The Durango and Bayfield High School track and field teams proved to be among the best in the state this weekend at the Mickey Dunn Invitational in Grand Junction.
The DHS girls team finished third out of 19 teams, while the boys took fourth. Bayfield’s boys team beat up on the much larger 4A and 5A schools to finish third, just a half a point behind 5A ThunderRidge. The Wolverines’ girls team placed eighth.
“I honestly think we’re ahead of where were last year at this time,” Durango head coach David McMillan said. “We had some really strong individual performances and our relay teams continue to do well, which is a sign of a well-rounded team.”
The Demons girls were sharp once again. They won the 4x400 relay with a time of 4:10.40 and took fourth in the 4x800 (10:05.20). Jessica Lee tied for first in the pole vault clearing 8-foot-7. Teagan Garand finished third in the 200 (27.21) and sixth in the 100 in 13.62. Garand also took fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 33 feet, 7.5 inches. Emma Fitzgerald was fifth in the 800 in 2:30.72 and Bekah Moenning was right behind in seventh with a time of 2:32.02. Abby Scott came in fifth in the 1600 in 5:25.44 and freshman Madeleine Burns’ time of 11:55.93 was good for third in the 3200.
Kathleen Duft finished fifth in the 300-meter hurdles (50.20) and seventh in the 100-meter hurdles at 17.97. Azalea Santillan continued to impress, as she finished second in the shot put with a throw of 32 feet, 5.5 inches and took fourth in the discus with a throw of 98 feet.
On the boys side, Alex Hise won the 200-meter dash in 23.41 seconds and teammate Paxton Scott came in seventh in 24.27 for the Demons. Durango had three of the top-eight finishers in the 1,600-meter run with Harry Steinberg finishing fifth in 4:43.07, Aiden Fitzgerald sixth (4:45.97) and Aidan Urban seventh (4:48.13).
The Demons distance stars did the same in the 3,200. Steinberg took second place with a run of 10:17.31, while Fitzgerald’s effort of 10:22.49 was fifth, and Marcus Flint placed seventh in 10:31.89.
Durango’s relay teams came away with points in each event as the 4x100 team was third (44.77), 4x200 fourth (1:34.38), 4x400 eighth (3:42.37) and 4x800 third (8:37.87).
Camden Garland cleared 12-foot-1 in the pole vault for third place, and Dylan Baken finished fourth at 11-foot-1. Braden Evans was sixth in the discus throw.
“I think we have 10 or 12 times that are currently state qualifiers,” McMillan said. “But people better watch out for Bayfield. I think they have the athletes to contend for a state title.”
Bayfield’s Carl Heide won the 110-meter hurdles competition with a winning time of 15.64. Dax Snooks got a point for BHS in the same event with an eighth-place time of 16.98. Dawson Heide and Snooks placed second and third, respectively, in the high jump. Sam Westbrook’s throw of 50 feet, 2.25 inches won the shot put event. Westbrook took fourth in the discus, and teammate Ryan Phelps was right behind in fifth.
Carl Heide broke his own school record, as he took second in the 300 hurdles with a time of 40.65, just 0.15 seconds shy of another win.
Brian Mashak placed second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.34 and third in the 200 in 23.56. Sloan Mazur finished sixth in the 800 (2:03.18). The Wolverines’ 4x100 relay team placed fourth in 45.19.
Amber Johnson led the way for the BHS girls. Johnson placed in the top six in four events, with her best finish coming in a third-place effort of 48.71 in the 300-meter hurdles. Johnson was fourth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.39, fifth in the 200 (27.49) and sixth in the 100 hurdles (17.76).
Jordan Lanning also had a successful meet with a second-place finish in the high jump clearing 5-foot-1. Lanning was fourth in 100 hurdles in 16.85 and fifth in the triple jump with a leap of 33 feet, five inches.
The Bayfield throwers had an impressive showing as well. Mikayla Barnes’ shot put throw of 32 feet earned her third place. Tiarra Christensen finished seventh in the same event with a mark of 29 feet, three inches, and took eighth in the discus at 93 feet, three inches.
jfries@durangoherald.com
