Steamboat Pilot & Today

Soroco track and field coach Gary Heide said Melissa Roy, Nichole Wilson, Kyla Schmidt and Karli Babcock have responded to his challenges.

After several weeks of inconsistent times or absences from meets, the quartet showed up in Glenwood Springs ready to impress.

The team broke the school record in the 400-meter relay with a time of 52.18 seconds, which would have been fast enough to pre-qualify for the Class 2A state meet if the Demon Invitational held Saturday was a pre-qualifying meet. The same four girls held the previous school mark.

Babcock agreed with her coach, saying it was the first time all season all four ran well on the same day.

"There were a couple (Class) 4A teams we wanted to beat," Schmidt added.

The same quartet has pre-qualified for state in the 800-meter relay. On Saturday, the team finished second to Palisade with a time of 1:49.50, which remains well below the pre-qualifying standard. Last year, Roy, Wilson, Babcock and Schmidt placed second in the 400- and 800-meter relays at state.

The four are running similar times now as they ran at state last May. Babcock and Schmidt said it has come as a surprise that they are running so fast so early. But they agreed that last year's times won't get it done this season.

"This week, we're not working on times," Heide said. "It is a workout week. We come back next week, and, my goodness, it's the end of April, and then it's May, and we know what we have to do in May. We know we will be at state, and that switch has to turn on now."

The Class 2A state meet is May 20 and 21 at Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo. The next chance for the 400-meter relay team to qualify is the Clint Wells Invitational on April 30 at Moffat County High School.

But this year, a couple of girls are eyeing trips to the state meet in individual events, as well. Schmidt qualified last year in the long jump and has pre-qualified in the same event this year.

On Saturday, Wilson ran a 27.81 to win the 200 meters. The state pre-qualifying time is 27.41. Although 0.4 seconds is a lot of time to shave in track, the fact that Wilson broke the 28-second mark gives Heide reason to think she has a shot.

"We weren't going to start talking about (state) too seriously until she did get in the 27s," Heide said. "She is one that did want to qualify individually. She wants to know she has a realistic chance."

Roy placed third in the 200 in 28.59. Schmidt was second in the 400 in Glenwood with a 63.40. Babcock was fourth in 67.60.

On Saturday, at the Vail Christian Invitational, Heide is having Roy, Wilson, Babcock and Schmidt run the 800-meter medley for the first time all season. Last year, the girls qualified for state in that relay, as well.

The 800-meter medley, or sprint medley, consists of two 100-meter legs, one 200-meter leg and a 400-meter anchor leg.

-- To reach Melinda Mawdsley call 871-4208 or e-mail mmawdsley@steamboatpilot.com