The Glenwood Springs Demons boys track and field team roared back Saturday at Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction, jumping from fourth place on Friday in the 4A WSL track and field championships to winning for the third straight year on Saturday, finishing with 187 team points, winning by 57 points over Eagle Valley.
Glenwood’s girls team placed fourth with 70 points, finishing behind Battle Mountain in first with 162 points, as well as Eagle Valley (146) and Palisade (113) in second and third.
Senior leadership and an impressive amount of depth on the boys side helped Glenwood dominate on Saturday, cruising to the third straight championship.
“We knew we had the senior leadership and depth, and that was huge for us today,” said Blake Risner, Glenwood’s long-time track and field coach. “Gavin [Olson], Bryce [Risner], Wyatt [Ewer], Gavin [Harden], and Henry [Barth], I just have to take my off to those seniors. They did what they needed to do for us today and took care of business.
“Everyone just did what they needed to do today,” added Risner. “Everyone stepped up and continued to pile on the points. I’m just really proud of this group.”
Opening up the final day of the WSL Multi-League Championships in Grand Junction, standout senior sprinter Gavin Olson swept the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints, winning the 100m with a time of 11.40 seconds, while clocking times of 23.18 and 51.21 seconds in the 200m and 400m, edging teammate Kuba Bartnik in all three events as Bartnik placed third in the 100m and 400m, and second in the 200m.
Moving quickly into relay events, Glenwood’s boys 4x100m relay team of Brian Delgado, Taber Uyehara, Jahirie Labare, and Patrick Young clocked a time of 46.73 seconds to finish third in the event, while the Demon 4x200m relay team of Ale Angeles, Jacob Wolf, Bryce Risner, and Wyatt Ewer clocked a time of 1:34.60 to win the event.
Later on in relays, Glenwood’s 4x800m team of Gavin Harden, Henry Barth, Delgado, and William Berkheimer finished third in the event with a time of 8:32.83.
Continuing a run of dominance on Saturday, Bryce Risner and AJ Adams finished first and second in the high jump as Risner cleared 6-5.00, and Adams cleared 6-2.00. Ewer and Risner then finished 1-2 in the 300m hurdles as Ewer clocked a time of 39.57, while Risner finished in 40.47. The pair also went 1-2 in the 110m hurdles as Risner won with a time of 15.02 seconds, while Ewer finished second with a time of 15.61 seconds.
In the triple jump, Ewer – who came into the event as the fourth seed – jumped a personal best of 43-08.00, winning the event in stunning fashion by nearly a full foot.
“That was a huge win for Wyatt,” said Risner. “Moments like that really carried us to a team championship today.”
Closing out the day for the Glenwood boys, Harden – who had his 3200m school record broken by half a second by Barth on Friday, broke Marco Salmen’s school record in the 1600m on Saturday, clocking a time of 4:23.40, winning the event by nearly five full seconds.
“Gavin has had that goal [breaking Salmen’s 1600m record] since last year,” said Risner. “He broke Salmen’s 3200m record last year and then broke his own record this year before Henry broke it yesterday. But in the 1600m, Gavin came within two seconds of breaking the school record in that event at the state meet last year. His race today was perfect. He took the lead late and had to work every step of the way to hold off his competitors.”
For the Glenwood girls, senior Sequoia Kellogg placed second in the 300m hurdles with a time of 47.17 seconds, while the 800 sprint medley girls team of Hadley Yellico, Kellogg, Sophia Vigil, and Emily Worline won the event with a blistering time of 1:53.18.
Glenwood senior Payten Spencer won the discus with a throw of 111-01, capping off a strong weekend for the field athlete, while Kellogg placed second in the triple jump with a distance of 33-10.50.
The Demons will take a select number of athletes to next weekend’s St. Vrain Invitational in the final tuneup before the state track meet May 16-18 at JeffCo Stadium in Lakewood.
3A WSL
In the 3A Western Slope League championships, the Coal Ridge Titans’ boys and girls reigns as champions came to an end Saturday as the Coal Ridge girls placed third with a team score of 59 points, finishing behind Delta and Moffat County, while the Titan boys placed second with 61.5 points, finishing behind Cedaredge.
The Rifle girls placed fourth with 49 points, while the Grand Valley girls placed sixth with 32 points. Rifle’s boys team placed third with 58 points, while Grand Valley placed eighth with 17 points and Roaring Fork placed 10th with 14 points.
Opening up Saturday’s events at Stocker Stadium, Rifle’s Tanner Vines and Dalton Pruett finished 2-3 in the 100m dash as Vines clocked a time of 11.46 seconds, while Pruett clocked a time of 11.52 seconds to get the Bears off to a fast start.
Pruett then won the 200m dash with a time of 23.62 seconds, while Coal Ridge’s Moises Contreras placed third with a time of 23.93 seconds. In the 400m dash, Rifle’s Bryce Schanche placed second with a time of 51.96 seconds.
Staying hot, Rifle’s 4x100m relay team of Pruett, Embrey Marantino, Schanche, and Vines won the event with a time of 44.80, while the same relay team won the 4x200m relay with a time of 1:33.01.
In the discus on Saturday, Rifle’s Andrew Borrego and Duke Brady finished 2-3 with throws of 130-09 and 127-09, while teammate Tanner Cotner finished second in the long jump with a distance of 20-08.50. Brady also finished second in the shot put with a throw of 45-01.00.
In girls events, Coal Ridge’s Peyton Garrison and Rifle’s Delaney Phillips finished 2-3 in the 100m dash with times of 12.93 and 12.94 seconds, while Garrison won the 200m dash with a time of 26.59 seconds.
In the 300m hurdles, Grand Valley’s Alex Mendoza placed second with a time of 47.92 seconds, while Grand Valley’s Jordyn Pittman and Coal Ridge’s Garrison finished 1-2 in the 400m dash with times of 58.40 and 59.16 seconds.
Coal Ridge’s 4x100m relay team of Mary Bolitho, Ari Cornejo, Phoebe Young, and Kara Morgan won the event with a time of 51.95 seconds, narrowly edging Rifle’s relay team of Hallie Holmes, Hope Kehr, Mackenzie Elizardo, and Maddy Valencia with a time of 51.99 seconds.
Coal Ridge’s 4x200m relay team of Bolitho, Morgan, Cornejo, and Garrison clocked a time of 1:47.62. In the 800 sprint medley relay, Rifle’s team of Holmes, Kehr, Amanda Green and Phillips won the event with a time of 1:54.59. In the triple jump, Rifle’s Valencia won the event with a distance of 34-07.75, while Grand Valley’s Ryley Sackett placed third with a distance of 34-0.25, closing out the day in 3A.
BASEBALL
Cedaredge 10, Coal Ridge 4
Hosting the Cedaredge Bruins Saturday in New Castle, the Coal Ridge Titans baseball team gave up four runs each in the sixth and seventh innings to drop a 10-4 decision.
Against the Bruins, junior Ryan Kotz led the way offensively with two hits and one run batted in, tripling in the loss, while senior Oscar Salazar hit a double and drove in one run in the loss.
On the mound, Kotz took the loss for the Titans, allowing seven earned runs in three innings of work, walking four and striking out five. Junior Lane Stecklein worked 32 innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out six.
The loss drops Coal Ridge to 9-11 (3-4 in 3A WSL) on the season.
Rifle 9, Steamboat Springs 4, Game One
Rifle 6, Steamboat Springs 4, Game Two
Taking on the visiting Steamboat Springs Sailors Saturday in a 4A Western Slope League doubleheader at Cooper Field in Rifle, the Rifle Bears picked up a doubleheader sweep, winning the first game 9-4 before then taking the second game 6-4.
In the first game, junior Derek Wagler went 4-for-4 at the plate, doubling once while driving in four runs. Senior Randy Starks went 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored, while working 5.1 innings on the mound, striking out four in the win.
Senior Eddie Medina doubled in the game one win, driving in two, while freshman Charlie Hisel doubled and drove in a run. Senior Wyatt Warfel singled, while junior Levi Warfel singled, score a run and recorded a stole n base.
In the second game, Medina pitched five innings, striking out four to lead the Bears to the sweep.
Freshman Gavin Peterson singled, walked twice, scored two runs and stole a base in the win, while Wagler singled, walked twice, drove in a run and recorded a stolen base.
The sweep sees Rifle improve to 13-7 (6-5 in 4A WSL) on the year.
Roaring Fork 14, Gunnison 13, Game One
Roaring Fork 7, Gunnison 6, Game Two
Hosting the Gunnison Cowboys Saturday in a 3A Western Slope League doubleheader at Ron Patch Memorial Field in Carbondale, the Rams rolled to a sweep, winning by scores of 14-13 and 7-6.
Against the Cowboys in Game One, junior Eli Nickamin singled three times, drove in two runs and scored two runs. Senior Layne Crisp singled, doubled, and drove in two runs, while senior Dawson Kuhl singled three times.
In Game Two, Kuhl tripled, Nickamin singled twice, and freshman Mason Smith singled in the seventh inning to drive in two runs for the win.
The sweep improves the Rams to 6-12 (4-2 in 3A WSL) on the year.
