High school is out and spring sports are over. Therefore, it’s a good time to look at what Durango High School student-athletes made all-state teams.
Seniors Raimee Brant, Xavier Sutherlin and Ellie White were the only three Demons to make first team all-state this spring. Many Durango student-athletes made second team all-state or honorable mention all-state.
Plenty of Demon seniors, who may not play sports for a school again, were on all-state teams. Durango spring sports had a historic season, with all teams qualifying for state. It would’ve been very difficult to achieve that level of success without these players.
Here’s which Durango student-athletes made all-state:
Girls golf:
First team all-state: Raimee Brant, Ellie White
Brant and White earned first team all-state honors by finishing in the top 10 at the Colorado High School Activities Association 2025 Girls 4A State Championships at Broadlands Golf Course in Broomfield on May 19-20.
White finished tied-seventh at state with a score of +25 over par after 36 holes of golf. It was a fitting end to White’s esteemed high school career since she’s led the Demons in countless tournaments in her four-year varsity career. During her senior year, she was almost always shooting in the high 70s, low 80s and had plenty of top 10 finishes.
Brant finished tied-ninth at state at +26 over par. She saved one of her best performances for her last after a senior season where she was a big reason the Demons had a lot of depth and were balanced.
Second team all-state: Jayden Craig, Dylan Livingston
Durango girls golf head coach Kirk Rawles must be very excited that next year he’ll return his two second team all-state girls golfers.
Junior Jayden Craig and sophomore Dylan Livingston earned second team all-state honors by finishing in the top 20 at the 4A state championship.
Craig finished 16th at state at +31 over par. Her junior season was highlighted by winning the 4A Regional 4 Regional. Like White, she was very consistent and was a big part of the Demons’ success in the regular season and Durango’s second-place finish at state.
Livingston improved on her freshman-year performance at state and finished tied-19th at +36 over par. At around 6 feet tall, Livingston has the talent to become one of the top golfers in the state. She is a powerful hitter but also has soft hands around and on the green.
Track and field:
First team all-state: Xavier Sutherlin
Senior Xavier Sutherlin has been one of Durango’s premier track talents the last two years and ended his career on a high note at the 4A state championships at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood on May 15-17.
Sutherlin finished third in the Class 4A 110 hurdles in 14.58 seconds.
Athletes who finished in the top three in their event as an individual or as part of a relay earned first team all-state honors. Second team honors were for individuals or relay members who finished fourth through sixth and honorable mention was for individuals or relay members who finished seventh through ninth.
Sutherlin was renowned for his work ethic in the offseason to elevate himself to an elite hurdler. He’ll be a tough part of the team to replace with his production and leadership with the example he set for the squad’s younger members.
Second team all-state: Owen Cheatham
Junior Owen Cheatham may have flown under the radar this season for the Demons but his results speak for him. His discus throw at state of 154 feet and one inch was good enough for 4A.
Cheatham made a lot of strides this year and beat his previous personal records by 20 feet. He’s known to perform under pressure and next year, as a senior, Cheatham wants to beat William Knight’s school record of 161-4, set in 2022.
Honorable mention all-state: Lacy Ruggiero, Oshi Reider
Durango track and field head coach Johnny Bertrand has two talented athletes returning next year in rising junior Lacy Ruggiero and rising senior Oshi Reider.
Ruggiero finished seventh at state in the 1,600-meter women’s race in 5:01.43 to finish her sophomore. Ruggiero has been highly regarded since she entered high school and continues to deliver results for the Demons.
Reider progressed well throughout her junior season and ended it with a ninth-place finish in 4A girls shot put after a 35-1 1/4 throw.
Girls soccer:
Second team all-state: Lauren McClellan
Durango senior Lauren McClellan didn’t grab a ton of headlines with goals or assists, but she was a key part of Durango’s success and is recognized because of it.
The senior midfielder/defender was a very consistent player for the Demons and helped Durango have a fantastic defense. The Demons finished 14-4 overall and 10-0 in 4A/5A Southwestern League play. Durango had a 14-game stretch where it allowed one goal or less in each game before losing 3-0 to Lutheran in the 4A state quarterfinals.
McClellan showed strength with her tackles, touch with her passes up the field and composure on the back line.
Honorable mention all-state: Peyton Cioppa, Lila Scherer-Sickler
Senior midfielder Peyton Cioppa was one of the reasons the Demons were so deep and balanced on offense. Cioppa was a connector in the midfield and was third on the team with four assists. When needed, Cioppa was one of the few players who had the speed and touch to consistently beat her opponent one-on-one; that led to her scoring four goals.
Sophomore Lila Scherer-Sickler might’ve had the best touch on the team. She looked like a veteran on the field in most games with her decision-making, passing and shooting despite it being her second year on varsity.
Scherer-Sickler finished the season fifth on the team with 17 points on six goals and five assists. She’s poised to take another step forward in her junior year as the Demons lose some talented seniors. Expect Scherer-Sickler to be on this list again next season.
Girls lacrosse:
Honorable mention all-state: Silvie Bosmans, Jordan Meininger, Kyana Newcomer-Ball, Fiona Chandler
The Demons’ depth and balance led to four players on the honorable mention all-state list. No player stuck out as being a lot better than the others and depending on the night, numerous Durango players could lead the offense. This led to an 11-4 record overall, a 6-2 record in the 4A Mountain West League and the Demons’ first league championship in program history.
One of those players who could lead Durango’s offense, depending on the night, was senior Silvie Bosmans. She led the team with 41 points on 35 goals and six assists. Bosmans was also the Demons’ main option on draws and did a great job getting the Demons possession.
Seniors Jordan Meininger and Kyana Newcomer-Ball did a lot of the dirty work for the team which led to goals.
Meininger finished with 24 points and was one of those pieces that kept Durango’s offense so balanced. Newcomer-Ball was a great defender for the Demons, with great positioning and a knack for ground balls.
Senior Fiona Chandler was the last line of defense in goal for the Demons and was a huge reason for Durango’s success. She bailed out the Demons and saved shots most high school goalie couldn’t get to. Chandler was also the start of the offense at times with her outlet passes and clears off saves.
Boys lacrosse:
Honorable mention all-state: JT Munger
It was a transformative year for Durango boys lacrosse and senior midfielder JT Munger was there for the entire turnaround.
Munger had individual success in his junior year in 2024 with impressive goals from long distance and stick skills others on the team didn’t possess. The problem was Munger’s stats didn’t lead to winning as Durango finished 2-11 overall.
Then came new head coach Valeria Skarbek and the winning. Skarbek brought a culture of discipline which helped the team win and make the state playoffs. Munger was a big part of the team’s turnaround as his offense and play overall help lead Durango to a 6-9 overall record. Munger finished with a team-high 86 points on 32 goals and 54 assists.
Baseball:
Honorable mention all-state: Dawson McInnes, Austin Romero
The Durango High School baseball team had a fantastic transformation in 2025. It would’ve been difficult for the team to make the improvements it did without juniors Dawson McInnes and Austin Romero.
In 2024, Durango finished its season 8-15 overall and 0-8 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League. This season, first-year head coach Masen Hibbeler led the team to a 15-10 overall record and a 5-5 record in league play. The Demons won its regional as an underdog and advanced to the state tournament.
McInnes and Romero led the way for Durango. McInnes was first on the team in batting average at 0.427 and Romero was right behind him at 0.403. McInnes also led the team with 32 hits followed by Romero with 31. On the mound, McInnes was second on the team in ERA at 3.88 and Romero was third at 4.08.
The Demons are in fantastic shape to contend in the league and at state next season with a massive junior class. Don’t be surprised if McInnes and Romero are again leading the charge.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
