Several Pagosa Springs High School Pirate track and field athletes claimed Intermountain League (IML) honors at the High Altitude Challenge/IML meet in Alamosa on Saturday, April 27.
All-conference honors went to the first IML finisher in each event.
The boys’ team placed fifth overall out of 17 teams, while the girls’ squad took second out of 13 teams.
“I wasn’t really sure how this track meet would go after watching the weather all week, but it turned out to be better than we expected,” coach Connie O’Donnell wrote in an email to The SUN. “It was still pretty cold, but the wind managed to stay down. It also helped that they started running events earlier than usual.”
On the boys’ side, Colton Lucero took first in the 100-meter dash, earning all-conference honors with a time of 11.12 seconds. Harley Armijo finished in eighth in 11.94 seconds, and Blake Laner followed in ninth in 12.14 seconds.
“Colton Lucero ran an absolutely outstanding 100 meter race,” O’Donnell wrote. “He came in first and claimed the title of fastest boy in the IML. His time is just off of the school record and it ranks him at 3rd in the state in 3A. He is fast out of the blocks and that is the reason that he starts both of our relays.”
Gavin Carter finished ninth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.95 seconds.
In the 400-meter dash, Miles Baker finished 11th in 57.38 seconds and Freddy Barnas finished 18th with a time of 1 minute, 0.38 seconds.
Jesse Beck finished sixth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:15.66, while Connor Thomas finished 11th with a time of 2:18.80.
Baker finished fifth in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:15.10, Beck followed in sixth in 5:19.96 and Thomas finished 10th in 5:31.02.
Jaxten Schiel finished eighth in the 110-meter hurdles in 19.76 seconds. Tristan Frame followed in ninth with a time of 21.29 seconds.
Jeremiah Jones took fifth in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 46.85 seconds, while Frame finished 14th in 51.73 seconds.
The 4x100-meter relay team — Lucero, Armijo, Creede Dozier and Laner — took second with a time of 44.58 seconds.
The 4x200-meter relay team of Lucero, Carter, Armijo and Laner took first and earned all-conference honors with a time of 1:34.88.
Dozier took fourth in the high jump, and Schiel and Jones tied for fifth, with all three logging heights of 5 feet, 7 inches.
Dozier took first and earned IML honors in the long jump with a distance of 20-0. Lucero finished third with a jump of 18-8 and Schiel finished fourth with a distance of 18-5.75.
Dozier finished second in the triple jump with a distance of 39-0. Schiel took fifth with a result of 35-6.5. Frame finished 12th with a distance of 31-5.
Barnas finished sixth in the shot put with a throw of 33-6.5.
On the girls’ side, Rylie Carr took first in the 100 with a time of 12.68 seconds, earning all-conference honors.
“Rylie Carr won the 100 and is the fastest girl in the IML,” O’Donnell wrote. “It is so fun to have the fastest kids at the track meet. Rylie anchors both of our sprint relays and both relays won by large margins.”
The 4x100 relay team — Aspen Pitcher, Lexi Campbell, Sienna Rose and Carr — won with a time of 52.29 seconds, with the second-place team finishing in 55.17 seconds.
The 4x200 team — Pitcher, Annie O’Donnell, Rose and Carr — finished first in 1:50.64, with the second-place team finishing in 1:56.95.
Both relay teams earned all-conference honors.
Adelyn Hittle took seventh in the 200 with a time of 29 seconds.
In the 400, Rose finished second in 1:03.28 and earned IML honors. Annie O’Donnell followed in 1:05.00. Hittle finished seventh in 1:06.92.
“Sienna Rose and Annie O’Donnell continue to push each other at practice and in meets in the 400 meter,” the coach highlights. “It’s fun to watch them compete and then be each other’s biggest fans. With that kind of support for each other, I believe they will both continue to improve significantly in the coming weeks.”
Honestye Sweet finished eighth in the 800 with a time of 2:53.26.
Sweet logged a ninth-place finish in the 1,600 with a time of 6:38.41. Marie Smith followed in 12th with a time of 7:08.33.
Charlotte Duranton took third in the 3,200 with a time of 14:09.39, with Smith taking fifth in 15:08.02.
In the 100-meter hurdles, Kylie Ketchum finished fifth in 18.13 seconds, Elissa Mars followed in sixth in 18.44 seconds and Eden Conner finished 18th in 21.35 seconds.
The 800-meter sprint medley relay team — Pitcher, Ketchum, Rose and Annie O’Donnell — finished second in 1:56.68.
Jordan Lindstrom took fourth in the high jump and Ketchum finished sixth, with both logging heights of 4-9.
Mars finished fourth in the long jump with a jump of 14-1.75. Lindstrom took sixth with a jump of 14-1.00.
Campbell finished second in the triple jump and won IML honors with a distance of 33-0. Lindstrom finished fourth with a distance of 28-1.
Abigail Nehring took first in discus, earning all-conference honors with a throw of 114-1. Malorie Morton finished third with a distance of 82-11. Parker Frame finished 24th with a throw of 59-6.
Nehring finished third in the shot put with a throw of 27-6.25. Morton finished 16th with a distance of 22-4. Frame finished 31st with a distance of 18-11.
“Abigail Nehring continues to dominate in throws,” Connie O’Donnell wrote, adding, “She continues to work hard at practice and hopefully will qualify for state in both events.”
On Saturday, May 4, the Pirates will host the Terry Alley Invitational at Golden Peaks Stadium.
According to the coach, field events will begin at 9 a.m., with running beginning at 11 a.m.
“It is a small meet, but we seem to always compete well and get good times on our own track,” she wrote.
randi@pagosasun.com
