LAKEWOOD - Tim Daggett, the longtime head coach of The Classical Academy, was reflecting on the 2025 track and field season before meeting with his team.
“When we finally get a chance to talk with the kids here in the corner, trying to remember in any season there’s so many little stories,” he said. “Every kid has a story of some type of adversity, overcoming some type of injury, there’s all these little stories that add up to a big thing.”
On Saturday, that big thing was another team championship for the TCA Titans. It was their third in a row and eighth in program history.
“There were a lot of years where the girls won and the boys were sitting there in second, but we don’t have a split program,” Daggett said. “We run the same workouts together. They’re huge fans of each other. It’s very unified. Usually the last thing I say to a relay before they head out is ‘sisters run faster.’ If it’s a boys relay, I say ‘brothers run faster.’”
The brotherhood paid off at Jeffco Stadium as The Classical Academy, after trailing Resurrection Christian by 13 points entering the final day of competition, won easily with 118 points. RCA finished second with 79, while Berthoud was third with 67.
TCA was the most well-rounded team, scoring in relays, sprints, hurdles, distance, jumps, and throws. Basically, they racked up points in everything.
“We outperformed ourselves a bit,” Daggett said, pleased with the way his boys stepped up.
Marcus May won silver in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles.
“He tweaked a hamstring a couple weeks ago and we were nervous about that thing and he didn’t run in the two meets before this,” their coach said. “Every meet has a few pivotal points and his first 4x1 on Thursday, when he felt good, that was a huge moment for our guys. He had a great season and he had a great meet for us.”
Their lone individual champion was Cole Hoffman (53 feet, 11.75 inches), who won shot put.
“That was a dramatic moment, because he was leading the whole competition,” Daggett said excitedly. “His sixth throw, the guy in second passes him. We don’t tend to be a team where we go, ‘let’s go,’ yelling and we kind of did that. Not only did he win, but he broke our school record.”
Adding to the massive point total, Jackson Edwards was second in discus. JD Packard won bronze in the 100m, and Kieren Rieker won silver in triple jump. Jackson Cook was second in the 1600m. Relying on their brotherhood, TCA was also second in the 4x100 relay, second in the 4x200, third in the 4x400, and fifth in the 4x800.
TCA wasn’t the only team to rack up some good performances. On Saturday, some 3A state meet records fell once again.
Dylan Khailer, a junior for Kent Denver, topped the 3A mark in the 400 meters with a sizzling 47.57. The all-time best was 47.92 by Brandon Bate (2022) of Liberty Common.
Khailer had even loftier goals for his state meet.
“Truth be told, I wanted to break it in the 1, 2, and 4,” he said of seeking all the sprints records.
But, he became a double winner by earning gold in the 200 with a 21.45. He was 0.14 off the record time. The junior also tallied silver in the 100m (10.72) behind Harrison star Gulong Craft (10.62). He knew Craft would be stiff competition in the 200m.
“100 percent Gulong,” he said. “He got me in the one (hundred). He got me last year in the one. Eyes on him all the time. Just making sure I beat him on the curve and just finish strong. Be mindful that he’s always right there, so if I slip up just a little bit he’s going to come catch me.”
Another superstar at Jeffco Stadium was Jackson Fagerlin of Resurrection Christian. After running the quickest 1600m time in 3A history in last week’s St. Vrain Invitational (4:12), he won the event for the third time in his career on Saturday.
His time wasn’t as quick (4:26), but he didn’t have the competition pushing him that he did from 4A and 5A harriers a week ago.
The Montana State recruit also claimed the 1600m title his junior and freshman seasons. If that wasn’t enough, he earned the 800m crown over his brother, Lincoln, just a freshman, and another teammate in Trevor Lim on Friday. In total, Fagerlin finished his career as a five-time individual champion (800 twice).
Jayden Michaelis of Berthoud, the all-time 3A record holder in 300 hurdles, won in 37.87 seconds.
A sensational sophomore for Berthoud, Samuel Whitaker, claimed the discus championship (154-0).
Solomon Morrell (Kent Denver) earned gold in the 110 hurdles in 14.75 seconds.
Gulong Craft, a junior at Harrison, was one-hundredth of a second off the 100 record. He also anchored the 3A record-setting 4x100 Relay (41.95).
Marcus Munoz of Coal Ridge (44-2) won triple jump.
Salida was the 4x400 champion in 3:21.13