LAKEWOOD - Ranking eighth after his first try inside Jeffco Stadium, Ignacio senior Natoni Cundiff ended up neither better nor worse in the final Class 2A boys' shot-put standings after unsuccessfully trying to surpass his initial 43-foot, 4-inch effort.
Ellicott senior Jacob Tu'ufuli won the 2018 CHSAA State Track & Field Championships' Day 1 specialty with a maximum of 48'8.75" on the third of his six tries.
Having earned IHS what would be its only two team points at the season-ending, May 17-19 showcase, Cundiff went back to work on Day 2 competing in the discus, but finished one place short of making the 10-man final flight and peaked with a throw of 123 feet, five inches.
Winning the event was Ordway-based Crowley County junior Lane Walter, who topped out at 160'1" on his sixth and last attempt.
In the 3,200-meter run, sophomore Elco Garcia, Jr., found himself just 0.102 off the first-lap pace of Rocky Ford senior Cody Danley. But when the Meloneer, who overtook Lyons sophomore Isaac Roberts on Lap 4, reached the eighth and decisive 'bell lap' in 8:38.991, he was 38.751 seconds ahead of the Bobcat. Garcia ultimately finished 11th in 10 minutes, 30.498 seconds. Danley prevailed in 9:42.938, and Roberts finished in 9:55.545.
Also representing Ignacio in the 1,600 meters, Garcia finished 13th in 4:47.855, 24.675 seconds behind winner Ben Kelley of Oak Creek Soroco.
Running in the 800, sophomore Jonas Nanaeto's season ended with a 10th-place 2:03.14. He also qualified for the 400 and finished 16th in the prelims with his 53.80.
In the final team standings, Loveland Resurrection Christian piled up a winning 63 points while Cedaredge and Lyons tied for second with 58 each.
Ignacio finished tied with Black Hawk-based Gilpin County for 38th out of 40 scoring crews.
