Panther Stadium hosted 10 schools in the Montezuma-Cortez Invitational track and field meet Monday.
The hometown Panthers won the boys team championship with 214 points, and the Dolores Lady Bears took home the girls title with 167 points.
Montezuma-Cortez High School was third on the girls side with 97 points.
A great day for a great workout, M-CHS coach Bob Archibeque said about the balmy Monday evening weather. A lot of our kids had four events. We planned it that way. Being a Monday, were kind of gearing everything to Friday and Saturday. On Friday and Saturday, we should see those times really drop because were going to rest after today.
M-CHS will be at the Tiger Invitational at Grand Junction High School on Friday and Saturday to conclude its regular season. The host school did get plenty of strong performances Monday from seniors Max Demby, Corey Adams, James Sprague and Carly Wolf. Demby won the long jump, leaping 20-07.50, took second in the 100-meter dash (11.83), and was on the first-place 4 x 100- and 200-meter relay teams with Destry Smith, William Wright and Brady Yates. The Panthers won each race in 44.65 and 1:32.28.
Were just trying to stay focused every day, and our No. 1 goal is improving every meet, Demby said. I think were a very dedicated team. Everybody on the whole team is especially focused, motivated and willing to work hard. We just try to stay hungry. Its been a really fun season.
The Panthers swept the relays, as Smith, Wright, Sprague and Yates won the 4 x 400 in 3:36.44, and Adam Burris, Joel Cancino, Tyler Largo and Cody Sprague won the 4 x 800 at 9:21.22.
Adams won the 110-meter hurdles (16.12) and triple jump (39-10), and was second in the 300-hurdles (43.13) and high jump (5-09).
James Sprague won the 800- and 1,600-meter runs in 2:07.58 and 4:49.71.
Wolf had a good day for the Lady Panthers, winning the 800 in 2:30.75, and was on the first-place 4 x 400-relay team with Amanda Gallegos, who took second in the 400 in 1:04.89, Rachel Rime and Imari Black.
Ashley Lingo had another first-place finish in the discus with a throw of 112-06. She also placed fifth in the shot put with a heave of 30-01. Thrower Maniesha Buck was second in the discus and shot put at 104-07 and 31.03.
The Dolores Lady Bears were once again led by Lexi Atkinsons top finishes in the 200 (27.65) and long jump (15-04.50). The sophomore, along with Cortney Brunner, Cassie Lard and Mindy McCracken, won the 4 x 200 in a time of 1:50.62. Atkinson edged Lard in the 200 for the win.
I had to have a strong lean. I was scared because I know that Michelle (Simmons of Ignacio) and Cassie are both really tough runners. I was scared they were going to beat me, Atkinson said.
Lard was second in the 100 (13.54) and won the triple jump, jumping 32-06. Other top finishes for the Lady Bears were Michelle Kline in the 400 (1:03.13), Rachel Beverlin in the 1,600 (5:51.88) and Cydney McHenry in the 300-hurdles (50.04).
We didnt load everything up today, but individually, even in the relays, we were tough today, Dolores coach Nick Kohler said. I think we had half a dozen PRs (personal records) today. We just flat ran good. Lexi ran great today. We didnt run her in everything, but I had no intention of it.
The Bears had a strong performance, taking fifth place with 56 points. Senior Alex Bernholtz was strong in the hurdles with a first-place time of 41.46 in the 300 and took second in the 110 in 16.18.
Stephen OConnor-Seville was third in the 400 at 53.28. He was also on the second-place 4 x 400-relay team with Bernholtz, Michael Neubert and Ethan Schwartz (3:38.22).
The guys 4 x 400 has a shot at getting in the top three or four at state after today, Kohler said. I was shocked by how well Alex ran both hurdle races today, and Stephen, he can run back-to-back quarters as good as anybody. He had a chance to win that open 400 today.
The Mancos Lady Bluejays placed sixth with 46 points. Aimee Johnson was second in the high jump with a height of 4-10 and Erica Blackburn finished fifth in the 400 at 1:10.24. The 800-sprint medley relay team of Brandi Bundy, Devin Kroeker, Johnson and Kelsey Corbin won with a time of 2:02.17.
The Bluejays garnered first-place performances from Cade Mitchell in the discus (120-02) and Kenny Philpot in the high jump (6-03) that helped lead to a second-place team finish of 100 points. Emilio Marquez and Cody Colyer had second-place finishes in the 800 (2:07.58) and shot put (42-05).
I think the biggest thing for us is were making a lot of improvements in our jumps right now, Mancos coach Alan Mathews said. Our (boys) 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 both cut a lot of time, so thats good to see them improve. Its starting to come together. The kids are starting to click, and its just in time. Were close to the state meets now.
The Dove Creek Lady Bulldogs continue to improve as they finished fourth as a team, accumulating 52 points.
Kyli Banks was fourth and fifth in the shot put and discus throws with distances of 30-02 and 99-10. Cori Guynes was strong in the hurdles, coming in fourth and eighth in the 300 and 100 at 53.38 and 19.74. Shelbie Knuckles placed third in the 100-hurdles (18.07) and fourth in the triple jump (28-09).
The Bulldogs took ninth as a team with eight points and got big effort from baseball product Dalton Davis and Austin Beanland. Davis was eighth and 10th place in the 200- and 100-meter races at 26.91 and 12.92. Beanland threw 111-05 and 38-00 in the discus and shot put, which landed him in fifth and seventh place. Tommy Fury took eighth in the 800 in 3:23.01.
Austin Beanland threw 38-00 in the shot put today, and hes only a freshman. Our girls 4 x 100 got down to around 57 seconds, electronic, which is going to be close to ranking them in the top nine in 1A, Dove Creek coach Jason Fury said. Madison McCourt, another freshman, PRd by about eight seconds in her 800. Most everybody has been dropping time today, which is what were looking for.
Dove Creek, Mancos and Dolores will all be at the Pagosa Springs Invitational on Saturday at Pagosa Springs High School to finish up the regular season.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.