The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate track and field team competed at the Colorado 3A State Track and Field Championships in Lakewood last week, with Pirate athletes placing in 10 events.
The meet was held at Jefferson County Stadium with events starting on Thursday, May 14, and ending on Saturday, May 16.
The Pirate boys’ team placed seventh overall out of 39 teams with 38 points, and the Lady Pirates team placed 23rd out of 32 teams with seven points.
Colton Lucero placed first in the boys’ 100-meter dash preliminaries with a time of 10.88 seconds and placed third in the finals with a time of 10.90 seconds.
Lucero also placed 14th in the boys’ 200-meter dash preliminaries with a time of 22.59 seconds, but did not make the finals.
Rylan Ash placed sixth in the boys’ 3,200-meter run as one of only two freshmen in the race with a time of 10, minutes, 1.46 seconds.
Jeremiah Jones placed ninth in the boys’ 110-meter hurdles preliminaries with a time of 15.68 seconds and placed seventh in the finals with a time of 15.72 seconds.
The boys’ 4x100-meter relay team of Lucero, Mazur, Johnny Baker and Creede Dozier placed fifth in preliminaries with a time of 43.03 seconds and placed ninth in the finals with a time of 44.66 seconds.
Jones placed third in the boys’ high jump with a jump of 6 feet, 5 inches, and Dozier placed eighth with a jump of 6-3.
Dozier placed 10th in the boys’ long jump with a jump of 20-4.5.
Dozier placed fifth in the boys’ triple jump with a jump of 43-5, and Jones placed sixth with a jump of 42-10.25. Both Jones and Dozier had personal best jumps.
Emile Schneider placed fifth in the boys’ discus with a throw of 147-04, a season best.
The girls’ 4x100-meter relay team of Nina Wood, Molly Washburn, Ahrianna Martinez and Lexi Campbell placed 15th in the preliminaries with a time of 52.01 seconds, but did not make the finals.
Campbell placed 18th in the girls’ triple jump with a jump of 32-5.5.
Liana Vega placed 18th in the girls’ shot put with a throw of 26-9.5.
Malorie Morton placed third in the girls’ discus with a throw of 119-9, a personal best, and Vega placed 16th with a throw of 92-8.
Assistant coach Curtis Nehring highlights in an email to The SUN that Morton improved from entering as the seventh seed.
“I’ve been looking forward to this season for a while because of the leadership and the work ethic of the individuals on this team,” wrote coach Connie O’Donnell in an email to the SUN. “The team faced some injuries throughout the year, but they continued to improve, support one another, and stay committed. I was proud of the way they represented our program with effort and character.”
O’Donnell also emphasizes the importance of the seniors on this year’s team.
They helped make track a “cool sport” and encouraged more young kids to participate, which, in turn, helped grow the program, noted O’Donnell.
This year there were 79 kids on the team when the season ended.
“They brought leadership, experience, and consistency every day, and they helped set the standard for work ethic and accountability,” wrote O’Donnell. “Beyond what they contributed on the track or the field, they were role models for the younger athletes. Losing a group like this is never easy because they leave a lasting impact, but we’re grateful for everything they gave to the program.”
This year was O’Donnell’s final year as the head coach of the Pagosa Springs track and field team, but she notes she is still excited to see what the future holds for the Pirates.
“I’m excited to watch the track team continue to grow and improve,” she wrote. “I’m looking forward to many records to be broken in the future.”
jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com
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