LAKEWOOD – The Niwot girls are making a habit of not only winning track and field team titles, but doing it in dominating fashion.
On Sunday, the Cougars completed yet another impressive run to the top at the Class 4A state meet at Jeffco Stadium. Niwot won its third title in a row, its second three-peat in the last nine meets (also 2013-15).
Led by individual and relay champions, the Cougars finished with 170 points to roll past second-place Mullen (61) by 109 points. Niwot won by 135 points last year and by 65 points in 2019.
“Yeah, I mean, it feels really nice,” said junior Kimora Northrup, who won the 100-meter hurdles and finished second in 300 hurdles. “We all work so hard all year long. It’s nice to win the 100 hurdles so I can contribute 10 points to the team title and then even eight with this one (300).”
Overall, Niwot won eight of the 19 events, including four wins on Sunday. In addition to Northrup’s 100 hurdles win, Madison Shults won the 400 meters (56.05 seconds), with teammate Stella Vieth in second (56.26). Eva Klingbeil won the 1,600 in 4:49.66, adding to the 3,200-meter title she won on Saturday.
Niwot also won the 1,600-meter relay in 3:55.18. Shults, a junior, teamed with sophomores Julia Rudolph and Mia Prok and freshman Bella Nelson in the 1,600 relay.
Northrup came in as the defending champion in the 300 hurdles, but was edged by Mullen’s Kilah Freelon. She did get the 100 hurdles title she missed out on last year, though. She was second in 2021.
“I had a little fire underneath me (after losing the 100 last year),” she said. “This year, I haven’t had good races in the 100s, so I had a lot of emotions. I was definitely ready for the 100s and I just didn’t have my best race today in the 300s and Kilah did amazing. I’ve got to give it to her.”
McCormick sets another record
Longmont senior Connor McCormick had a sizzling final kick in the boys 1,600-meter run, racing past Niwot’s Zane Bergen in the last 100 meters to win the title and set a 4A meet record in the process.
McCormick, who ran just behind Bergen during the first 1,500 meters, finished in 4:06.97, while Bergen was second in 4:07.72. Bergen had set the previous record a year ago with a time of 4:09.51.
McCormick also set a meet record in winning the 3,200 on Saturday. In addition, this week he was runner-up (to Bergen) in the 800 and helped Longmont to second place in the 3,200-meter relay.
Led by McCormick, Longmont won the boys team title for the first time since 2012. The Trojans finished with 76 points to outlast Cheyenne Mountain and Niwot, who tied for second (60 points each). This is Longmont’s fourth team title since 2008.
Kelleghan, Meeks repeat
Silver Creek’s Megan Kelleghan was dominant in winning the 4A girls pole vault a year ago.
On Sunday, she was dominant again.
The Raptors’ junior won her second consecutive title with a winning leap of 13-feet. Victoria Sanders of Discovery Canyon was second, at 11-9. Kelleghan came up just shy of topping the state meet record she set a year ago at 13-4.5.
Northfield’s Giovanna Meeks was a repeat champion, as well, easily winning the girls discus with a throw of 161 feet, 11 inches – nearly 41 feet ahead of Durango’s Sydney Flores (121-1).
Meeks, who won the shot put on Thursday, closes her career as a three-time champion. She won the discus in 2021, but an ankle injury prevented her from competing in the shot put.
In other individual events, Thompson Valley’s Avery Kennison won the 100 meters with a time of 12.52, just ahead of Palisade’s Gabrielle Horton (12.66); Mesa Ridge’s Janise Everett won the 200 meters in 25.03, with Discovery Canyon’s Lauren McDowell second (25.53); and Mullen’s Kilah Freelon won the 300 hurdles in 42.13, with Northrup second.
Mesa Ridge took the title in the 400 relay with a time of 48.64 seconds. Juniors Danaya Kinnard, Rimari Facey and Janise Everett teamed with freshman Olivia Clay to knock off second-place Discovery Canyon (49.06).
Blanton defends title
Justin Blanton of Grand Junction Central closed his career as a multi-year champion.
The senior successfully defended his 2021 title in the 400 meters, winning on Sunday in 47.68 seconds. Zach Ryan of Northfield was second, in 48.25. Then, he won the 200 meters in 21.99 seconds, with Ryan second (22.42).
“It just feels good, finally,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve been working for this whole year that I honestly didn’t think I was gonna get just because of times I was putting down. But, I believe my coach knew what he was doing. He said, ‘We’re just gonna tear you down for the first part of the season and have you peak at that state meet,’ and I believe him.”
Last year, Blanton won the 400 while finishing second in the 100 and 200. He narrowly lost the 100 again on Saturday.
“Defending the 400 was important, but getting that 200 also shows that, hey, I’m still one of the fastest dudes in the whole state,” Blanton said.
Widefield’s Derek Allen also won a pair of titles, taking both hurdles. He won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.07 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 38.06. Allen was the defending champion in the 300 hurdles and runner-up in the 110 hurdles a year ago.
Also in 4A boys, Erie’s Blake Barnett won the 100 meters in 11.11, just .02 of a second ahead of Blanton (11.13); Alec Falk of Palmer Ridge easily won the discus (181-8) by nearly 16 feet over Daniel Baroumbaye of Grand Junction Central (165-11); and Lucas Couron of Riverdale Ridge won the pole vault with a personal-best leap of 15-9.
Northfield won the 400-meter relay. Juniors Amarion Richardson, Zach Ryan and Karamoko Soto teamed with sophomore Isaak Easley to post a winning time of 42.21, finishing ahead of Pueblo West (42.51).
Niwot capped the meet with a win in the 1,600 meters. Bergen and fellow senior Nicholas Stade teamed with juniors Ben Classen and Eric Walker to cruise to a winning time of 3:20.84 – nearly three seconds ahead of Pueblo West (3:23.44).
