3A boys track and field: The Classical Academy wins first team title since 2014

LAKEWOOD – All Austin Tice needed was some race experience.

Competing at state for the third time, the Estes Park junior was a three-time champion at the state track and field championships at Jefferson County Stadium.

He capped his stellar weekend by winning the Class 3A boys 1,600 meters on Saturday.

“It was definitely a different vibe (from last year),” he said. “I think just the same guys, basically, against them again and again just pushes you to be better. I’m very blessed with that competition out there, so it’s just cool.”

Tice helped Estes Park to a fifth-place finish in the 3,200-meter relay in 2021 and then got on the podium twice last year (eighth in the 1,600 and ninth in the 800).

This year, he helped the Bobcats win the 3,200-meter relay on Thursday and he won the open 800 on Friday before completed the trifecta Saturday in the 1,600.

“I felt like it was a confidence boost for sure,” he said of Estes Park’s relay win on Thursday. “Once you win, you’re like, ‘I don’t know, maybe I can win the next one.’ You have to have that race experience. The last couple of years, I’d get boxed in and I didn’t really know how to race at state. I think going into these higher, more competitive meets has helped me a lot in that area.”

Tice had a time of 4 minutes, 16.16 seconds in the 1,600 to beat Jackson Fagerlin of Resurrection Christian (4:17.26) and the rest of the field. 

“I think it might have just been experience and a continuous drive to be better and all of that,” he said of his season. “I can’t really explain it. I had a pretty good season opener, so I’ve just been kind of striving to keep PRing every meet.”

The Classical Academy won the team title for the sixth time in program, but it was the first team title for the Titans since winning five in six years from 2009-2014. (TCA was runner-up five times from 2015-22). 

TCA finished with 109 points, while Resurrection Christian was second with 67.5 and Eaton third with 58.5. TCA scored most of its points the first two days, but cemented the title with 46 points on Saturday. Ten of those points came from Jordan Wenger winning the high jump, adding to the triple jump title he won on Friday.

Wenger had a winning jump of 6 feet, 8 inches, edging Harrison’s Jamison Taylor (6-7) for the title.

Zander Cruzan of Montezuma-Cortez won two titles and nearly a third. The senior won the 200 meters in 21.47, just ahead of Jefferson Academy’s Chrisly Kelly-Cannon (21.65); and the 400 meters in 48.76, edging Caleb Sutter of Resurrection Christian (49.15).

In the 100 meters, Kelly-Cannon won a photo finish, crossing the line in 10.604 seconds, while Cruzan crossed in 10.605. Both technically tied the state meet record of 10.61 seconds.

“I didn’t (know who won),” Kelly-Cannon said. “Both said 10.61 (on the scoreboard) and anybody could have won this one.” 

In the 110 hurdles, Merek Ranstrom of Liberty Common took the title in 14.75 seconds, while Tre Garcia of Resurrection Christian was second (15.15).

Moffat County’s Evan Atkin won a great race for the 300 hurdles, crossing the line in 38.49 seconds, just ahead of Valley’s Aidan Brownell (38.63) and Ranstrom (38.79).

In the 1,600-meter relay, Resurrection Christian set a 3A meet record to win in 3:20.49. Second-place Moffat County also broke the old record, finishing in 3:21.07.

Harrison won the 400-meter relay over Northridge, 42.46 to 42.84.