{"id":2444243,"date":"2019-05-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-16T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/led-by-bower-basalt-sending-seven-to-state-track-meet\/"},"modified":"2019-05-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-05-16T06:00:00","slug":"led-by-sierra-bower-basalt-sending-seven-to-state-track-meet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/led-by-sierra-bower-basalt-sending-seven-to-state-track-meet\/","title":{"rendered":"Led by Sierra Bower, Basalt sending seven to state track meet"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.4947613504075\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-306008-851\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | From left, Basalt High School track and field athletes Katie Bohannan, Maddie Ellison, Sierra Bower, Lily Gillis and Megan Maley pose for a photo on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, on the BHS track. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"10.152573529412\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1.jpg\" alt=\"From left, Basalt High School track and field athletes Katie Bohannan, Maddie Ellison, Sierra Bower, Lily Gillis and Megan Maley pose for a photo on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, on the BHS track. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"15.470588235294\">\n<p><strong>From left, Basalt High School track and field athletes Katie Bohannan, Maddie Ellison, Sierra Bower, Lily Gillis and Megan Maley pose for a photo on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, on the BHS track. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/led-by-bower-basalt-sending-seven-to-state-track-meet\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | Basalt High School track and field athletes Ben Williams, left, and Rulbe Alvarado stop for a photo on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, on the BHS track. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9.1216814159292\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Basalt High School track and field athletes Ben Williams, left, and Rulbe Alvarado stop for a photo on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, on the BHS track. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13.442477876106\">\n<p><strong>Basalt High School track and field athletes Ben Williams, left, and Rulbe Alvarado stop for a photo on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, on the BHS track. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/led-by-bower-basalt-sending-seven-to-state-track-meet\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-1.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-1.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kara Williams\/courtesy | Basalt High School's Sierra Bower competes in a meet earlier this season. The sophomore is among the favorites to win the 3A state championship in the 3,200-meter race on Friday in Lakewood.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.1973094170404\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-2.jpg\" alt=\"Basalt High School's Sierra Bower competes in a meet earlier this season. The sophomore is among the favorites to win the 3A state championship in the 3,200-meter race on Friday in Lakewood.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9.5964125560538\">\n<p><strong>Basalt High School&#8217;s Sierra Bower competes in a meet earlier this season. The sophomore is among the favorites to win the 3A state championship in the 3,200-meter race on Friday in Lakewood.<\/strong><br \/>Kara Williams\/courtesy<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/led-by-bower-basalt-sending-seven-to-state-track-meet\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-2.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-2.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kara Williams\/courtesy | Basalt High School's Rulbe Alvarado competes in a meet earlier this season.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"5.9583333333333\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-3.jpg\" alt=\"Basalt High School's Rulbe Alvarado competes in a meet earlier this season.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7.3333333333333\">\n<p><strong>Basalt High School&#8217;s Rulbe Alvarado competes in a meet earlier this season.<\/strong><br \/>Kara Williams\/courtesy<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/led-by-bower-basalt-sending-seven-to-state-track-meet\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-3.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/05\/BHStrack-atd-051619-1-3.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/led-by-bower-basalt-sending-seven-to-state-track-meet\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/led-by-bower-basalt-sending-seven-to-state-track-meet\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">There certainly are expectations for Basalt High School sophomore Sierra Bower this week at the state track and field meet, but she insists most of them are put there herself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">With the top time among Class 3A girls in the 3,200-meter run (or 2 mile) ahead of Friday morning\u2019s race in Lakewood, the state title is there for the taking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe first seed in any race has a target on their back. Just going to try and channel those nerves into my race,\u201d Bower said. \u201cI\u2019m feeling pretty good. Just trying to stay calm and relaxed. Last year everything was very new and there were really no expectations. This year I feel it\u2019s a little bit different.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Bower\u2019s school-record time of 11 minutes, 15.63 seconds in the 3,200 is about five seconds faster than the second-best seed time entering the race. It wasn\u2019t the fastest time on the season, however, but Peak to Peak\u2019s Quinn McConnell has decided not to race in the event, seemingly to focus on the mile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">This means Bower will certainly have that target on her back, but the belief is she is ready for it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cShe has had her eye on this prize since the beginning of the season,\u201d Basalt track coach Allyson Decatur said. \u201cWhat we saw last year with her being a bit timid and shy, those days are gone. She is willing to fight. You are going to see her with a new kick she is not used to throwing out there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Bower also will compete in the 1,600-meter run (or mile), where she enters with the sixth best time (5:14.32), and is part of a strong 4\u00d7800-meter relay team, which also is seeded sixth. That relay, which also includes senior Megan Maley, junior Lily Gillis and senior Maddie Ellison, qualified despite only competing once this season and finished only five seconds off the school record.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Maley will be one to watch in the 800-meter run. Her time of 2:19.13 is a school record and is the third best time entering the Friday afternoon race. She also snuck into the 400-meter dash, where she\u2019ll be looking to sneak onto the podium.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI\u2019m not really nervous. I\u2019m just going to go into it with no expectations and have fun in my last race,\u201d said Maley, who is competing at state for the third time. \u201cIt\u2019s really surreal, and it\u2019s also very humbling. I\u2019m just grateful that I can compete again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Basalt is sending a lone field athlete in sophomore Katie Bohannan, who will compete in the pole vault. Her mark of 8 feet is a school record as this season she became the first BHS female to ever set a mark in the event.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Longhorns have two boys going in junior Ben Williams and sophomore Rulbe Alvarado. Alvarado\u2019s time of 23.09 seconds got him into the 200-meter dash, while Williams made the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.16 seconds. Both needed strong performances late in the season to sneak in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt feels pretty incredible,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIt\u2019s just something I\u2019ve been working toward since about seventh grade when my sister went. Being able to compete at such a high level is something I\u2019ve always wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:acolbert@aspentimes.com\">acolbert@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/led-by-bower-basalt-sending-seven-to-state-track-meet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From left, Basalt High School track and field athletes Katie Bohannan, Maddie Ellison, Sierra Bower, Lily Gillis and Megan Maley pose for a photo on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, on the BHS track. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times Buy Photo Basalt High School track and field athletes Ben Williams, left, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2444243","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-18 08:53:12","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2444243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2444243"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2444243\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2444243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2444243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2444243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}