CORTEZ – Two La Plata County track and field athletes brought home a champion’s black shirt from action on the girls’ side of Montezuma-Cortez’s inaugural Bob Archibeque Invitational on Friday.
Both individuals wore Ignacio red and black.
Had it not been for Montezuma-Cortez standout Marlee Mack, the Lady Bobcats would have claimed first place in three more events and thus finished closer to the top of the meet’s team standings.
All told, with senior Maci Barnes dominating the 800-meter run and classmate Lauren deKay prevailing in the pole vault, Ignacio totaled 85.5 points and finished third behind the hosting Lady Panthers (169.5) and Pagosa Springs (179).
In the 800, Barnes ran 2:37.11 and defeated runner-up Maya Lowe of Dolores by 8.69 seconds.
In the pole vault, deKay needed fewer attempts to clear 7 feet than Durango duo Sonya Tocco and Rye Standifer.
With Maggie Glick managing to clear 6 feet and placing fifth, the specialty ended up being the Lady Demons’ best event of the day, helping Durango – competing with a roster reduced by numerous athletes competing in Lakewood at the two-day Pomona Invitational – record a sixth-place finish with 37.5 points.
Ignacio senior Darlyn Mendoza-Lechuga, a dual-athlete in soccer and track this spring, placed second to Mack in both the 100 and 300 hurdles. Mendoza-Lechuga’s 18.86 in the former trailed Mack’s 17.21, while her 52.31 in the latter trailed Mack’s 49.62.
In the long jump, Barnes (15-0) was also one-upped by Montezuma-Cortez’s sophomore standout (15-9.25).
Free from Mack in the 400, Barnes placed third in 1:05.68. Samantha Riddell finished third in the 200 (29.45) and ended up fourth in the high jump, her 4-08 best equaled by three others. Senior Kacey Brown earned third in the discus with a 77-10 maximum, and finished fourth in the 1,600 (6:40.87). Mendoza-Lechuga placed fourth in the 100, clocking 14.42 seconds.
Durango’s 400 relay team (Jenna Glueck, Arrow Nachtrieb, Nola Ziegler, Tocco) finished third in 58.94 seconds. Molly Bertrand placed seventh in both the 200 (30.00) and high jump (4-6). Nachtrieb was seventh in the 300 hurdles (1:00.52) and sixth in the 100 hurdles (19.69).
Bayfield also competed inside Panther Stadium. The Lady Wolverines were reduced in numbers, with many traveling to Grand Junction for the Fruita Monument-hosted Phil Wertman Invitational and then to the next day’s Glenwood Springs Invite. Bayfield placed ninth overall with 21 points, just 1.5 ahead of Mancos.
Sophomore Delilah Zink placed second in the shot put (29-11.5) and fourth in the discus (77-0). Fellow thrower and senior Katie Killinen was fifth in the discus (76-4) and seventh in the shot put (25-11.5).
Mila Feely (3:06.80) finished seventh in the 800, then placed 10th in the 1,600 at 7:21.43.
