Montezuma-Cortez High School hosted five other schools in the Cortez Invitational track and field meet at Panther Stadium on Thursday evening.
Official scores and results were not recorded for seasonal standings. Coaches felt the meet served primarily as good practice before heading into spring break.
It was really practice, literally, Dolores coach Nick Kohler said. Its a good time to have it. We just dont get on the track very often to begin with. When we get the opportunity, we like to jump on it.
This was a fun meet, M-CHS coach Bob Archibeque said. This is not one of those pressure packed meets. Being spring break, we like to let the kids go on a fun deal. They come back energized and ready to go.
Tonight is a really good practice time because the kids can compete and its not a high-pressure thing like the state qualifying meets are, Dove Creek coach Jason Fury said. Its good for them. They work a little bit harder against other teams than they do in practice sometimes. Most everybody has been cutting some times, so its been successful.
Dove Creek freshman Tommy Fury had a personal record in the 1,600-meter run by eight seconds. Madison McCourt was fourth in the 800-meter run for the Lady Bulldogs.
The meet did go good. It was more of a practice type scenario for everybody, but it was good for all the local schools to be able to get together, and see each other and run with each other, Mancos coach Alan Mathews said. Its good to see the athletes around kids that theyve known for a lot of years and get to see the camaraderie theyve developed.
Mancos thrower Cade Mitchell suited up in black and orange with his friends at M-CHS in the last event of the day. The Throwers relay, which was ran all in good fun. Its a coed sprint-medley race between the discus and shot put throwers and instead of handing off a baton, its a banana. The last one across the finish line then has to eat the banana and the first to engulf it, wins.
M-CHS thrower Wrangler Hinton clinched the victory for the Panthers by eating his teams Baton first.
Shoot, man, when were losing coming around (the corner), thanks to Cade, he got us the win right there and I finished it off. Eating that banana is a killer, Hinton said with a grin. Makes me have a whole new perspective on bananas. Dont know if I want to eat any more. Its a fun event. Its a way to kick back and relax.
Hinton placed-third in the discus with a toss of 111-00, and Mitchell was second recording a throw of 111-40.11.
The M-CHS throwing team continued its strong season on Thursday. Ashley Lingo had another first-place throw in the discus for the Lady Panthers and teammate Laura Heaton won the shot put with a heave of 33-10.
Being on your own field really makes a difference. Youre used to it. You practice on it a million times, Heaton said. For me, I dont have the pressure of my coach watching. It kind of sucks because you cant get any pointers, but you have parents that really help out.
Lingo feels the M-CHS throwers can keep up its success for the rest of the season.
We did really good today. This year, we got a really stacked team, she said. I think at least four of our throwers and another girl might make it to state.
Other top finishes from M-CHS were by senior Corey Adams (110-meter hurdles), senior Ryan Haley (triple jump), senior Max Demby (long jump), the girls 800-sprint medley relay team of Bailie Pierce, Amanda Gallegos and Imari Black, the girls 4 x 400-medley relay team of Gallegos, Bailey Morris, Pierce and Carly Wolf, the boys 4 x 100-and-400-relay team of William Wright, Destry Smith, Brady Yates and Demby, and the distance-relay team of Wiley Kirks, Tam Phan, Tyler Largo and James Sprague.
For Dolores, senior Alex Bernholtz had a second-place finish in the 110-hurdles for the Bears. The Lady Bears continued their strong season. Cassie Lard and Lexi Atkinson each were first in the triple and high jump events with leaps of 31-2.50 and 4-08. Rachel Beverlin won the 800-meter run. The 4 x 100-and-200-relays team of Atkinson, Lard, Cortney Brunner and Mindy McCracken took first-place in each race. The distance-relay team of Beverlin, Brunner, McCracken and Alex Willis won the event.
For Mancos, senior Eric Lewis and junior Kenny Philpot won the 800-meter run and high jump events. Philpot jumped 5-10.
Senior Alicia Helmer ran for the Lady Bluejays in the 4 x 400-relay. She has also ran the 200-and-400-meter dash races this season, and is working toward doing the 800-meter run. Helmer had neural surgery last summer to remove a walnut-sized tumor from the right side of her brain. She is a three-sport letterwinner at Mancos.
This season has been going a lot better than cross country, Helmer said. I definitely feel the strength improvement and Im feeling really good today. My races have gone well. Ive been able to go through all of the practices.
M-CHS, Dove Creek, Mancos and Dolores will be at the Mickey Dunn Invitational in Grand Junction on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. at Grand Junction High School.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.