The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate track and field team is beginning the spring season with an eye on the end of the season and the potential for several Pirate athletes to represent the school at the state championship meet.
According to an email from coach Connie O’Donnell, there are 62 athletes on the roster to start the season, including 24 girls and 38 boys.
That, she notes, includes 10 seniors, seven of whom are returning: Rylie Carr, Tristan Frame, Abi Nehring, Jayslynn Perea, Sienna Rose, Jaxten Schiel and Honestye Sweet.
“The biggest group is the 21 juniors that we have out this year with 14 returning,”O’Donnell wrote. “We only have 4 freshman girls out, so that is a bit concerning for the future of the girls team.”
O’Donnell notes the roster also includes several returning state-qualifiers: Nehring, Lexi Campbell, Carr, Rose, Gavin Carter, Colton Lucero, Creede Dozier and Jeremiah Jones.
The coach indicates she’s hopeful for state qualifiers in several events this year.
“Our strengths are going to be in some of our individual track and field events,” O’Donnell wrote. “We have the potential for some state qualifiers/placers in the sprints, jumps and throws. Hopefully, we can get some of our distance athletes qualified too. They are a bunch of hard working individuals so it wouldn’t surprise me to see some of them really make some significant progress on their times. Hopefully, we will be able to put some competitive relays together.”
The teams will open the season, however, with a meet that will not be a qualifying meet, O’Donnell notes.
That meet will be the Dust Off Durango meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 8.
“It will still be good for our athletes to get a starting mark to see where they are at the beginning of the season,” she wrote. “The first time that athletes compete during the season is always kind of fun because they are almost always better than they were at the start of last season. It gives them motivation to keep working.”
Schedule
The following schedule was accurate as of press time, but is subject to change.
All meets will start at 9 a.m. unless otherwise stated.
O’Donnell indicates the team’s schedule looks a bit different this season, explaining, “This year, we will be splitting our team up on several weekends. Our varsity athletes will be traveling to Pueblo on three occasions to change up the competition a bit. Sometimes it’s nice to know your competition, but it’s also nice to compete against someone new.”
After opening the season in Durango on Saturday, the Pirates will be back in action on March 14 for the Bayfield Invite 1.
After a short hiatus, the teams will head back to Bayfield for the Bayfield Invite 2 on March 29.
On April 4, the team will compete at the John Tate Invitational in Pueblo, and the following day will be in action at the Abel Velasquez Invite in Ignacio.
On April 7, the team is scheduled to take part in the Durango JV meet, with a time to be announced.
The team will be back at it on April 11 for the Bob Archibeque meet in Cortez, and the Thunder Storm Invite the following day in Pueblo.
On April 19, the team is scheduled to participate in the Ron Keller Invitational in Durango.
On April 26, the team will again head to Bayfield, this time for the Pine River Invitational.
The Pirates will host the Terry Alley Invitational at Golden Peaks Stadium on May 3 before again hitting the road on May 6 for the Centauri Invitational in La Jara, with a start time to be announced.
The team is scheduled for two meets on May 9 — the Monte Vista Last Chance Meet and the Friday Night Lights at Pueblo West.
randi@pagosasun.com
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