While the San Juan Basin League Championships in Ignacio on April 30 represented just one step along the road to the Colorado State High School State Track Championships, members of the Mancos High School boys and girls track teams left the event feeling good about where they currently stand.
Leading the way for the Mancos boys was junior superstar Anthony Medina, who solidified his status as a contender for several individual state championships with first-place finishes in the 200-meter dash (22.81), long jump (21 feet, 8 inches) and triple jump (40-3).
Teammate Caden Showalter also staked his claim to the title of top Class 2A track athlete in the state with first-place finishes in the shot put (48-10½) and the discus (150-3).
Other individual event winners for the Bluejays included junior Breccen Morelli, who raced to a first-place finish in the 400-meter dash (52.94), and senior Caden Galloway, who soared to a first-place finish in the high jump (5-9).
Senior Hunter Hoover placed second in the triple jump (35 feet) and the 110-meter hurdles (23.07), freshman Chase Moore placed second in the high jump (5-7), freshman Connor Sehnert placed third in the 3,200-meter run (12:41.43), and freshman Edgar Hernandez crossed the line third in the 800-meter run (2:14.83).
Vassar Stephens rounded out members of the boys team that cracked the top-three in at least one individual event, as the senior placed second in the long jump (18-10) and third in the high jump (5-7).
The team’s 4x100-meter relay, made up of Chase Moore, Chance Garcia, Medina and Morelli, finished first overall (45.98), as did the team’s 4x800-meter relay, comprised of Stephen Knezek, Boaz Oswald, Hernandez and Sehnert (9:53.57).
The boys team finished first overall in the team standings and were crowned San Juan Basin League champions.
On the girls side, Mancos was led individually by sophomore Grace Manning, who finished first in the 1600-meter run (5:56.52) and second in the 400-meter dash (1:04.83) and 800-meter run (2:41.85).
Sophomore Zoey Steele placed second in the triple jump (24-10), freshman Hannah Sparks leapt to a fifth-place finish in the long jump (13-2), and freshman Desi Dainty-Guilfoyle placed third in the 100-meter hurdles (20.61) and 300-meter hurdles (54.87).
The Lady Jays’ 4x800-meter relay, made up of Ericka Peacock, Sparks, Manning and Dainty-Guilfoyle, placed first overall (2:01.45) and the team’s 4x100-meter relay, comprised of Americus Romero-Keller, Andrea Sena, Sparks and Peacock, finished third overall (59.96).
Mancos finished fifth overall in the team standings. Del Norte High finished first overall and Dolores High captured the girls team title.
Next up for both Mancos teams will be the Bloomfield Invitational, which will take place in Bloomfield, N.M., today.