There will be a busload of kids heading to the Colorado High School Activities Association state track meet from Durango High School.
The Demons qualified athletes in 15 events in Class 4A, including eight separate individual events and seven relays.
“There were a couple kids that were right on the bubble, and they got in,” DHS head coach David McMillan said.
The meet will run from Thursday through Saturday at the Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood.
DHS freshman Alli Davis is the top seed in the girls high jump at 5 feet, 8 inches and is seeded second in the girls long jump at 18-02.
Gabi Razma will be the No. 4 seed in the girls triple jump with a seeded mark of 36-02. She also will enter the long jump.
Miranda Gallegos also will be in the girls long jump, which is Durango’s most crowded event.
“She was a bridesmaid last year,” McMillan said. “Missed the cutoff by half an inch.”
Shannon Maloney will run the girls 800-meter dash.
DHS qualified three girls relays: the 4x400-meter, 4x800-meter and girls sprint medley relay, which consists of two 100-meter dashes, a 200-meter dash and anchors with a 400-meter run.
The Demons also will trot out all four boys relays ranging from the 4x100-meter to 4x800-meter.
“That’s pretty unprecedented for us in the last five or six years,” McMillan said. “If you look at them and average them, from the 4x1 to the 4x8, we’re the third most successful relay squad (in Class 4A).”
Justin Marcum will compete in the pole vault with a seeded mark of 13-00.
Trent Andrews and Garrett Mulkey are entered in the boys 800-meter run.
Joe Crawford will run the 1,600-meter, and Devin Lewis is entered in the boys 100-meter dash.
Bayfield High School
Wolverines typically are solitary creatures, but BHS is sending a pack of them to the 3A state track meet.
Twelve BHS athletes will compete in individual events, and the Wolverines are entered in 14 total events as a team.
“Pretty much what we expected after (Saturday),” BHS head coach Sherry Kimball said of the heat sheets. “We have pretty high expectations for our boys sprint relays.”
Bayfield’s boys 4x100-meter is running in the fastest 3A heat, while its boys 4x200-meter relay is only four seconds behind the top overall seed.
The Wolverines also qualified their girls 800 sprint medley relay.
The rest of Bayfield’s entries are individual events.
John Arnold is the top seed in the boys pole vault with a mark of 14-03.
“He took a shot at 15 feet (Saturday) and came really close,” Kimball said. “We’re really excited for where he is.”
Tyler Meyers and Michael Voss also will compete for BHS in the boys pole vault.
Conner Kennedy made it in both the boys high jump and boys long jump.
Brian Mashak qualified for the boys 200-meter dash as a freshman.
Aubry Brown will throw in flight two of the boys discus event.
Eva-Lou Edwards will look to defend her state title in the girls 3,200-meter run as the top overall seed and is the No. 3 seed in the 1,600-meter run.
Jessica Cusick is entered in both the girls 400-meter and 800-meter runs.
Jessie Roukema will compete in the girls high jump as the No. 5 seed.
Morgan Allred, Katie Hawkins and Brittany Hunter will pole vault for BHS.
“You can have these rankings, but it comes down to head-to-head competition,” Kimball said. “I think the kids have the expectations, and they’re going up there to compete, but you just never know what’s going to happen.”
Ignacio High School
Ten athletes will represent the Bobcats at the Class 2A state meet.
Most of them are on the boys side.
Christian Knoll qualified for the 200-meter dash and pole vault individually, and he will compete in Ignacio’s relays, as well.
“He’s peaking at the right time,” IHS head coach Tony Kimball said.
The Bobcats field a team for the boys 4x100-meter, 4x200-meter and 4x400-meter relays.
Wyatt Hayes is entered in the boys 400-meter run and long jump.
Mike Perez is competing in the 110-meter hurdles.
Tyler Riepel and Keith Joosten will join Knoll in the pole vault field.
Adam Hererra is entered in the long jump, and Kelton Richmond will throw the shot put.
Jayce Stricherz and Chrystianne Valdez are Ignacio’s only girls’ representatives and will compete in the pole vault.
“A lot of your kids need to peak more than once to get opportunities to qualify for state,” Kimball said. “You try to have your kids performing at their best at this time of the year.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
