LAKEWOOD - The Wolverines are state champions yet again.
Bayfield High School secured its first state championship for boys track and field in school history Saturday with a dominant start-to-finish performance during the Colorado High School Activities Association state championships at Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood.
"I'd like to congratulate all the assistant coaches and co-head coach Josh Walton," BHS coach Gary Heide said. "It was an amazing year and we all had faith all year that we could win it. The athletes coming in, we knew we had a shot at it. I think every athlete that was on the boys team came in here and scored what they were expected to do or a few more points. Every single one of them. That's an amazing feat and an attribute to the Bayfield Wolverines and what they really stand for. I couldn't be more proud of this group of young men, the coaches, the people supporting us from afar, knowing that we could do it - it's a big thank you to them."
The Wolverines piled up 79.5 points to win the Class 3A title. The Classical Academy was second with 73 points, followed by Elizabeth with 55 points and Roaring Fork with 53 points.
Bayfield got massive performances on the final day to secure the victory. Carl Heide won the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, Dax Snooks tied for seventh in the high jump and was ninth in the 110 hurdles, Dawson Heide was seventh in the 400, and the Wolverines finished third in the 4x100 and ninth in the 4x400 relays.
Carl and Dawson Heide, Wyatt Killinen and Dylan Hilliker made up the 4x100 team, while the Heide brothers, Killinen and Snooks ran the 4x400.
"It all goes back to the athletes themselves. ... I could not be more proud of these kids," coach Heide said. "All the track and field athletes who were out for track this year, the ones who aren't sitting here or made the state track meet. They're part of our team, part of the team that pushed us to this greatness. They helped us to this greatness. The girls team inspired us. Seeing Jordan (Lanning) and Tiara (Christensen) inspired the whole team. It was really the entire track and field program, and I want to thank every single athlete that was on the 2018 track and field team for Bayfield."
The title was decided before the 4x400, the final event of the day. The Wolverines had 78.5 points heading into the event, while The Classical Academy had 73 points and hadn't qualified for the relay.
"It really felt great going into it - no pressure, no stress," Killinen said of the 4x400. "All we had to do was go out there, do our thing and run our butts off, which didn't really show on the time board, but I know every one of my brothers gave it their best, and that's what really matters."
The 4x400 team finished in 3:38 for ninth. Platte Valley won in 3:21.59. Bayfield's 4x100 team finished in 43.72 for third. Berthoud won that event in 43.18.
The big day Saturday and the title were set up by massive performances from the Wolverines in the pole vault Thursday and an equally huge day in the throwing events Friday.
Chad Winkler and Colton Fine placed second and third, respectively, in the pole vault, and Dawson French took seveth. Ryan Phelps' second-place finish in the discus Thursday was a prelude to Friday's fourth place in the shot put, with teammate David Hawkins second in the shot Friday to keep the momentum rolling.
"It was amazing knowing our pole vaulters went out there and set the tone for the rest of the meet," Killinen said. "With their success, we had nothing left to do but carry it. We took that and we ran with it, and it felt amazing. There's no other way to describe it."
Carl Heide and Snooks got the day started for BHS in the 110 hurdles in the morning. Heide took the title in 14.65 seconds, while Snooks was ninth in 15.87.
Heide then had to wait more than four and half hours before he got in the blocks for the 300 hurdles. In the 300 hurdles, the senior was in the lead midway through the turn and held off Elizabeth's Mason Anthony for the title. Heide finished in 38.69 seconds.
"My mindset was just to attack that first hurdle," Heide said after the 300 win. "I know that if I hit the first hurdle well, it carries me through the rest of the race. I just tried to stay focused and execute - that's it. I came out with the win, and I'm happy."
Snooks had a similar sit-and-wait day. While Carl Heide knew there was a long layoff between the 110 and 300 hurdles events, Snooks was scheduled to compete in the high jump at 9:30 a.m., but rainy conditions pushed the high jump back. With the delay, Snooks had to find a balance between being ready to compete once given the OK without burning himself out mentally.
"That's our lifestyle with being active like we are," Snooks said. "You have to know when to get up and go and when you can rest. I didn't have the best outcomes in my events today, but we got the team title, and that's all that counts right now."
Snooks cleared 5 feet, 11 inches, which tied Zace Buckhold of Jefferson Academy for seventh. Skye Ciccarelli won the title with a height of 6-04.
In the 400, Dawson Heide qualified in the ninth and final spot, but, in the finals, the senior turned it on to finish seventh in 51.62 for three key points for the Wolverines. Alamosa's Chad Jackson won the title in 49.91.
Bayfield's 4x100 team finished in 43.72 for third. Berthoud won the title in 43.18. The 4x400 team finished in 3:38 for ninth. Platte Valley won in 3:21.59.
On the girls side, Lanning continued her dominant weekend at the championships with a second-place finish in the 100 hurdles, third in the 300 hurdles and fourth in the long jump. She won the high jump Thursday with a jump of 5-07.75, which was a 3A meet record.
"I honestly did not think I was going to come out that strong, so to do that was awesome and I was very confident going into the rest of the meet," Lanning said. "I was nervous (Saturday) because of the weather. I've never ran in weather like this, so that made it really nerve wracking. But I'm pretty happy with my results."
The BHS girls finished ninth with 33 points. Lanning accounted for 31 of the teams points, and Mikayla Barnes had the other two points after she finished eighth in the shot put with a throw of 33-09.50.
The Classical Academy won the 3A girls title with 110 points. Lutheran was second with 86 points and Alamosa was third with 57 points.
In the 100 hurdles, Lanning finished in 15.24. Ester Diza-mbelolo of D'Evelyn won in 15.08.
Lanning ran the 300 hurdles in 46.40. Elizabeth's Ashten Loeks won the event in 45.37.
In the long jump, Lanning's best leap was 16-06.50. The title went to Lutheran's Maya Evans, who jumped 18-03.50.
"She has the eye-on-the-prize mentality going into every meet. She didn't ever fail," coach Heide said of Lanning. "You can't always get your (personal record), but she was a team leader, someone the boys team looked up to, and Jordan is irreproachable as far as her athletic ability and her drive to be the best."
kschneider@durangoherald.com
