Cowboy track and field to peak at state meet

PRs, first place spots continue to roll in at Pueblo


The GHS track and field teams competed in their final regular season meet last Friday, May 12, — Friday Night Lights at Pueblo West. 

With the state meet set for next week, the girls team showed no signs of slowing down, earning a series of podium spots particularly among the distance runners and jumpers. The boys team saw fewer placements, but put together PRs across the board — proving the team is continuing to improve up until the very last minute. 

On the girls side, both Angela Hindes and Madelyn Stice earned first place spots. Stice finished in the first 1600-meter run with PR of 5:15.66 and Hindes in the high jump with a 4-11. 

Two other Cowboys podiumed. Jemma Petrie came in second in the 3200-meter run with a time of 12:24:22, just shy of a 12:17.94 PR she set last week during the league championship. Eden Williams took third in the triple jump, while Aubrey Welfelt and Lee Brunsting came in close behind in the same event. Welfelt finished fifth with a 31-8, and Brunsting earned ninth with 30-5.5. Both were PRs. 

Caroline Sudderth held down the hurdle races, finishing eighth in the 100-meter and ninth in the 300-meter. The two girls relay teams finished in the top 10. The 4×800 squad, composed of Stice, Petrie, Justine Mowery and Izabella Hartzel finished fourth. The 4×200 group, which consists of Caroline Sudderth, Williams, Sienna Gomez and Hindes, came in seventh. 

For the boys team, none of the Cowboys came in top 10 but a few earned PRs. Nicholas Ferraro saw the highest placements: 11th in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 17.84, and 13th in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 46.17. Both races were PRs. Julian Ryter put together a 10:38.71 PR in the 3200-meter run and Rowen Downum earned PRs in the 800- and 1600-meter runs. Freshman Arno Mortenson ran a PR of 24.58 in the 200-meter dash.

The state meet is set for this weekend and will take place at the Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood, May 19-21. To qualify for the state competition, athletes must rank in the top 16. 

Rankings were released Tuesday afternoon and four individuals plus both relay teams from the girls team made the cut. Stice qualified for the 800-meter, 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs. Hindes made it in both the high jump and long jump, while Gomez and Williams each qualified for the triple jump. 

(Jacob Spetzler can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or jacob@gunnisontimes.com.)

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