3A Girls Track and Field: 3200m Prep Title Broken on Opening Day

LAKEWOOD – Given what she has experienced, both recently and not so recently, Isabel Allori certainly had a unique perspective entering the opening day of the Colorado high school track and field state championships.

Less than two weeks prior to the state meet at Jefferson County Stadium on Thursday, Allori ran a time of 10 minutes, 4.16 seconds at the Patriot League Meet to set the all-time Colorado prep record. So, there was plenty of excitement to see what the Liberty Common senior would do at state.

But going back further to last year’s state meet, Allori missed her junior state championships entirely with an injury. So rather than try to top her own record, Allori elected to take her time (sort of) and enjoy her final 3,200-meter high school race.

“I’m really soaking it in,” Allori said. “I missed the state meet last year with an injury and it was really heartbreaking. But this year, both times off the final turn this time I’ve been full smiles and soaking it in. It’s really special to be back for the last time and I just want to make the most of every moment because it’s my last one.”

While “soaking it in,” Allori also made sure to break the Class 3A 3,200 state meet record. Her time of 10:39.03 broke the 3A state meet record, which was previously set at 10:52.49 by North Fork’s Caroline Cretti in 2002. In a loaded race, runner-up Stargate’s Allison Pippert (10:45.84) and Eaton’s Delaney Reuter (10:51.38) both also ran fast enough to break the record.

“Honestly, I knew that 10:52 is over 20 years old and knowing that I had so much more range than that, I was like, ‘Yeah, we gotta make sure that one’s gone,’” Allori said. “I also know that Delaney and Allison were probably going to break it anyway. This one was just about staying composed and getting the job done.”

Two hours prior to her record-setting 3,200 run, Allori also anchored the Eagles’ 3,200-meter relay team – Ella Howe, Grace Berkhausen, Ali Gomez and Isabel Allori – that won gold with a time of 9:31.52.

In the 3A girls triple jump, Peak to Peak’s Kourtney Rathke won the gold with a winning jump of 36-9.75. Rathke finished runner-up in the triple jump last season and is the 3A state meet record in the pole vault.

In the 3A girls high jumper, Elizabeth’s Kyla Wolitzky, Rifle’s Lilly Weisbrod and Weld Central’s Sophie McNitt all tied for first after clearing 5 feet, 1inch.

In prelims, The Classical Academy’s Heidi Nielsen set a new meet record in the 200m and will take the top qualifying time of 24.04 into the finals.

The track and field state championships will continue on Friday starting at 9 a.m.