There's no better time than the 2A state championships to be at your best.
And Ignacio junior Bryan Gram was exactly that.
As the boys' lone qualifier to the season's biggest Class 2A track-and-field assembly, held May 19-21 at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood, he set personal records in his two events. Gram placed in both the 400- and 200-meter dashes to gain IHS four team points and a share-along with Calhan, Akron, Kiowa and Hotchkiss-of 32nd place.
On Day 1 Gram, like everyone else in the longer of the two sprints, ended up chasing Loveland Resurrection Christian senior Evan Anderson's preliminary-best time of 49.76 seconds, but ended up a strong fifth with a 50.86-blowing away his seeding time of 51.24-guaranteeing him a spot in Day 3's final.
Anderson again dominated the final, but with an improved 49.59 effort. Wiggins junior Shane Finegan came in second, his 49.61 slicing an impressive 1.24 seconds off his preliminary-round work. Cedaredge senior Bryce Klaseen took third in 50.52, and Gram finished seventh (earning three points in the process) in 51.68.
Resurrection junior Michael Stevenson trailed the Bobcat with his eighth-place 52.29, and CHS junior Brendon Klaseen's 53.54 rounded out the field.
In the 200, Gram took eighth in the Day 1 prelims, clocking 23.25 and again bettering his seeding time (23.59) in earning the second of three last-chance spots-illustrating how competitive that was, Ault Highland junior Cole Rouse nabbed the third with his 23.34-in the final.
But during the Saturday session, Gram slowed to a ninth-place 24.60 (still earning a team point, however) while RCS senior Cooper Ward was only one hundredth of a second slower than his heat-race 22.55 in earning first.
Paonia senior Jeremiah Hillman finished second in 22.79-bettering his prelim effort by 0.19-and Ellicott senior Kevin Vargas crossed the line third in 22.90 (0.26 off his prelim pace). Slowing by 0.43 from the Championships' opening day, RCS' Anderson ended up fifth with a 23.32.
CLASS 2A BOYS' STANDINGS (40 scoring teams in all): 1.Cedaredge 98, 2.Loveland Resurrection Christian 85, 3.Lyons 63, 4.Julesburg-Ovid Revere Sedgwick County 39.5, 5.Walsenburg John Mall 39, 6.Sanford 38.5, 7.Ellicott 37, 8.Paonia 35, 9.Wiggins 33, 10.Edwards Vail Christian 30.
27.Greeley Dayspring Christian 10, 28.Dolores 9, Tie for 29.Denver Christian/Fowler 8, 31.Peyton 7, T-32.Calhan/Akron/IGNACIO/Kiowa/Hotchkiss 4, 37.Meeker 3, T-38.Iliff Caliche/Kremmling West Grand 2, 40.Merino 1.
