Plenty of local sports fans are excited for the Winter Olympics and rightfully so with Durango’s Charlie Mickel competing in moguls, but there are still some intriguing local sports events in the upcoming week before the Olympics begin.
High School and college teams are in the heart of conference and league play. The Durango High School boys basketball team will need a serious revival to make the playoffs, but the Durango girls basketball team and Bayfield boys basketball teams are in a good position to make the postseason.
The Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio High School wrestling programs all have wrestlers who have a reasonable shot of placing at state with less than a month left in the season.
Fort Lewis College men’s and women’s basketball teams have a lot left to play for, with the men trying to close out a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship, and the women are trying to make the conference tournament for the first time since 2017-2018.
The Durango boys wrestling team has its senior night meet on Thursday at home, and the Skyhawks remain at home on Thursday and Saturday.
Here’s the local sports schedule for the upcoming week:
Thursday: Women’s basketball vs. Colorado School of Mines at 5:30 p.m.
Notes: The Skyhawks women’s basketball team looks to bounce back at home after losing at home on Saturday to UCCS, 75-68. FLC dropped to 12-6 overall and 5-5 in the RMAC with the loss. Sophomore guard Katie Lamb led the Skyhawks with 16 points.
It was a disappointing loss for FLC, considering the Skyhawks were up 44-31 at the half. The Skyhawks had one of their worst quarters of the season and were outscored 22-4 in the third quarter. Third quarters have been an issue recently for the Skyhawks as they were outscored 42-13 in their last two losses.
Colorado School of Mines is 12-9 overall and 7-3 in the RMAC after it lost to MSU Denver, 72-59, snapping an eight-game winning streak. Colorado School of Mines has really bounced back after a 1-5 start to the season, during which the Orediggers lost to three top-25 teams. Former FLC head coach Taylor Harris is an assistant coach for Colorado School of Mines.
The Orediggers have one of the best scorers in the RMAC in Sofia Baldessari, who’s third in the RMAC with 19.0 points per game.
Last season, Colorado School of Mines beat FLC in Golden, 81-76, in overtime.
Men’s basketball vs. Colorado School of Mines at 7:30 p.m.
Notes: The FLC men’s basketball team is still undefeated in conference play after its 90-84 win at home against UCCS. The Skyhawks trailed in the second half, but 66 points from their big three of fifth-year forward Chuol Deng, redshirt sophomore guards Jaxon Smith and Stewart Erhart powered the Skyhawks over the finish line in the second half.
FLC improved to 12-5 overall and 10-0 in the RMAC, and the Skyhawks have a three-game lead in the RMAC standings. The Skyhawks have won seven consecutive games and have bounced back nicely after starting the season 2-4 overall.
Colorado School of Mines is 11-10 overall and 7-3 in the RMAC. The Orediggers had high expectations heading into this season after finishing 29-5 overall and winning the regular season and conference tournament titles last season.
The Orediggers were ranked 10th in the Division II preseason top 25 coaches program, but struggled to start the season with 11 freshmen and were 1-6 to start the year. Colorado School of Mines has bounced back by winning seven of its last eight games.
Markus Pastorcic-Straun is the second-leading scorer in the RMAC, averaging 19.9 points per game. Last season, the Skyhawks lost a close battle at Colorado School of Mines, 82-79.
Friday: Men’s and women’s track and field at New Mexico Team Open in Albuquerque
Softball at Concordia University Irvine in the Concordia Kickoff Classic in Irvine, California at 2:30 p.m.
Notes: The Skyhawks softball team returns to the diamond after finishing 10-38 overall and 9-34 in the RMAC last season. Paige Rhodes is back as head coach for her third season. The Skyhawks return four of their top six hitters and sophomore pitcher Chloe Padilla.
Softball vs. University of Hawaii at Hilo in the Concordia Kickoff Classic in Irvine, California at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Men’s and women’s track and field at New Mexico Team Open in Albuquerque
Softball vs. No. 14 Cal State San Marcos in the Concordia Kickoff Classic in Irvine, California at noon
Women’s basketball vs. MSU Denver at 1 p.m.
Men’s basketball vs. MSU Denver at 3 p.m.
Softball vs. Azusa Pacific University in the Concordia Kickoff Classic in Irvine, California at 4:30 p.m.
Sunday: Softball vs. Cal State Monterey Bay in the in the Concordia Kickoff Classic in Irvine, California at 9:30 a.m.
Thursday: Durango boys wrestling hosts league tri with Grand Junction, Grand Junction Central at 5 p.m.
Friday: Durango Alpine skiing at Keystone
Durango, Ignacio girls wrestling at Canon City Tournament
Ignacio boys wrestling at Valley Classic at Center High School
Durango girls swimming and diving vs. Pagosa Springs and Sargent at 4:30 p.m.
Durango boys ice hockey vs. Crested Butte Secondary at 5 p.m.
Durango girls basketball at Fruita Monument at 5:30 p.m.
Bayfield girls basketball at Pagosa Springs at 5:30 p.m.
Ignacio girls basketball at Alamosa at 5:30 p.m.
Bayfield boys basketball at Pagosa Springs at 7 p.m.
Durango boys basketball at Fruita Monument at 7 p.m.
Ignacio boys basketball at Alamosa at 7 p.m.
Saturday: Durango boys wrestling at Canon City Tournament
Durango girls wrestling at War Horse in Chatfield
Ignacio boys wrestling at Valley Classic at Center High School
Bayfield boys, girls wrestling at Four Corners Throwdown at Montezuma-Cortez High School at 8:30 a.m.
Durango girls swimming and diving vs. Sargent, Pagosa Springs and Montrose at 10 a.m.
Durango girls basketball at Grand Junction at noon
Durango boys basketball at Grand Junction at 1 p.m.
Ignacio girls basketball vs. Monte Vista at 2:30 p.m.
Ignacio boys basketball vs. Monte Vista at 4 p.m.
Bayfield girls basketball vs. Montezuma-Cortez at 5:30 p.m.
Bayfield boys basketball vs. Montezuma-Cortez at 7 p.m.
