Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — For the Hayden and Soroco high school track teams, the Western Slope League championship meet meant one final chance to tune up before the state track meet, which begins Thursday in Lakewood.

For the Steamboat Springs High School squad, the Thursday and Friday meet in Grand Junction signaled the end of the season.

Many of the Tigers and Rams will compete in Lakewood, but no Sailors were able to crack the tough Class 4A field. Athletes must be in the top 18 in their event to have qualified, and while Thursday and Friday results were good, the Sailors didn’t meet that mark.

Asher Rohde helped lead Steamboat in its final meet. He was second in the 1,600-meter run, finishing in 4 minutes, 40.32 seconds. Scott Powers was 10th in the race, breaking the 5:00 mark for the first time to finish at 4:53, and Colton Lewer was 13th, also cracking that barrier in 4:57.

“That’s the way the whole meet went for many of our athletes,” Long said. “We had a lot of PRs, and the kids were really performing at their best at the end of the season.”

Rohde also was second in the 3,200-meter run. He cut nearly 10 seconds off his personal best time, down to 10:17.67. While it wasn’t enough to get him into the top 18 — he’d have needed about 12 more seconds — it wasn’t a bad way to finish the season, Long said.

“He had a very good race and a very good time,” Long said.

Lewer also was eighth in the 800-meter run. Dylan Wilkinson was ninth with his best jump in the long jump, reaching 18 feet, 6 inches.

Tanner Morrison finished eighth in the 400-meter run thanks to a great preliminary run. His time there was 52.08 — “A perfect race,” Long said — but he couldn’t duplicate it in the finals and finished eighth in 54.24.

“That 52.08 gives us a real bright outlook for what he can do next year,” Long said.

Alexandrea Bryant was eighth in the discus, throwing it 89-10.

“We had a great Western Slope championship, but we didn’t get anyone to state,” Long said. “It was extremely competitive, but we had a great season, and we had a great time.”

Rams log top finishes

Soroco had a slew of top finishes, and on Sunday, it will find out exactly how that translates to state. The final performance lists will be released at noon, and Soroco will find out how many of its athletes made the cut.

The Rams sure set the right tone in their final competition.

“We had about 90 percent personal bests,” coach David Bruner said. “The times are really coming down, and I was really pleased.”

Micaela Meyer was second in the 100 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles, and Nic Paxton was second in the triple jump.

Jessica Rossi and Lindsay Miles were tied for fourth in the pole vault. AJ Anderson also was fourth for the boys in that event.

The girls 3,200-meter relay, with Josie Rossi, Jessica Rossi, Jaelyn Whaley and Leah Walorski, was third. The boys 3,200-meter relay, meanwhile, was fourth with AJ Anderson, Nic Paxton, Micah Gibbons and Carl Rossi.

That same crew of boys also placed fifth in the 1,600 relay.

The girls sprint medley relay was fourth, running with Lauryn Bruggink, Hayley Johnson, Lindsay Miles and Jessica Rossi. Meyer switched in for Miles for the 800-meter relay, where the team again was fourth, and in the 400 relay, where it was third.

Finally, the girls 1,600 relay, with Bruggink, Whaley and both Rossis, was fourth.

Walorski was eighth in the triple jump, and Anderson was ninth in the high jump.

Josie Rossi had a strong showing in the distance events, placing fourth in the 3,200 and fifth in the 1,600.

Hayden scores high

Hayden also had plenty of strong results from the Class 2A Western Slope meet.

Aubree Haskins was second in the discus and fifth in the shotput. Savannah Williams was second in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600.

Colton Jensen was fourth in the 110 hurdles, Dakota Zehner was fourth in the high jump, Jorge Valdez was sixth in the high jump, Liam Delaney was sixth in the 3,200 and Brentt Gabel was sixth in the 300 hurdles.

The girls sprint medley with Becca Hoza, Laura Johnson, Heather Nereson and Millie Delaney was eighth. The boys 800 with Zehner, Jack Redmond, Jordan Ferrier and Hunter Johnston was seventh, and the boys 1600 with Gabel, Redmond, Ian Cadenhead and Johnson also was seventh.

To reach Joel Reichenberger, call 970-871-4253 or email jreichenberger@SteamboatToday.com