3A Girls Track & Field: The Classical Academy Captures 14th Overall Team State Title
By Marcus Hill
LAKEWOOD — After Day Two of the state track and field meet, The Classical Academy held a small lead over the field.
Following the final day of competition at Jeffco Stadium on Saturday, no 3A school rivaled the Titans’ efforts.
TCA claimed its third-consecutive state championship and 14th overall on the girls’ side with 119 points, the only 3A girls school to eclipse 100 and no other team finished with more than 72.
“We overcame a lot of hurdles this season to get this,” The Classical Academy’s Vivian Jack said. “Our sprinters had some injuries this season and Vanessa Tate, she pulled something in the 4×100. Then, me and Jana (Yuschalk) got sick for a month and we couldn’t run.”
Despite those woes, the Titans remained dominant and trounced their competition, especially for the event’s finale where TCA scored 60 of its 119 points.
Due to the Titans’ success, they’ll move to 4A next season, where athletes and coaches still believe they can contend for the championship.
“Every year is different and it resets,” TCA coach Tim Daggett said. “The great thing about track is there’s that individual nature of stepping on the track and you’re still trying to run well. But team goal-wise, our only goal is to step off the track feeling like you did your best. When that happens and everything comes together and you have the pieces it’s good. We’ll be senior heavy next year and we don’t lack motivation. That’s not an issue. Even after three in a row.”
In other finals events, Kent Denver’s Alex Horton clocked in at 14.32 in the 100m hurdles to score 10 points for the Sun Devils and to win the race. Horton was the only competitor to run under 15 seconds in prelims, where she logged a 14.81.
TCA’s Reese Blackwood finished the 100m in 12.17 to win the event after nearly matching her prelim time of 12.14, while Sofia Sigg crossed the finish line of the 400m at 57.58 to give Berthoud 10 points and a victory. She also bolted past the finish line first in the 200m with a time of 25.14.
In the 300 meter hurdles, Kina Will earned first place for Coal Ridge and clocked a 44.54 to earn the victory. Will narrowly earned the title as she won by .09 seconds over Horton, who finished second in the race at 44.63.
Salida took first place in the 4×100 relay with just .12 seconds to spare between the Spartans’ and University’s second-place time. The Spartans’ quartet of Lilian Moutray, Braeden Johnson, Myah Scott and Zy Boone finished first with a time of 49.44 while University crossed at 49.56. Wellington placed third 49.57.
In the 1,600, Eaton’s Delaney Reuter clocked in at 4:54.13 – and was the lone runner to go sub-five minutes in the race – to win her second-straight title in the event. Reuter also avenged her 800 meter run second-place finish to Jack, who won Friday’s event.
In the 4×400, D’Evelyn scored 10 points by winning the relay, despite being seeded third heading into finals and sixth prior to state. D’Evelyn’s team of Sereyan Miller, Aubrey Van Opdorf, Mahlee Conlin and Arianna Griffin clocked in at 4:01.69 to take the title.
