As April turns to May, the countdown to state begins for the Durango track and field team. The Demons track and field team has three meets to go, with the Southwest League Championships and the state championships circled on all the athlete’s calendars.
All Durango track and field athletes will have the chance to compete at the league championships. Only the top 18 performances in each event in 4A in Colorado will make it to the state championship at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood on May 16-18.
Here is an up-to-date look at what Durango track and field athletes are in good shape for state and what Demons are within reach of qualifying for state.
Boys 400 meters: Jaxon Fancher
The senior speedster is ranked 29th in 4A with a time of 51.71 seconds. He is 0.89 seconds behind 18th position. Fancher qualified last season for state in the 400. He made the finals and finished fifth with a time of 49.87.
Mikey Munn of Windsor High School has the fastest 400 time this year in 4A with a time of 47.68.
Boys 3200: Charlie Dillman
Dillman is currently ranked 17th with a time of 9 minutes and 44 seconds.
Aiden LeRoux of Cheyenne Mountain High School has the best time in 4A with a 9:19.
Boys 110 hurdles: Xavier Sutherlin
The Durango junior is seventh in 4A with a time of 15.18. Sutherlin also has an outside shot of making state in the 300 hurdles.
Karamoko Sacko of Northfield High School has the top time in 4A with a 13.69.
Boys relays:
The Demons boys relay squads are in good shape to make states. The 4x100 team has the most work to do with a time of 44.20 which has them in 26th place, a half-second away from qualification.
On the other hand, all the other boys relay teams are qualified. The 4x200 team is currently 15th in 4A with a time of 1:31.16. The 4x400 team ran a 3:32.72 which is 18th best in 4A. Finally, the boys 4x800 team ran an 8:29 which is 13th best in 4A.
The 4x400 team made the state finals last season and placed seventh with a 3:26.40. Fancher and senior Brodie Dorko were a part of that team.
Dorko was also on the 4x800 last season which placed 16th with a time of 8:31 at state.
Mesa Ridge High School has the top 4x100 relay this season in 4A with a time of 42:21. In the 4x200, relay, Roosevelt High School has the best time in 4A with a 1:29.07. Niwot High School has the best time in the 4x400 relay with a 3:26.09 and Cheyenne Mountain has the top time in the 4x800 with a 7:57.81.
Boys triple and high jump: Donovan Whitehead
The phenomenal freshman athlete is ranked 14th in triple jump with a mark of 43-0.25 and fourth in high jump in 4A with a jump of 6-3.
Matthew Kwong of Northfield leads 4A in triple jump with a jump of 46 feet. Wyatt Turner of Canon City High School has the top high jump in 4A with a jump of 6-6.
Boys pole vault: Grant Gordon
The sophomore ranks 22nd in 4A with an 11-foot vault which is eight inches away from qualifying for state.
Cooper Vanmaurer of Grand Junction Central High School leads 4A with a vault of 15-05.
Girls 800: Sofia Voss and Lacy Ruggiero
Voss ranks 15th in 4A with a time of 2:19.77 and Ruggiero is 27th with a time of 2:23.42, which is 2.44 seconds away from qualifying.
Last season, Voss qualified for the 800 and finished 13th in the 800 with a time of 2:19.30.
Addison Ritzenheim of Niwot has the top time in 4A with a 2:13.07.
Girls 1600: Lacy Ruggiero
The freshman currently has the 18th-best time in 4A with a 5:17. Ritzenheim has the top 1600 time with a 4:44.
Girls 300 hurdles: Evie Morris
Morris is 29th in the girls 300 hurdles with a time of 50.34 which is 1.73 seconds away from qualifying. Reese Kasper of Niwot has the top time in 4A with a 43.65.
Girls relays:
The Durango girls 4x200 relay team still has some work to do to get to state. The Demons rank 22nd with a 1:50.99, which is 1.4 seconds away from qualifying.
Similar to the boys, the Demons’ girls 4x400 and 4x800 teams are in great shape to qualify. The 4x400 team is 12th with a 4:14.83 and the 4x800 team is ninth with a 10:04.
Longmont High School has the top girls 4x200 team with a time of 1:42.96. Niwot has the top 4x400 and 4x800 girls teams with times of 3:56.32 and 9:11.76.
Girls high jump: Jeanne Campbell
The junior is fourth in the state with a jump of 5-3. Campbell made it to state last season in girls high jump. She finished 11th with a jump of 4-10.
Braelyn Bailey of Roosevelt leads 4A girls high jump with a 5-6.5.
Girls pole vault: Sonya Tocco
Tocco still has some work to do to make it to state. She ranks 26th with a vault of 8-3. Tocco is seven inches away from qualifying.
Teagan Olson of Roosevelt has the top vault in 4A with a 12-10.
Girls shot put: Megan Hutchins
The Durango junior is ranked 17th with a 32-9.5-inch throw. Jade West of Niwot has the top throw in the state with a throw of 44 feet.
Girls discus: Violet Mazenko and Oshi Reider
Mazenko is 19th in 4A with a throw of 105-11, which is one foot and nine inches away from qualifying. Reider is 23rd with a throw of 102-foot throw which is five feet, eight inches away from qualifying.
Sofia Cabrera of Skyview High School leads 4A in girls discus with a throw of 133-4.
AJ Bonanno, an intern from Animas High School, contributed to this article.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
