Ten athletes from the GHS track and field teams represented Gunnison at the 3A state championship May 15-17 in Lakewood. The Cowboys battled through adversity — including a controversial disqualification in the 3200-meter run — to earn top spots and cap off the spring season.
“It’s so sad to see this group of seniors leave, but it was also great to see them exceed expectations,” said Head Coach Stacey Mickelson.
On the Front Range, the Gunnison athletes were met with foul weather, and a stadium packed with high school teams from across the state. The Cowboy jumpers started the day with impressive results. Angela Hindes completed her senior season with a sixth-place finish in the high jump, while Eden Williams earned her first individual state placement with an eighth-place leap in the long jump.
Caroline Sudderth shed seconds from her personal best time in the 100-meter hurdles to climb the leaderboard to 11th place. Sienna Gomez lit up her final event as a Cowboy, taking sixth in the triple jump, while Lee Brunsting finished just behind her in 15th. The 4x100-meter relay team of Sudderth, Gomez, Williams and Hindes added a 16th-place time to the Cowboys’ score.
“This team meant so much to me, and the people this year have been my best friends, and my family,” Williams said. “I felt like I could tell them anything, and felt so supported.”
The Cowboy distance crew also cruised to top times. But it was a five-athlete disqualification in the 2-mile that made headlines across the state. Runners in the 3A race began in a staggered, “waterfall start,” and were instructed to cut in at a specific mark. However, the frontrunner cut in prematurely, and four others followed. One was Cowboy Jemma Petrie, who placed ninth in the race, but was informed of her disqualification at the finish line. Nearly every team protested the ruling, and a handful of girls even offered up their winning medals to those disqualified.
After the heartbreaking finish in the 3200, Petrie returned to the track, and capitalized with an eighth-place time in the 1600, and 11th in the 800. Alongside her, for one more final race before graduation, was friend and running partner Madelyn Stice. After fighting back from injury this season, Stice completed her final meet with a third-place time in the 3200, and a seventh-place finish in the 1600.
“This season I learned different ways to help my team and lead, even when I couldn’t run with them,” Stice said. “I feel like I took running for granted, and I gained a new appreciation for the sport that I love.”
While only two GHS athletes represented the boys team, both starred in the season finale. Jackson Dalleck ran a 10:21.45 in the 3200-meter, despite a bronchitis diagnosis. His resilience earned him a 14th-place time in the event. Shane Mensing wrapped up his record-breaking senior season with an 11th-place toss in the discus.
Mickelson said the Cowboys’ combined effort, and strong senior leadership will inspire the up-and-coming underclassmen, who have already notched impressive times this season.
“The seniors showed the younger kids this season that with hard work and dedication, you can get to the state championship,” Mickelson said. “They set really great examples, and I hope that will continue in future years.”
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@gunnisontimes.com.)
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