IGNACIO – Azala Perez picked the perfect time for the first win of her high school career.
The Ignacio High School sophomore took first in the 100-meter dash in 13.9 seconds at the Abel Velasquez Invitational on Saturday in Ignacio.
“I know I don’t have a very strong start off, but my best chance, I thought, was to stride out as fast as I could at the beginnings and at the end – quicker steps,” said Perez, daughter of Daniela Perez and Miguel Perez Sr. “I thought I didn’t win. I thought I was third or second.”
Instead, she won the inaugural girls 100 on Ignacio’s new track.
The Bobcats hosted the Abel Velasquez Invitational in Ignacio for the first time since 2004. That year, Vernon and Sherry Kimball were running the meet.
Now, 11 years later, their son, IHS head coach Tony Kimball, was in charge.
“More than anything, the kids were proud to show of their facility and proud to show off their community,” Tony Kimball said. “Things went really well. We didn’t miss any races. I had good comments pretty much all day.”
The Bobcats finished fourth and fifth out of seven teams on the boys and girls sides, respectively.
Miguel Perez picked up Ignacio’s other win of the day in the boys 400-meter dash. He cruised by the field in 52.89 seconds, 1½ seconds faster than teammate Bryan Gram in second.
“I learned (Saturday) I should kick it later instead of sooner, so the top of the curve is where I go all out,” said Perez, son of Daniella and Miguel Perez Sr. “I haven’t had a track meet here in Ignacio since I was back in middle school. It’s great to have that home-field advantage.”
Ignacio’s girls 4x100-meter relay team of Sky Cotton, Isis Gonzales, Jaylynn Herrera and Azala Perez finished third in 55.05 seconds. Its boys team of Keith Joosten, Lorenzo Peña Miguel Perez and Tyler Riepel took fourth in 48.94.
Gonzales also finished third in the girls 400-meter dash in 72.11 seconds.
Azala Perez backed up her win in the 100 with a fifth-place finish in the girls 200-meter dash in 29.79 seconds.
Miguel Perez was third in the boys 200 in 25.03 seconds.
Kyle Bailey finished third in the boys high jump at 5-feet, 9-inches.
Chrystianne Valdez was fifth in the girls pole vault at 6-7.
Keith Joosten took third in the boys pole vault at 10-07”and fifth in the boys triple jump at 36-3.5.
Sky Cotton was fourth at 14-9.5 in the girls long jump.
Alana Watts took second in the girls shot put at 30-01.25, and Lilliana Romero was third at 25-00.75.
In addition to being Ignacio’s first true home meet in more than a decade, it also was a test run. The Bobcats also will host the San Juan League championships on April 21.
“It really turns us around being able to practice on it every day then coming here and realizing this is our house,” Miguel Perez said. “We’re used to it.”
Durango High School
The Demons treated Saturday’s Abel Velasquez Invitational as an opportunity to show their depth.
Most of Durango’s varsity athletes either took the day off or ran very limited events to rest up for Tuesday’s Ron Keller Invitational.
That didn’t stop DHS from placing second on both the boys and girls sides.
“We wanted the varsity kids to have some time to rest after a hard week of practice so they can show off at our home meet,” DHS assistant coach Johnny Bertrand said. “That gave our younger kids and our (junior varsity) kids a chance to show what they could do.”
Senior John Lee took advantage of his opportunity. He won the 110-meter hurdles in 17.07 seconds and the triple jump at 39-01.75.
“I was in the fast lane so I knew I had to push myself to be ahead anyway – people were chasing me. That was more motivation,” said Lee, son of Debbie and John Lee Sr.
Lee also finished third in the long jump at 17-11.5.
The DHS boys 4x800-meter relay team of William Chandler, Joe Logan, Seamus Millett and David Moening won in 8:27.12.
Brett Rowland took second in the girls 100-meter hurdles in 18.36 seconds, .01 seconds behind Dolores’ Larissa Umerger.
The Demons’ 4x200-meter relay squad of Bryan Dunlop, Joaquin Valdez, Paxton Scott and Moening was second in 1:36.77.
Sarah Smagacz won the girls 1,600-meter run in 5:59.74 seconds.
Isaac Ducker took third in the boys 1,600-meter run in 5:25.02.
Durango’s girls 4x100-meter relay team of Carter Reiter, Rowland, Logan Clark and Violet Whitechel took second in 54.59.
The DHS boys 4x100 squad of Corbin Lyman, Lucas Baken, Camen Garland and Oliver Haaland also was second in 46.33.
Rowland won the girls 300-meter hurdles in 53.56.
In the boys 300-meter hurdles, sophomores Liam O’Neil and Corbin Lyman took second and third in 43.68 and 43.86, respectively.
Shannon Maloney shortened her typical races in winning the girls 200-meter dash in 28.09 seconds.
Oliver Haaland took second in the boys 200 in 24.75 seconds.
“That was a (personal record) for him and might be fast enough to make varsity,” Bertrand said.
The Demons’ 4x400-meter relay team of Dunlop, Gabe Gilleland, Valdez and Halland won in 3;46.92.
Shaylan Garrett took third in the girls pole vault at 7-07, and Gilleland was second in the boys pole vault at 11-07.
Josh Hobson finished second in the boys long jump at 17-11.5 and second in the boys triple jump at 38-03.5.
Clark took third in the girls triple jump at 27-04.
Chandler Schneider won the boys discus throw at 124-04.
Breann Hawman was second in the girls discus throw at 88-03 and first in the girls shot put at 34-11.25.
“Hopefully that will vault her into state qualifying position,” DHS throws coach John Gurule said. “We’re seeing the improvement in our throwing program.”
DHS next will host its annual Ron Keller Invitational on Tuesday in Bayfield because the Demons’ track isn’t in shape to host the meet.
Bayfield High School
Target acquired: school records.
In winning both the boys and girls meets at the Abel Velasquez Invitational on Saturday, BHS was gunning for its own history.
The Wolverines’ 4x200-meter relay team of Gabe Kaufmann, Preston Hardy, Conner Kennedy and Brian Mashak won the meet in 1:32.87 and broke Bayfield’s record in the process.
Kennedy also distinguished himself with his finishes in the jumping events.
He won the boys long jump at 19-11, a stadium record, and took second in the boys high jump at 5-09 after losing in a jump-off to Mancos’ Andrew Plunkett.
“I wasn’t really worried about winning it, I was just bummed I didn’t get PR. I wasn’t that motivated for the jump off,” said Kennedy, son of Kelly and Tiffany Kennedy. “It was a great transition coming from a second place to a pretty good first place.”
Jessica Cusick already owns the BHS record in the 400- and 800-meter runs and was going for the 200-meter run Saturday. She couldn’t quite reach it but finished second in 28.43 seconds, with teammate Amber Johnson right behind her in 28.76.
“I’m trying to focus on getting my speed up for the 400 because I want to keep up higher when I go to state,” said Cusick, daughter of Matt and Michelle Cusick.
She won the 400 Saturday in 61.98, nearly five seconds faster than her closest competitor.
Carl Heiede took second in the boys 110-meter hurdles in 17.28, and Brady Field was third at 17.54.
Johnson finished second in the girls 100-meter dash in 13.96 seconds.
Kaufmann was second in the boys 100-meter dash in 11.89 seconds.
Bridget Goddard finished second in the girls 1,600-meter run in 6:01.06, and Alex Knight won the boys mile in 5:00.9.
The Wolverines’ girls 4x100-meter relay of Morgan Allred, Johnson, Amy Roach and Jessie Roukema won in 52.87, and their boys 4x100-meter squad of Jaden Vitagliano, Kaufmann, Kennedy and Mashak also was first in 45.59.
Hardy finished third in the boys 400-meter dash in 54.53 seconds.
Brady Fields won the boys 300-meter hurdles in 42.73 seconds.
Sloan Mazur was second in the boys 800-meter run in 2:12.38, and Knight finished third in 2:13.93.
Mashak blew away the field in the boys 200-meter dash in 23.32 seconds, more than a second ahead of second place.
Roukema won the girls high jump at 4-10.
Katie Hawkins finished first in the girls pole vault at 8-07, and teammate Allred was second at 8-01.
Michael Voss cleared 13-07 to win the boys pole vault.
Tori Tate took second in the girls long jump at 15-00.5, and Emily Bauer was third at 14-11.75.
Tate won the girls triple jump at 31-10.
Aubry Brown took second in the boys discus throw at 123-07, and Sam Westbrook was third with a throw at 114-02.
Brown won the boys shot put at 44-06, and Zane Westbrook finished right behind him at 43-11.
Blane Barnes finished the BHS sweep of the shot-put podium in third at 42-09.
“He finally got a nice shot put out there,” BHS head coach Sherry Kimball said.
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
