Time waits for no man, but now, Ayden Casillas can’t wait to be running for Colorado Mesa University after celebrating his commitment to the Mavericks on May 20.
For much of his junior and senior track-and-field seasons for Bayfield High School, Casillas was stuck playing catch-up.
Not necessarily to any one-time opponent or longtime rival, but to clocks and stopwatches as his times in the short sprints continued falling…but still leaving him short of what he needed to get to Colorado Mesa.
“I’d really spent time looking deep on what their team looked like, and it looked like a good, quality team,” Casillas said. “So I got in contact with the coach and he said, ‘You’ve got to run 10.8 (for the 100-meter dash) and 21.9 (200),’ ... I sent e-mails keeping him updated throughout the season, just letting him know how things are going, and he gave me their standards.”
Casillas’ times had fallen into the low 11-second range, but he still wanted—but more so needed—to run down another consequential two-tenths of a second with less than a month remaining in Bayfield’s 2026 campaign, and not even a handful of meets on the Wolverines’ schedule.
“The whole season the goal was those numbers ... I was committed to making sure it’s not a one-time thing,” Casillas said.
Clipping off an extra 0.06 just to be safe, Casillas’ school-record 10.74s at the Montrose Invitational and then the 3A state championships in Lakewood not only solidified his status as BHS’ fastest-ever afoot, but left an interested Colorado Mesa University no choice but recognize the prospect had what it wanted.
Casillas celebrated his commitment in front of friends, family and coaches as he will study fire science in Grand Junction. Bayfield boys soccer head coach Cody Kiss spoke about how he and the other teams the Wolverines play had heard of Casillas’ talents even before he played varsity for Bayfield. Wolverines track and field head coach Josh Walton spoke about Casillas’ work ethic and how he was always asking questions to get better.
“A four-year varsity letter-winner in track and soccer, as well as a two-year varsity football player—throughout his high-school career he has established himself as one of the top athletes in school history,” Bayfield athletic director Andy Duffy said, saluting Casillas’ single-season goals (24 in 2024) record in soccer, his Wolverine Football records for longest field goal (47 yards) and punt average (48.9).
After having honed his skills Casillas, whose family moved to the Pine River Valley from Gilbert, Arizona, when he was in fourth grade, closed out his Bayfield track career having also clocked a school-record 200 (21.88) and running a leg on the record-setting 4x200 relay (1:30.97).
Casillas will join a Mavericks program which wrapped up its 2026 campaign sending five gents to the NCAA Division II outdoor track and field championships in Emporia, Kansas, on May 21-23.
“The university campus is nice, it’s super-affordable and I have a lot of friends who are going up there,” said Casillas. “They said ‘Man, why don’t you have a shot at going to Mesa?’ I said, ‘You’re right—why don’t I?’ So the last nine months I really just put my life aside and just have been grinding. In the gym, sleep, nutrition, and…my goals became reality. I’m super grateful to have a spot and very excited for what the future holds.”
