, no thoughts of his windpipe clouding a record performance.

“Just thug it out, man,” Kiesewetter smiled.

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In the moments to come, he would bend over on the turf at JeffCo Stadium and upchuck the contents of his breakfast, as the pain finally cut through firing synapses. But at the finish line, there was no collapse of exhaustion. No hand-wave of victory, either. Just a prevailing thought.

Where are they at?

And as Jackson turned, two fellow deep-blue Resurrection Christian tees crossed the plane in Friday’s 3A boys 800-meter dash. Teammate Trevor Lim in third. And Jackson’s brother Lincoln, a freshman, a step ahead in second place.

The Fagerlins slapped and clutched hands with beaming smiles. Just a pair of brothers back again in their backyard in Fort Collins. Rubber under their feet, instead of grass.

“I had chills for, like, five minutes,” Jackson Fagerlin said. “Because getting to see that, like, we’ve worked so hard for that.”

A Resurrection Christian track family legacy sat high above, watching from the stands. Richard and Christy Fagerlin attended their first track meet 13 years ago, when eldest son Christian was in middle school. They had no idea this, unfortunately, was an all-day event. They got an idea soon enough. And Richard turned to his wife that day and told her, simply, that they were not going to be track parents.

“Here we are years later,” Richard said Saturday, “and it’s our favorite place.”

They could practically own a row of metal bleachers at Jeffco Stadium at this point. They’ve come out for meets for a decade straight. First came Christian, a distance runner at Resurrection Christian and then Grand Canyon. Then came Preston, a distance runner at, well, Resurrection Christian and then Grand Canyon. Then came Jackson, who’s blown his older brothers’ times in Class 3A out of the water — and most everyone else’s, too, leaving his Colorado legacy with a 1-minute, 54.59-second mark and a second straight state title in the 800 meters Friday afternoon.

And there’s one more Fagerlin, in freshman Lincoln, who’d been nipping at Jackson’s heels all the way through Friday.

“The medals all go in a box at some point in your life,” Richard said Saturday, choking up, emotion brimming in eyes shielded by sunglasses.

“But, ah, those moments,” he continued, of his sons finishing one-two. “Because that’s what you want as a parent. That’s the kind of victory they’re looking for.”

They grew up on an isolated stretch of acreage in Fort Collins. No neighbors, really. No kids running around the streets. Just a massive backyard, and endless games of 2-on-2 football. The Fagerlins became each other’s most bitter rivals and best friends. And across Jackson’s senior season and Lincoln’s freshman year at Resurrection Christian, they’ve swapped race intel in mornings — preparing for the field, preparing for each other.

“He knows as a runner, like, what he’s capable of doing,” Lincoln said when asked to describe Jackson. “And he makes it happen, no matter where he’s in, whatever position he’s in.

“He’s a gutsy runner, in the best way possible,” Jackson said when asked to describe Lincoln. “Like, he’s not afraid to get out and take it.”

At a conference championship meet earlier this spring, Jackson had a horrible migraine, Resurrection Christian coach Mark Roggy remembered. He ran the 800 meters but couldn’t make it up for the 1600 relay.

Young Lincoln is a “monster competitor,” Roggy said. But he skipped out of the 1600, too.

“I think mostly because of Jackson,” Roggy said. “He was trying to take care of his brother.”

Mother Christy didn’t quite recall that, or shrugged it off. What she did remember, however, was Jackson coming to her on that same day after the 800 meters, completely fried. He’d felt Lincoln on his hip, closer than ever, down the stretch. And he’d mustered every ounce of strength left to chuck himself across the line, all to beat his brother.

“He was like, ‘Heck no,'” Christy recalled.

Competition and love brought them to this weekend, where they blazed through the 800-meter and turned their sights to Saturday’s 1600 meters. Lincoln fell into the middle of the swarm before turning on the jets in the final 400, pulling in at third. Jackson led the pack by about 30 meters after the first lap, never relinquishing his lead and finishing with a time of 4:26:43 to take the state title.

And as he turned down for the final stretch of his high school career, he gazed up at swelling stands, with his long-confirmed track parents and brothers in tow.

“It’s indescribable,” Jackson said Saturday. “Like, I looked up to my older brothers so much. They’re the whole reason I’m in this sport.

“And, for them to be here supporting me and my younger brother, who looks up to me, like, that’s a total full-circle moment.”

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Welling, a sophomore from Heritage, won both the Class 5A 100- and 200-meter dashes Saturday in the CHSAA state track and field championships at Jeffco Stadium.

She held off Fossil Ridge junior Addyson Smith in a photo finish in the 100. Welling’s time, 11.75 seconds, was a new personal best and the fastest time in the state this season. Valor Christian junior Ellie Londo, who won this race a year ago, finished behind the lead duo but was disqualified.

“I honestly didn’t know who won. It was so close,” Welling said. “I wasn’t sure if I leaned enough, or if she leaned more, or what was going on. Looking up and seeing my name, it felt pretty good. I love racing here.”

Welling caught the running bug before the start of her freshman year. But she was DQ’d last year because of a false start.

The incredible finish to her sophomore season continued in the 200, when she again held off Smith with a personal best time of 23.96 seconds.

“I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet,” Welling said. “This is everything I wanted and more this year. I’m just feeling great right now.”

The girls hurdles crème de la crème. A year after the graduation of Grandview elite hurdler Gabriella Cunningham left a void in the event, Ponderosa senior Payton Becker and Fountain-Fort Carson junior Alexa Queen left no doubt about who the top girls hurdlers in Class 5A are.

Becker, a Wyoming commit, won the 5A 100-meter hurdles in 13.79 seconds, edging Queen, who came in at a personal record 13.99. Then Queen, who remains uncommitted but has the talent to run in college, got Becker back in the 300. Queen ran 41.66 and Becker ran 41.73, both of those marks being PRs. Queen took an early lead in the 300, and Becker closed the gap at the end but couldn’t catch up.

The two hurdlers hugged in a moment of mutual respect following the 300 hurdles.

“I messed up the first half of the (300) race, because I psyched myself out on the first couple hurdles, stuttered and lost a lot of momentum,” Becker said. “The back part of the race, I was playing catch up, but I’m proud of myself for how hard I fought.”

Queen said, “not winning in the 100 hurdles motivated me to come back and get (the 300).”

“This is my last race today, and I was going to empty the tank,” Queen said. “I knew it was going to hurt no matter what when I finished, so I might as well be proud of myself afterwards.”

In the Class 4A 300-meter race, Niwot senior Reese Casper set the standard for Colorado this year with a 41.35 to win the title by over a second over runner-up Reagan Falletta of Pueblo East. The Kansas State commit also won the 4A 100-meter hurdles in 14.22.

Another triple sweep for 1A star: Even when she can’t stop winning, Roxy Unruh finds some nits to pick.

Unruh, a junior from Cheyenne Wells, romped through the girls Class 1A 100, 200 and 400 meters finals Saturday. She set a new 1A meet record in the 200 and 400, breaking … her marks from last year.

But there was that pesky 100.

“There’s always something you can always improve on, right?” Unruh said. “I was really proud of my start. It was beautiful, honestly. But I was so happy with my start, I forgot my second zone of acceleration.”

Still, Unruh is now a three-time state champion in the 100 and 400, with two more individual titles in the 200. And she’s got another year to continue collecting medals and continue to improve her record-setting times.

“This year, I got a lot better mentally, not even the conditioning,” Unruh said. “Once you learn how to run the races the right way, it is life-changing.”

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Oh, and don’t forget about the Patrick Star socks from Spongebob, either, as Ward won the title by nearly 20 feet with a throw of 182 feet and a half-inch.

“I was going to wear a regular onesie, but that was just too plain,” Ward said. “I got Stitch just for this meet. Stitch is a good person who comes from a different planet. He’s like me. Track isn’t really my main sport, football is, so I came in and started to do something new that I love. It’s about loving something that’s new, and being really good at it.”

Ward is headed to be a two-sport athlete at CSU Pueblo, where he will play running back in addition to throwing the discus and the hammer. He only started throwing as a freshman in high school. Ward’s personal record in discus is 203 feet and four inches, and he also holds the state’s top mark in a meet this year with a throw of 191 feet.

So he was critical of himself Saturday, despite winning another title that came off his first throw of the afternoon. On one of his three fouls, Ward nearly heaved the discus into the Jeffco Stadium parking lot, but it hit a tree and saved the cars in its path.

“Other people might give me a B or B+, but I know I could’ve definitely done better,” Ward said. “In practices, I’ve been throwing well over 200 feet. I’m sad I couldn’t perform the way I know I’m capable of, so I’d give myself a D-. But I’m glad I didn’t foul out like a lot of guys did.”

Future CSU Ram burns for 5A sprints double. Wilkins Persichina’s dream of playing Division I football ended quickly and unceremoniously with a broken ankle during an intrasquad scrimmage a week before last season began.

He needed surgery. And he carried just one lower-level offer in football. So he scrapped that plan and tossed his eggs into one mighty spring basket, after just completing his first track-and-field season as a junior. And Persichina’s spent his senior year trying to prove himself worthy of a Thanksgiving call from CSU, which offered him a track scholarship despite limited reps.

The pivot paid off, as Persichina blazed to win the 5A boys 100 meter dash in 10.53 seconds Saturday and followed it up with a state-leading time of 21.02 to take the 200 meters a couple of hours later.

Asked what he was looking to prove, Persichina said, “That I’m the fastest kid out here. Fastest kid in Colorado.”

Round three for ‘The Bens’ has surprising winner. Ben Lee is the back-to-back state champ in the 5A boys 800, but the best 1,600 he’s ever run made him a two-time winner this weekend. The ThunderRidge junior stormed past Benjamin Anderson and Benjamin Adams of Mountain Vista on the final lap.

“I didn’t know I had that in me,” Lee said of his closing kick.

Anderson, a senior headed to Notre Dame next year, led for most of the race. Adams, the favorite in the 1,600 coming in, got stuck in traffic at one point but closed strong to place second. This is the final race for the trio of elite distance runners. Anderson also set a personal best, but still placed third.

“It feels really good,” Lee said of winning the final showdown, at least at the high school level. “It’s a fun group of guys to race against. Every time we race, I love it.”

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Saturday headlines

• Cherokee Trail boys track rallies for improbable Class 5A championship three-peat on final day at Jeffco Stadium
• Niwot girls storm to sixth straight 4A state track title: “Our heavy hitters really hit hard”
• Keeler: Meet Colorado state track champion who refused championship medal
• Resurrection Christian’s Jackson Fagerlin, brother Lincoln continue family legacy at Colorado state track finals
• Golden View Classical’s Bobby Kiesewetter overcomes breathing disorder to set state meet record
• Colorado state track notes: Overland’s Jarrius Ward dons ‘Lilo & Stitch’ onesie, dominates 5A discus
• Colorado state track notes: Heritage’s Zona Welling lays claim to title ‘fastest girl in Colorado’
• PHOTOS: 2025 Colorado state track and field championships

Day 1 & Day 2 headlines

• Cherokee Trail triple jumper Kaeli Powe carries on legacy started by record-setting mom
• Colorado state track notebook: Utah football commit Soren Shinofield cruises to shot put title and more highlights
• Colorado state track meet, Day 1: Results from Jeffco Stadium
• Colorado state track meet primer: Storylines, returning champions and what to know ahead of this weekend
• Big day for ‘The Bens’: Mountain Vista duo goes 1-2 in 3,200, while ThunderRidge star goes back-to-back in 800
• Platte Valley’s Leeandra Natotschi — life forever changed by sledding crash — displays resilience at CHSAA state track meet
• Colorado state track notebook: Class 3A girls 3,200 final racked with disqualifications, but sportsmanship prevails

Updates

All wrapped up (6:03 p.m.): With rain falling down on the Jeffco Stadium track, our time has come to an end. Here’s a look at the final team standings:

Class 5A boys: 1. Cherokee Trail 72.5, 2. Eaglecrest 65, 3. Mountain Vista 60, 4. Northfield 44, 5. Fort Collins 42.

Class 5A girls: 1. Fossil Ridge 97, 2. Cherry Creek 71.5, 3. Eaglecrest 68, 4. Mountain Vista 65, 5. Cherokee Trail 46.

Class 4A boys: 1. Niwot 98, 2. Roosevelt 56, T3. Cheyenne Mountain 51, T3. Thompson Valley 51, 5.
Mullen 48.

Class 4A girls: 1. Niwot 148, 2. Windsor 79.5, 3. Air Academy 79, 4. Timnath 49, 5. Summit 43.5.

Class 3A boys: 1. Classical Academy 118, 2. Resurrection Christian 79, 3. Berthoud 67, 4. Harrison 57, 5. University 48.

Class 3A girls: 1. Classical Academy 103.5, 2. Coal Ridge 93, 3. Berthoud 69, 4. University 56, 5. Resurrection Christian 55.

Class 2A boys: 1. Sedgwick County 57.5, 2. Peyton 57, 3. Holyoke 51, 4. Byers 44, 5. Cedaredge 39.5.

Class 2A girls: 1. Wiggins 69, 2. Heritage Christian 68.5, T3. Buena Vista 52, T3. Cedaredge 52, 5. Rangely 49.

Class 1A boys: 1. Haxtun 77.5, 2. Kim/Branson 68.5, 3. Plateau Valley 58, 4. Springfield 54, 5. Idalia 53.

Class 1A girls: T1. Idalia 70, T1. McClave 70, 3. Merino 65, 4. Cheyenne Wells 62, T5. Haxtun 41, T5. Cheraw 41.

The Cats meow (4:54 p.m.): The Fossil Ridge girls are champions for the first time in Class 5A. The SaberCats’ depth won the day, as their 1600 relay team finished second behind Mountain Vista to wrap up their team title performance. Fossil Ridge was well ahead of Cherry Creek (71.5) in second place and Eaglecrest (68) in third. — Matt Schubert

Cherokee Trail completes the comeback (4:46 p.m.): The Cougar boys are three-peat champions. The 1600-meter relay team put the finishing touches on the program’s third straight Class 5A title with a command performance. Fittingly, senior Peyton Sommers was the one who crossed the finish line in 3:17.26, the fastest time in Colorado this year. Sommers won his sixth individual state title earlier in the day and gets to finish on top once more in what had been a frustrating season marred by injury. C.T. finished with 72.5 points with the victory, ahead of Eaglecrest (65) and Mountain Vista (60). — Matt Schubert

Another Niwot double (4:20 p.m.): Addison Ritzenhein became the third Niwot girl, and fourth Niwot athlete overall, to win a second state title Saturday after winning the Class 4A girls 1,600 going away. The soon-to-be Division I commit cruised to victory in 4:47.05 two days after winning the 3200 in dominating fashion. Rocco Culpepper clinched his second state title double in the 800 and 1,600 one race before Ritzenhein with a winning time of 4:12.23 in the 4A boys 1,600. — Matt Schubert

Harrison does it again (3:49 p.m.): For the third time in three days, the Harrison boys relay has broken a Class 3A meet record. This time, it’s in the 400 relay final, where the Panthers won the title in 41.95 seconds. That broke the record the Panthers set two days earlier by a quarter of a second. — Matt Schubert

Oh by the way … (3:11 p.m.): The Niwot girls have already clinched their sixth consecutive Class 4A team championship. Jade West completed her sweep in the 4A girls throws and Reese Kasper did the same in the hurdles. All that’s left is to keep adding to their sizable point total. — Matt Schubert

A state champion … officially (3:04 p.m.): A day after being disqualified in the Class 3A girls 3,200, a race she thought she had won going away, Eaton’s Delaney Reuter will stand at the top of the podium. The sophomore raced out to the front in the 1,600 and held off a challenge from The Classical Academy’s Vivian Jack and Coal Ridge’s Effie Fletcher on the final lap to win in 4:59.18. It’s the second state crown of Reuter’s sophomore year after she won a cross country title in the fall. Elizabeth McQuitty, the Alamosa senior who attempted to give her winning medal to Reuter after Friday’s 3,200, finished sixth. — Matt Schubert

Down to the wire (2:26 p.m.): Ponderosa senior Payton Becker’s quest to sweep the hurdles in the Class 5A girls meet came up just short, as Fountain-Fort Carson’s Alexa Queen held on down the stretch to win the 300 hurdles an instant classic. Just how good was the race? Queen’s winning time of 41.66 seconds is the 14th best in the country this year, and Becker’s is the 16th best. — Matt Schubert

Black holds on (2:21 p.m.): Cedaredge senior Jessica Black, the leading goal-scorer for the Delta girls soccer team, won her second state title of the day with a dominating run in the Class 2A girls 300-meter hurdles. Black raced out to a large lead, then held on down the stretch the claim the title in 44.12 seconds. Black won the 1600 earlier in the day. — Matt Schubert

Unruh completes sweep … again (1:37 p.m.): Roxy Unruh is the unquestioned queen of the Class 1A girls sprints for the second year in a row. And she did it in record-breaking fashion for the second year in a row. The Cheyenne Wells junior broke her own 1A girls meet record in the 200 with a first-place time of 25.58 seconds. It was the second time she broke a meet record on Saturday, with her 400 mark also topping last year’s 1A meet record. Sadly, she merely won the 100 in the morning. So, something for the eight-time state champion to work on next spring. — Matt Schubert

Sprint double (1:30 p.m.): There will be no sprint sweep this year in Class 5A, but Chaparral’s Wilkins Persichina did score a sprint double after holding off the field to win the 200-meter dash in 21.02 seconds. Persichina claimed the 100 crown in the morning with a late burst. Heritage sophomore Zona Welling pulled off the same feat in the 5A girls meet, winning the second half of her sprint double in the 200 by edging out Fossil Ridge’s Addyson Smith for the second time today in 23.96 seconds. — Matt Schubert

Bruin double (1:13 p.m.): Cherry Creek junior Emily Cohen is a two-time champion after winning a loaded Class 5A girls 1,600 race in a time of 4:52.07. Cohen edged out Florida commit Keeghan Edwards of Mountain Vista in second place and Denver East and Notre Dame commit Rosie Mucharsky in third. Here’s guessing Cohen will be headed D-I in a couple of years, too. — Matt Schubert

Ben x 3 (12:55 p.m.): The Battle of the Bens has been must-see throughout the weekend, and the final edition of it didn’t disappoint either. ThunderRidge junior Ben Lee claimed his second state title of the weekend, breaking away from Mountain Vista’s Benjamin Adams and Benjamin Anderson to claim the Class 5A boys 1,600 in 4:09.44. Lee also won the 800 and will no doubt have schools calling for his services sometime soon. — Matt Schubert

Unruh unreal (12:25 p.m.): Cheyenne Wells junior Roxy Unruh broke her own record … again. This time it was in the Class 1A girls 400-meter dash, where Unruh claimed her second title of the day in a meet record time of 56.45. She won the 100 earlier and is a near lock to win the 200 later this afternoon. That will put her eight individual state titles with one year of prep track left. Not. Too. Shabby. — Matt Schubert

4A, no problem (12:20 p.m.): After pulling in second in the Class 3A girls 100-meter dash at JeffCo last year, Holy Family’s Claire Tannehill returned seeded a distant fourth after a program jump up to 4A. She knew competition was steeper. But she deserved, as she reflected, to be noticed. And she was impossible to ignore after blazing to a time of 11.75 seconds to win state, a new top time for 4A in Colorado in 2025.

“It was, ‘I want to show my teammates and my school that I was capable of it, personally,’” Tannehill said, “and that my school was capable of producing athletes that are capable of withstanding the pressures of moving (up).” — Luca Evans

Distance sweep (12:15 p.m.): If Parker Arbuthnot was running out gas after winning the first two distance races in the Class 1A boys meet, he sure didn’t show it coming down the stretch of the 1,600. The Springfield sophomore emptied the tank in a dead sprint to win the race going away with a time of 4:39.40, a full 11 seconds ahead of the next closest runner. Three medals in three days. What a weekend. And what a finish. — Matt Schubert

All-out (11:45 a.m.): A year ago, Peyton Sommers was the king of the sprints in Class 5A. After a rough spring pock-marked by injury, the Cherokee Trail sophomore only qualified for the 400-meter dash in this spring’s state meet. Well, he made the most of it Saturday, gutting out a gritty win in 47.09 seconds that saw him dive across the finish line just ahead of Valor Christian junior Ryan Fick. It was Sommers’ third straight state title in the event and sixth individual crown of a highly decorated career. — Matt Schubert

Record-breaker (11:15 a.m.): Golden View Classical’s Bobby Kiesewetter capped off an already incredible weekend the best way possible: with a state meet record. The senior distance runner, who already won titles in the Class 2A 800 and 3,200, put the finishing touches on his distance sweep with a 2A meet record time of 4 minutes, 17.84 seconds, in the 1,600. It was Kiesewetter’s second meet record of the meet after broke the old mark in the 3,200 earlier this week. — Matt Schubert

The “tomb raider”? (10:51 a.m.): The Harrison boys sprinters are making a mark this weekend at Jeffco Stadium. The Panthers broke meet records in the Class 3A 400- and 800-meter relays the first two days of competition, then junior Gulong Craft took the 3A 100 crown with a blazing fast time of 10.62 seconds on Saturday. The Jeffco announcer nicknamed him the “tomb raider” for … reasons? He’ll be in the mix for another title in the 200 and, of course, that 400 relay final. — Matt Schubert

Back at it (10:47 a.m.): Cheyenne Wells junior Roxy Unruh did what she always does this time of year: Dominate the Class 1A girls 100-meter dash. Unruh blazed past the field to win the event for the third year in a row in a time of 12.29 second — not better than last year’s meet record, but good enough to move her one win away from a career sweep. On the boys side, Haxtun’s Ryland Wolff set a 1A boys meet record in 11.04 seconds to claim what could be the first of three state titles on Saturday. — Matt Schubert

Down to the wire (10:41 a.m.): We might’ve just had us the race of the day in the Class 5A girls 100-meter dash. Top seed Addyson Smith of Fossil Ridge surged ahead of the pack by the 60-meter mark but couldn’t shake Heritage sophomore Zona Welling, who eventually edged past Smith to claim the title in a personal-best time of 11.75 seconds. Smith was just one hundredth of a second behind in 11.76. — Matt Schubert

Colorado’s fastest boy (10:36 a.m.): The fastest boy in the state hath been crowned. Chaparral’s Wilkins Persichina took the mantle with a strong close to the Class 5A 100-meter dash, surging past the field to win the race in 10.53 seconds. Vista Ridge’s Carson Tapia and Brighton’s Ryan Elsen tied for second in 10.58 seconds. Persichina will have a chance to add another title as the top seed in the 200. — Matt Schubert

Halfway there (9:59 a.m.): Ponderosa senior Payton Becker is eyeing a state title double in the Class 5A girls hurdles, and she knocked off the first one Saturday morning, winning the 100 hurdles in 13.79 seconds. She powered down the stretch to outlast Fountain-Fort Carson’s Alexa Queen by two tenths of a second. — Matt Schubert

Championship Saturday (8:30 a.m.): The third and final day of the 2025 CHSAA state track and field championships has arrived. What comes next will be a fast and furious ride to the finish line as 78 individuals, 20 relays and 10 teams are crowned state champions over the next 10 hours. There will be drama. There will be down-to-the-wire finishes. And there will probably be a few tears. No matter what, it should be fun. — Matt Schubert

Championship winners

Class 5A boys

100: Wilkins Persichina (Chaparral, sr.), 10.53. 200: Wilkins Persichina (Chaparral, sr.), 21.02. 400: Peyton Sommers (Cherokee Trail, sr.), 47.09. 800: Ben Lee (ThunderRidge, jr.), 1:51.42. 1600: Ben Lee (ThunderRidge, jr.), 4:09.44. 3200: Benjamin Adams (Mountain Vista, so.), 9:07.93. 110 hurdles: Jackson Conroy (Loveland, jr.), 14.10. 300 hurdles: Francis Ojowa (Prairie View, sr.), 37.04. 400 relay: Eaglecrest, 41.40. 800 relay: Cherry Creek, 1:25.57. 1600 relay: Cherokee Trail, 3:17.26. 3200 relay: Northfield, 7:51.26. High jump: Devin Shea (Legacy, sr.), 6-09. Long jump: Joseph Barlow (Fountain-Ft Carson, sr.), 22-11.50. Triple jump: Matthew Kwong (Northfield, sr.), 46-03.75. Discus: Jarrius Ward (Overland, sr.), 182-5. Shot put: Soren Shinofield (Cherry Creek, sr.), 56-3.50. Pole vault: Taylor Waters (Cherokee Trail, sr.), 16-9.

Class 5A girls

100: Zona Welling (Heritage, so.), 11.75. 200: Zona Welling (Heritage, so.), 23.96. 400: Annalina Torres (Legacy, sr.), 54.46. 800: Rosie Mucharsky (Denver East, sr.), 2:09.26. 1600: Emily Cohen (Cherry Creek, jr.), 4:52.07. 3200: Emily Cohen (Cherry Creek, jr.), 10:27.70. 100 hurdles: Payton Becker (Ponderosa, sr.), 13.79. 300 hurdles: Alexa Queen (Fountain-Fort Carson, jr.), 41.66. 400 relay: Fossil Ridge, 46.62. 800 relay: Eaglecrest, 1:39.88. 1600 relay: Mountain Vista, 3:50.88. 3200 relay: Cherry Creek, 9:10.27. High jump: Bradie Menegatti (Pueblo West, sr.), 5-6. Long jump: Zenobia Witt (Eaglecrest, so), 18-7.50. Triple jump: Kaeli Powe (Cherokee Trail, sr.), 41-4.50. Discus: Addison Bartlett (Riverdale Ridge, sr.), 140-5. Shot put: Natalie Fetters (Erie, jr.), 38-2.25. Pole vault: Sienna Boughen (Castle View, sr.), 12-1.

Class 4A boys

100: Gavin Reddick (Canon City, jr.), 10.66. 200: Jor-den Cunningham (Pueblo East, so.), 21.77. 400: Carter Sola (Lutheran, jr.), 48.12. 800: Rocco Culpepper (Niwot, jr.), 1:54.51. 1600: Rocco Culpepper (Niwot, jr.), 4:12.23. 3200: Ryder Keeton (Niwot, jr.), 9:02.44. 110 hurdles: Mason Znamenacek (Grand Junction, sr.), 13.93. 300 hurdles: Teagan Malcom (Longmont, sr.), 36.94. 400 relay: Mullen, 41.85. 800 relay: Mullen, 1:26.90. 1600 relay: Niwot, 3:21.70. 3200 relay: Niwot, 7:51.53. High jump: Preston Wysocki (Discovery Canyon, sr.), 6-5. Long jump: Jayden Nohr (Roosevelt, sr.), 23-2.50. Triple jump: Joseph Kitonsa (Lewis-Palmer, sr.), 48-0. Discus: Yadier Loya (Rifle, jr.), 160-7. Shot put: Owen Twesme (Palmer Ridge, jr.), 55-7.25. Pole vault: Cooper VanMaurer (Grand Junction Central, sr.), 16-4.75+.

Class 4A girls

100: Claire Tannehill (Holy Family, jr.), 11.75. 200: Kiana Cumings (Windsor, jr.), 23.96. 400: Kiana Cumings (Windsor, jr.), 54.92. 800: Sage Siegrist (Grand Junction Central, sr.), 2:11.96. 1,600: Addison Ritzenhein (Niwot, jr.), 4:47.05. 3200: Addison Ritzenhein (Niwot, jr.), 10:27.80. 100 hurdles: Reese Kasper (Niwot, sr.), 14.22. 300 hurdles: Reese Kasper (Niwot, sr.), 41.35. 400 relay: Mesa Ridge, 47.52. 800 relay: Niwot, 1:38.86+. 1600 relay: Windsor, 3:48.21+. 3200 relay: Niwot, 9:18.74. High jump: Braelyn Bailey (Roosevelt, jr.), 5-9+. Long jump: Eliana Henriques (Niwot, sr.), 18-3. Triple jump: Lily Nibert (Pueblo County, so.), 36-11.25. Discus: Jade West (Niwot, sr.), 133-07. Shot put: Jade West (Niwot, sr.), 42-7.75. Pole vault: Taegan Olson (Roosevelt, sr.), 13-1.5.

Class 3A boys

100: Gulong Craft (Harrison, jr.), 10.62. 200: Dylan Khailer (Kent Denver, jr.), 21.45. 400: Dylan Khailer (Kent Denver, jr.), 47.57+. 800: Jackson Fagerlin (Resurrection Christian, sr.), 1:54.59. 1600: Jackson Fagerlin (Resurrection Christian, sr.), 4:26.43. 3200: Ethan Merrick (Alamosa, fr.), 9:41.31. 110 hurdles: Solomon Morrell (Kent Denver, jr.), 14.75. 300 hurdles: Jayden Michaelis (Berthoud, sr.), 37.87. 400 relay: Harrison (41.95)+. 800 relay: Harrison, 1:27.90. 1600 relay: Salida, 3:21.13. 3200 relay: Resurrection Christian, 7:59.36. High jump: Troy Sowards (Centauri, sr.), 6-9. Long jump: Creede Dozier (Pagosa Springs, jr.), 21-6. Triple jump: Marcus Munoz (Coal Ridge, so.), 44-2. Discus: Samuel Whitaker (Berthoud, so.), 154-0. Shot put: Cole Hoffman (Classical Academy, sr.), 53-11.75. Pole vault: Nicholas Rothe (University, sr.), 16-0+.

Class 3A girls

100: Tatum VanPelt (Resurrection Christian, so.), 12.28. 200: Heidi Nielsen (Classical Academy, sr.), 25.24. 400: Peighton Marrero (Strasburg, sr.), 56.65. 800: Effie Fletcher (Coal Ridge, so.), 2:16.73. 1600: Delaney Reuter (Eaton, so.), 4:59.18. 3200: Elizabeth McQuitty (Alamosa, sr.), 11:17.35. 100 hurdles: Alex Horton (Kent Denver, jr.), 14.85. 300 hurdles: Alex Horton (Kent Denver, jr.), 44.42. 400 relay: Classical Academy, 48.86. 800 relay: Classical Academy, 1:42.43. 1600 relay: Berthoud, 4:02.22. 3200 relay: Classical Academy, 9:33.87. High jump: Kyla Wolitzky (Elizabeth, sr.), 5-4. Long jump: Jordan Halley (University, jr.), 18-3.50. Triple jump: Ruby Naber (University, so.), 38-4. Discus: Abigail Nehring (Pagosa Springs, sr.), 141-3. Shot put: Brilee Jensen (Coal Ridge, sr.), 40-3.25. Pole vault: Addison Barker (Resurrection Christian, sr.), 11-8.

Class 2A boys

100: Eli Schuknecht (Buena Vista, jr.), 11.08. 200: Trey Oakley (Holyoke, sr.), 22.08. 400: Caleb Kearse (Peyton, jr.), 48.76+. 800: Bobby Kiesewetter (Golden View Classical, sr.), 1:54.84. 1600: Bobby Kiesewetter (Golden View Classical, sr.), 4:17.84+. 3200: Bobby Kiesewetter (Golden View Classical, sr.), 9:25.63+. 110 hurdles: Joe Probst (West Grand, sr.), 14.77. 300 hurdles: Connor Halde (Burlington, sr.), 38.85. 400 relay: Holyoke, 43.61. 800 relay: Holyoke, 1:30.40. 1600 relay: Byers, 3:23.97. 3200 relay: North Fork, 8:15.54. High jump: Jaxon Wood (Lake County, sr.), 6-2. Long jump: Brady Mollendor (Sedgwick County, jr.), 21-10. Triple jump: Isaiah Guzman (Rye, sr.), 45-2.50. Discus: Jacob Bowler (Cedaredge, sr.), 162-7. Shot put: Kolter Mann (Cedaredge, jr.), 49-2. Pole vault: Reegan Shay (Wray, sr.), 14-0.

Class 2A girls

100: Mehlea Ritschard (Golden View Classical, so.), 12.48. 200: Nahia Kelley (Wiggins, sr.), 25.56. 400: Nahia Kelley (Wiggins, sr.), 57.92. 800: Austin Cook (Telluride, jr.), 2:19.39. 1600: Jessica Black (Cedaredge, sr.), 5:14.49. 3200: Taya Wren (Rangely, so.), 11:21.43. 100 hurdles: Sara Christensen (Thomas MacLaren, jr.), 15.12. 300 hurdles: Jessica Black (Cedaredge, sr.), 44.12. 400 relay: Limon, 50.13. 800 relay: Limon, 1:45.89. 1600 relay: Limon, 4:03.99. 3200 relay: Ridgway, 10:03.34. High jump: Braylee Foster (Hoehne, so.), 5-3. Long jump: Kailey Pearson (Swallows Charter Academy, jr.), 17-4.50. Triple jump: Lainee Nein (Sedgwick County, jr.), 36-9.50. Discus: Brooke Schimdt (Wiggins, jr.), 146-10+. Shot put: Brooke Schimdt (Wiggins, jr.), 36-11.75. Pole vault: Taiya Carl (Buena Vista, sr.), 11-1.

Class 1A boys

100: Ryland Wolff (Haxtun, sr.), 11.04+. 200: Ryland Wolff (Haxtun, sr.), 22.78. 400: Mikel Bennett (Genoa-Hugo/Karval, sr.), 50.44. 800: Parker Arbuthnot (Springfield, so.), 2:01.81. 1600: Parker Arbuthnot (Springfield, so.), 4:39.40. 3200: Parker Arbuthnot (Springfield, so.), 10:19.62. 110 hurdles: Tuff Kelly (McClave, so.), 15.40. 300 hurdles: Anderson Weathers (Lone Star, jr.), 41.90. 400 relay: Haxtun, 43.37+. 800 relay: Haxtun, 1:33.71. 1600 relay: Kim/Branson, 3:34.25. 3200 relay: Merino, 8:38.77. High jump: Ethan Tesman (Elbert, jr.), 6-3. Long jump: Javin Summers (Swink, so.), 21-0.25. Triple jump: Javin Summers (Swink, so.), 45-0. Discus: Jackson Bevan (Plateau Valley, sr.), 158-7. Shot put: Jett Konkel (Springfield, jr.), 48-7.5. Pole vault: Anderson Weathers (Lone Star, jr.), 13-11.

Class 1A girls

100: Roxy Unruh (Cheyenne Wells, jr.), 12.29. 200: Roxy Unruh (Cheyenne Wells, jr.), 25.58+. 400: Roxy Unruh (Cheyenne Wells, jr.), 56.45+. 800: Delaney Bond (Cheraw, sr.), 2:18.17. 1600: Delaney Bond (Cheraw, sr.), 5:35.71. 3200: Brooklyn Sutter (Merino, sr.), 12:30.87. 100 hurdles: Brody Rosengrants (Springfield, sr.), 16.44. 300 hurdles: Delaney Bond (Cheraw, sr.), 46.41. 400 relay: McClave, 51.84. 800 relay: McClave, 1:48.74. 1600 relay: Merino, 4:15.32. 3200 relay: Idalia, 10:38.35. High jump: Liz Arrington (Evangel Christian, so.), 5-4. Long jump: Krista Wieser (Idalia, sr.), 16-11. Triple jump: Savaun Cook (Peetz, so.), 33-10.25. Discus: Jaylyn Kechter (Idalia, sr.), 138-02+. Shot put: Ryan Svoboda (Caliche, jr.), 40-1.75. Pole vault: Grace D’esposito (La Veta, sr.), 9-9.

* Colorado prep record | + CHSAA state meet record

Saturday’s schedule

Track

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Field

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It wasn’t an outlook that came immediately to Natotschi, a junior at Platte Valley in Kersey, when she was paralyzed from the mid-chest down in January 2024. But by the time her three-month hospital stint ended, she made a decision: She was going to live her new life in a wheelchair to the fullest.

This school year, she became the manager for Broncos’ softball and basketball teams, sports she played before her spinal cord injury. Then came a leap of faith this spring, when she started throwing shot put and discus for the Broncos’ track team — a new endeavor that culminated at the CHSAA state track and field meet at Jeffco Stadium on Friday.

“The thing that sticks out to me is her resilience,” Platte Valley athletic director Travis Stinar said. “She could’ve just folded, and decided that she didn’t want to be involved in anything. She could’ve pulled back, pulled away from things she loves and the community.

“But she’s taken everything in stride. For a young woman to be able to have the perspective that she has, and to be dealt that challenge, she hasn’t let that define her. She’s defined herself, and she’s become a role model for everybody in our school.”

Natotschi, 16, threw 11 feet, 5 inches in the mixed Special Olympic/Paralympic shot put around midday on Friday, then threw 21 feet, 2 inches in the late afternoon in the mixed Special Olympic/Paralympic discus. Those marks placed her second among female athletes in the shot put and first in the discus amid an overall state meet performance that underscored Natotschi’s refusal to dwell on the snow-day accident that changed her life.

Natotschi was riding an inner tube being towed by an off-road vehicle when she slammed into a wooden post that day. The crash split open her skull, leaving a scar that runs from her left eyebrow up to the back of her head after doctors used 26 staples to mend it back together. She also suffered four fractures in her spine, four fractured ribs and a broken nose.

With those injuries now healed, her focus on Friday was the equipment in her hand, and, as she emphasized, her family cheering her on.

“About the third month in the hospital, I started to be more positive about my situation, thinking that it could’ve been worse and there are people that have it worse than I do,” Natotschi said. “You always have to look for the positives in what you do have, rather than what you don’t have.

“As long as I still have my family in my corner, I have pretty much everything. And I’m still able to do things I love and appreciate, just now in a different way. And maybe, by showing people that I won’t let being in a wheelchair stop me, I’ll influence others who might be in a (similar) situation.”

Natotschi’s peers, coaches and teachers say she’s been doing just that since the day she returned to school last spring.

Her throwing teammate, senior Amalia Ikenouye, said Natotschi’s ever-increasing personal records throughout the season “made athletes around her more motivated to do better for themselves.” The Broncos’ track coach, Julie Thomas, pointed out how the junior “brings an element of optimism” to each practice and meet.

And Natotschi’s PE teacher Shelbi Wagner, who taught her in weight class both semesters this year, recalled the awe she struck into her classmates when she pumped out 111 consecutive push-ups and did multiple one-armed pull-ups at a time.

“I’ve watched her show other kids (those feats), and other kids then try to do what she can do,” Wagner said. “That’s been a really amazing thing, because I don’t know if she thought she could do that — inspire people like she has.”

But Natotschi didn’t achieve that status, or get to Jeffco Stadium, alone.

After her accident, the community of Kersey rallied around her, providing both emotional and financial support.

Platte Valley held a poker night and silent auction to help her family with medical bills. There were contests to raise cash at halftime of basketball games, and the school’s National Honor Society chapter held numerous fundraising events.

The WIN Foundation and the Moser Benefit also funded remodels of the house where she lives with her aunt and uncle. Between the two entities, the house had an elevator installed, an accessible bathroom created and ramp added to the front door, and the basement finished so Natotschi could have her own space.

With the community behind her, Natotschi left the fear of her new life behind.

“In a way, she has a whole different personality from before the accident, and it’s made her stronger,” explained her aunt Roberta Dill. “To see her smile, helps us as her family smile. There’s still days that it’s tough, because you’re thinking, ‘Why did this happen to her?’ But as long as she’s smiling, it gives us the strength to keep going and pushing her as well.”

As a senior next year, Natotschi plans on managing again for the softball and basketball teams and also returning to the track. Further down the road, she’s dreaming bigger, with the career goal of going into criminology or forensics, or possibly becoming a teacher.

Whatever road she takes, it’ll be one filled with determination.

“I’m going to continue to stay positive, keep moving forward and keep surrounding myself with a good support group,” Natotschi said. “I’ll keep looking for the best in things. And if there’s an obstacle, I’ll find another way around it.”

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McQuitty, a senior from Alamosa, was the official winner in the Class 3A girls 3,200-meter final Friday at Jeffco Stadium. She was in tears after the race because five girls were disqualified, including Eaton sophomore Delaney Reuter, who dominated the race and crossed the finish line nearly half a lap before McQuitty.

RELATED: Keeler: Meet Colorado state track champion who refused championship medal

“It doesn’t feel like a win,” McQuitty said. “I don’t think I’m deserving of it. Delaney ran that so amazingly, and she beat me by so much. That win was completely hers. I just feel like this medal and this title goes to her.”

The five girls, including Reuter, were DQ’d because they began on the outside of the track and cut in one lane too far before the point when everyone is allowed to move to the inside. They were allowed to cut into lane 5, but the quintet of runners ran in lane 4.

Reuter won the 3A girls cross country state title in November, and her seed time for this 3,200 meters for the CHSAA state track and field meet was nearly 49 seconds clear of the field. She went to the front of Friday’s race immediately and was in total control.

One meet official suggested there might have been confusion because this stadium has nine lanes, and some of the girls might be more accustomed to running on eight-lane tracks. Reuter said that wasn’t an issue for her.

“I didn’t even know. It was honestly my bad,” Reuter said. “We lined up, and he pointed and was like, ‘OK, you cut to there.’ In my head, I thought that was weird. I thought he pointed to lane 4.

“I just ran the whole race. I didn’t have any idea until after I took my spikes off and came over here. I’m a little shocked, disappointed. I’m frustrated with myself. I should know better.”

After the conclusion of the race, there were two group photos atop the podium. The first had McQuitty at the top, with the top nine official finishers.

The second, unofficial photo included 14 runners. All five girls who were DQ’d were on the crowded podium, with Reuter at the top holding McQuitty’s medal.

“Honestly, that was so amazing,” Reuter said. “It just shows how classy all the girls are in this division, in this race. It was so cool.”

McQuitty offered her medal to Reuter, but the latter declined to keep it. The Alamosa senior might feel like she didn’t deserve it, but she won plenty of hearts with how she handled the controversial finish.

“It was great to see the team camaraderie. We were all upset,” McQuitty said. “We all offered those girls the podium. It was very nice. Even though I don’t know these girls, I feel like they’re part of my team and my family.”

Football talent on the track. Cherry Creek’s 800-meter relay team won the Class 5A boys title with a time of 1 minute, 25.57 seconds. Two of the Bruins’ football stars, running back Jayden Fox and wideout Maxwell Lovett, ran the first two legs in the victory. Non-footballers Michael Cai and Wachemo Mindlin-Leitner brought the title home over the final two legs. The Bruins beat Fountain-Fort Carson (1:26.09), which was the top seed coming into the final.

The Bruins also have the top-ranked 400 relay team (41.31) heading into Saturday’s finals, where they hope to add another title. That relay is all football players in cornerback Jayden Spencer, wideout Jeremiah Hoffman, Lovett and Fox as the anchor.

“You’ve seen Fox’s speed on the football field, where he sees that hole, he hits it and he’s gone,” Lovett said. “And then me at receiver, catching the ball, I’m dangerous in open space as well. And it’s a lot heavier in pads, so the speed on the field correlates well to the track.”

Fox, who is seeded fourth entering Saturday’s 100-meter finals with a time of 10.74, said the Bruins went into Friday’s relay with something to prove.

“We had a lot of emotions coming in, but we kept those in check and came out, stayed calm, and we saw what happened,” he said.

Beast Mode, one final time: The afternoon Lakewood breeze whipped around Rosie Mucharsky’s frame as she churned around one final bend Friday, willing her arms to slash through a tunnel of wind and toward a goal she’d stamped for a year.

Nobody’s going to beat you the last 150 meters, the Denver East senior assured herself, as Lakewood’s Eliana Angelino rode her tail.

Mucharsky downshifted one final time, enough of a cushion to separate her from Angelino. She crossed the finish line and collapsed onto nearby grass. Exhausted. Jubilant. Officially a three-peat state champion in the 5A girls 800, a mark that’ll long be imprinted on Jeffco.

She’s been known for hitting a self-described “beast mode.” A gear deeper than one’s deepest effort, tapped by pure state of mind. And Mucharsky found it in one last 800 on Friday, off to Notre Dame next year to continue a journey from Colorado.

“I’ve definitely wanted it, and thought about it,” Mucharsky said of the three-peat. “Like, when it gets hard in training and stuff, I’m like, ‘This is what it’s gonna take.’”

Jumping triple crown loading?: Javin Summers made the most of Swink’s move down from 2A to 1A, cruising to the triple jump crown. He jumped 45 feet to win by nearly three feet.

The win atoned for Summers’ second-place finish in the high jump earlier on Friday, when the sophomore lost by an inch. He has the long jump coming up on Saturday, where he is the top-ranked favorite.

All of which points to Summers eying a trifecta of golds as an upperclassman, as his goal is to sweep triple jump, long jump and high jump titles in 1A the next two years.

“I’m planning on putting in a lot of work in the offseason, increase the vertical and the fast-twitch muscles,” Summers said. “My goal is definitely to get that (trifecta) over the next couple of years.”

Witt continues to shine in long jump: Last year, it was a set of tooth gems glinting from Zenobia Witt’s pearly whites. This year, it was a pair of Saturn earrings dangling from her lobes as she leapt into the sand. The Eaglecrest sophomore likes planets. She likes “being blingy,” too, she said, to stand out.

“I just feel like it adds a little razzle to my dazzle,” Witt said.

There was plenty of dazzle already as Witt clinched her second straight 5A long jump title after showing out at Jeffco as a freshman. For a second straight year, too, she was locked in a back-and-forth battle with Cherokee Trail senior Kaeli Powe. And she was stunned, momentarily, when she hit a mark of 18 feet, 7.5 inches on her last jump. An official declared it a tie, as Powe had leapt the same on her fourth attempt.

Witt earned the overall win, though, based on her second-longest jump, which beat Powe’s second-longest by half an inch. And Witt, with two long-jump titles in two years of high school track, has greater plans to keep sparkling.

“Definitely going after the four-peat,” Witt said. “Most of the girls that are giving me comp right now — they’re seniors. It’s time. It’s time for my rising.”

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He finally caught him in the Class 5A final of the 3,200-meter run Friday morning at JeffCo Stadium, their last race in the event together.

“It’s the reason I’m where I am today,” the newly minted state champion Adams said. “Ever since I came in freshman year, my goal has been to be as good as him. When I came in freshman year, I could barely keep up with him in our workouts. And slowly, I’ve just gotten closer and closer to now, we’re like training partners.

“This winter, we ran with each other every day, every easy run, every workout. We just pushed each other so much. We didn’t realize it, but pushing each other like that helped us get to be two of the best in the state, in the country.”

Anderson and Adams are, indeed, two of the top runners in the country in the 3200. Anderson, a senior who will run at Notre Dame next season, had previously logged the fifth-best time in the nation this year, while Adams, a sophomore, had the sixth fastest.

The Mountain Vista duo went to the front of the pack early at Friday’s CHSAA state track meet. They took turns leading and drafting off each other until it was time to race near the end. The rest of the pack offered a different challenger at a few points, but the Golden Eagles pair pulled away on the final lap, with Adams finishing first in 9 minutes, 7.93 seconds.

“I think the goal was for him to lead a couple laps, I was going to lead a couple laps and then see what happens,” Anderson said. “Then with like three laps to go, I was like, ‘All right dude, I’m really, really tired. I am not going to hold on to this.’ So I kind of waved him on, and he took it.

“I was like, ‘All right, it’s your time to shine, bro.’”

Anderson had good reason to feel like second place was an achievement. He and Adams finished 1-2 at the 5A boys cross country final in November, but he’s also been working his way through a breathing disorder that developed in the spring of his junior year.

The problem was diagnosed as vocal cord dysfunction. When Anderson would get his heart rate up in high-pressure situations, his throat would close instead of opening as he inhaled. It made him feel like he was suffocating.

That’s obviously a huge issue for any athlete, let alone an endurance runner.

“It was really, really tough,” Anderson said. “I had to go through a lot of breathing therapy and work through that to reopen my throat when I was breathing. They re-taught me how to breathe, which was really crazy.”

The 1-2 finish helped ease a bit of the pain from Thursday, when the duo were part of a 4×800-meter relay team that was favored to win but came up just short by one-tenth of a second to Northfield in a fantastic finish. Anderson and Adams were back on the track a few hours later for the individual 800 meters, where they placed fourth and seventh.

It was their third race in less than 27 hours.

“We had good motivation,” Anderson said. “Everyone at Mountain Vista, we’re so adamant about winning the team title. Ben and I, we’re exhausted. We’re so tired, but we just wanted to score as many points as we can to help our team.”

The winner in the 800 meters was ThunderRidge’s Ben Lee, who became a back-to-back state champion in the event. It was a comeback win for Lee, who set a personal best and claimed the top time in Colorado this season at 1:51.42, nearly a second ahead of Frederick’s Tanner Kaufmann.

That was by design.

“It was the strategy, just because of the conditions today,” Lee said. “It’s a little windy, so I was planning to definitely lag back, not get too far behind where I can’t catch up, but just be in a good spot where I can kind of draft off the wind and be ready to make my move.”

Lee, a junior, said he’s gotten pretty close with the Mountain Vista duo. The two schools are about three miles apart. They’ve all been racing against one another for the past two seasons, while Lee and Anderson have three years of competition together.

The last showdown between “The Bens” will be Saturday, when all three line up again in the final of the 1,600. It could be Anderson’s turn to chase Adams, who has the top 5A time in the event this year.

“It’s super cool, because our names are super close,” Anderson said. “We run about the same times. So it’s funny. Yeah, it’s awesome.”

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