1A track and field: More champions crowned on day two
LAKEWOOD – A new personal record would have been nice for Scottie Vines on Friday, but the DeBeque junior had no complaints about how he performed in the Class 1A boys high jump.
On the second day of the state track and field championships at Jefferson County Stadium, Vines easily won his second championship in a row, clearing 6 feet, 10 inches on a rainy morning. Prairie’s Parker Jaeger was second, at 6-1.
“I’m definitely happy with that, especially because the track was super slippery and I was barely able to run that curve like how I usually do,” said Vines, who has a personal best of 7-feet. “But, I had to overcome it and just went and did it.”
Vines set a new Class 1A state meet record with Friday’s jump, topping the previous mark of 6-8 by Jade Cass of Pawnee in 2019.
Vines made it two titles in a row, but this one was sweeter, he said.
“It was definitely better than the first one because last year, the weather was better when I was jumping, but I just didn’t jump very well,” said Vines, who had a winning jump of 6-2 a year ago. “So, it was really personal this year how I wanted state to go. I was really just wanting redemption for how bad I jumped last year.”
He certainly got it Friday, but he’s not done. He’s aiming to win the long jump on Saturday.
Vines joined former teammate Wesley Ryan as a two-time high jump champion (2018, 2021). And, Vines’ younger sister, Ava, is favored to win the girls high jump on Saturday.
Another repeat winner was Konner Rowden-Stum of Genoa-Hugo/Karval. He won his second consecutive title in the boys triple jump, with a leap of 42 feet, 10 inches. Nolan Japp of Fleming was second at 42-2.
Arickaree’s Jacob Jefferson won a fantastic race in the boys 800 meters, crossing the finish line in 2 minutes, 2.20 seconds. Cheraw’s Josh Snyder was right on his heels, finishing in 2:02.87. Both posted their best times of the season.
Sanford repeated as champion in the boys 800 relay, posting an impressive time of 1:33.72. Prairie was second at 1:35.04.
In the boys 3,200 relay, Cheyenne Wells cruised to the title in 8 minutes, 58.72 seconds. Kim came in second at 9:01.16.
In 1A girls, Elbert’s Zadie Mackey continued her dominance in the throwing events. A junior, she coasted to a second consecutive title in the discus, posting a winning throw of 136 feet, nine inches. Haxtun’s Cassidy Goddard was second, at 129-8.
Mackey has swept the throws in the last two state meets, as she also won the shot put on Thursday. As a freshman in 2021, she was second in the discus and fourth in the shot put.
Sanford sophomore Erica Miller won the girls 800 meters with a personal-best time of 2:23.01. Delaney Bond of Cheraw won a close battle for second (2:31.02).
In the girls triple jump, McKenna Notter of Stratton hit a mark of 34 feet on her first jump – nine inches ahead of her previous best this season – and that held up for the title. Maggie Haase of Eads also had a season best, at 33-9, to place second.=
Stratton came in as the favorite in the girls 800 relay and the Eagles held that spot, edging defending champion Fleming for the title. Stratton finished in 1:50.51 and Fleming in 1:51.07.
The girls 3,200 relay turned into a two-team race for first. Kiowa and Merino battled the whole way, with Kiowa coming out on top, in 10:33.33. Merino, the top seed coming into the meet, was second at 10:35.78. The rest of the field was at least 28 seconds behind.
In the boys pole vault, which was postponed because of rain Thursday and finished Friday, Akron dominated for a second year in a row, but the Rams had a different champion. Senior Ivan Losa, the runner-up last year, took the title this time, with a personal-best vault of 13 feet. Akron senior Brandon Hellyer was second, at 12-6, while Rams junior Ryan McCaffrey – the 2022 champion – was third, also at 12-6. Hellyer won a tiebreaker for second because he had fewer misses on the day.
