The Cowboy track and field teams earned podium finishes and personal bests at the Frank Woodburn Invitational in Grand Junction on April 5. The girls team, led by a strong jumping squad, finished first place overall, while others shed time and set new personal records.
“We’re in a better place than we were at the same time last season,” said Head Coach Stacey Mickelson. “These kids are competing really well, and we’re picking up from where we left off.”
Catalina Schwab held down the distance running fort while Jemma Petrie was away attending the science olympiad. The senior took second place in the 1600-meter run, and fifth place in the 800, providing key points in the absence of Jemma, and Madelyn Stice, who continues to recover from injury. Sophomore Maya Petrie tacked on a third-place time in the 200-meter dash, while Eden Williams took 12th.
Caroline Sudderth fanned the flames in the hurdle events. The junior placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles, and fifth in the 300-meter hurdles, while Brooke Terry finished on her heels. The combined effort paved the way for the Cowboy jumpers to rake in points.
Angela Hindes shined in the high jump, placing first with a leap of 5 feet. Lee Brunsting and Terry placed second and third in the triple jump, and senior Sienna Gomez notched a third-place leap in the long jump. To cap off the meet, the 4x100 relay team of Gomez, Hindes, Williams and Sudderth took first, while the 4x200 team of Gomez, Maya, Sudderth and Aubrey Welfelt placed second.
On top of a commanding, first-place finish for the girls, Stice also returned to training last week, and is hopeful to begin competing in the coming month.
“We had some great training, but then went straight on spring break,” Mickelson said. “Now that we’re two weeks past the break, everyone is back in the groove, and that really showed over the weekend.”
Senior Jackson Dalleck stood as the top athlete for the GHS boys in Junction, earning a second-place finish in the 1600, and sixth-place time in the 800. Shane Mensing added to the senior dominance with a second-place toss in the discus, and 11th in the shot put. Arno Mortensen finished off the Cowboys’ performance with a sixth-place leap in the high jump. The combined effort earned the GHS boys team an 11th place finish out of 20 competing schools.
The Cowboy athletes will return to the oval at the Thunder-Storm Invitational in Pueblo on April 12.
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@gunnisontimes.com.)
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