The high school state track and field meet got underway on Thursday at Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood. After three days of competition, several local athletes finished near the top to score some points for the school.
Nykole Meshew of Bayfield had some of best performances and placed in both of her events, scoring 13.5 team points for the Wolverines. Meshew tied for second in the 3A girls high jump by clearing 5 feet, 1 inch, finishing just two inches behind the winner.
Meshew then finished sixth in the long jump with a top leap of 16 feet, 4 inches.
Alaysia Kremer also scored some points for BHS in the shot put. She finished fifth with a best throw of 33-06.50. In the discus, Kremer finished 14th with a top distance of 90-01.
Jaxon Fancher of Durango High School advanced to the finals in the 4A boys 400. He finished third in his preliminary heat in 50.04 seconds to advance with the sixth-best time. In the finals on Saturday, he ran even faster to finish fifth in 49.87. The race’s winner, Tavon Underwood of Mead, shattered the previous Colorado record of 46.23 with a 45.36.
Fancher was also part of Durango’s 4x400 relay that advanced to Saturday’s finals with the eighth fastest preliminary time of 3:26.84. Branden Marquez, Allan Hardee and Brody Dorko joined Fancher on the relay, which was scheduled to compete Saturday after this paper went to press.
Maci Barnes scored some team points for the Ignacio Bobcats on Friday in the 2A girls 800. Barnes placed sixth in 2:28.66. Barnes also competed in the long jump and triple jump on Thursday. Barnes leaped 14-06 to finish 13th in the long jump and 29-04.50 to finished 18th in the triple jump.
Lots of other La Plata County athletes also competed in the state championships and finished just outside of the points.
In the 4A girls high jump, Jeanne Campbell of Durango cleared 4-10 to place 11th, just two inches away from the seventh-place finisher.
In the boys 4x800, Durango finished 16th in 8:31.62.
The Bayfield boys 4x100 relay finished 17th in the prelims in 45.06. The Wolverines also finished 14th in the 4x200, clocking a 1:32.56 at the championships.
Sofia Voss placed 13th in the girls 800 in Class 4A for Durango in 2:19.30. In the 1,600, Voss finished just .11 seconds out of the points, placing 10th in 5:07.65.
Deegan Barnes finished just outside of the points in the boys discus for Bayfield. Barnes had a top throw of 129-08 and placed 10th in the event.
Sydney Wells of Durango cleared 9-2 in the pole vault to place 16th in the event.
See Wednesday’s edition of The Durango Herald for more state track coverage.
