While Montezuma-Cortez High School, Mancos High School, Dolores High School and Dove Creek High School generally produce solid track teams, state titles for the quartet of schools have historically proven hard to come by.
This season, however, all four programs will send athletes to the Colorado High School State Track and Field Championships in Lakewood May 16-18 who are capable of capturing state titles.
Panthers poised to win multiple titlesAmong the athletes most likely to capture an individual state championship at this year’s state meet is M-CHS’s freshman phenom Avery Wright, who has already produced one of the most successful seasons in her school’s history.
A threat to win any sprint event in which she enters, Wright will compete in the 100-meter dash, where her time of 12.46 seconds ranks as the top time in Colorado’s 3A classification this season. Wright will also compete in the 200 dash, an event in which she will enter the state meet ranked second overall with a time of 25.78.
Also figuring to be in position to capture at least one individual title will be M-CHS senior Aryelle Wright, who won the 400 dash at last year’s state meet and enters this year’s state meet ranked second with a time of 57.98.
Both Wright sisters will also be in the mix for relay titles when they join senior Morgan Short and sophomore Elaina Short for the 4x100 relay, where they are ranked second, the 4x200 relay in which they are ranked first, and 800 sprint medley relay in which they are ranked second.
While members of the M-CHS boys’ team may find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to state titles, junior hurdler Titus Jackson could be in play for a championship if he delivers a career-best performance.
Jackson will enter the state meet ranked third in the 300 hurdles with a time of 40.06 seconds and fifth in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.32 seconds.
Showalter eyes shot put championshipCompeting in his third state track meet in three years, Mancos junior Caden Showalter appears poised to capture an individual state championship in the shot put event, where he is currently ranked No. 1 in Colorado’s 2A classification with a season-best mark of 50 feet, 10 inches.
The star junior will also be a threat to take top honors in the discus event, where he is currently ranked second (160 feet, 2 inches) behind Crowley County senior Lane Walter, who fired a throw of 176-6 earlier this season.
Other Mancos athletes figuring to be in the thick of the state championship hunt are senior Caden Galloway, who is seeded second in the high jump (6-5) behind Soroco senior Grant Redmond, who cleared a bar set at 6-7 earlier this season.
Junior Anthony Medina, who has been known to put forth his best performances when the lights shine the brightest, also figures to be a championship contender in the 200 dash, where he is ranked second behind Rocky Ford’s David Trujillo with a time of 22.65 seconds.
Bears’ junior Adams hoping to win track’s fastest eventFiguring to lead the way for Dolores High School at this year’s state track meet is junior Alden Adams, whose blazing speed in the 100 has turned heads throughout the season and led to a slew of top finishes.
Adams will enter the 100 dash as the 2A classification’s second-fastest runner with an entry time of 11.36 seconds. Figuring to be neck and neck with Adams for a state title will be Rocky Ford senior David Trujillo, who will enter the meet ranked first overall with a time of 11.19 seconds.
Dove Creek senior Dennison seeking victory in final meetAfter narrowly missing out on an individual state title last season, Dove Creek senior JD Dennison heads to this year’s state track meet with his eyes set on gold.
The Bulldogs senior will enter this year’s meet as the second-ranked shot put thrower in Colorado’s 1A classification with a mark of 45-8½. Just ahead of Dennison in the rankings is Wiley High School senior Jayce Bauer, who achieved a season-best mark of 46-8½ earlier this season.