Mancos senior Kenny Philpott leaped and jumped the competition in Cortez Saturday.
Philpott eased his way into the high jump at a measly six feet at the Southwest Invitational.
He cleared the bar, already assuring himself of the high jump win. Cody Rose of Bayfield came in second at 5-feet-9. But Philpott was just getting started.
The bar was raised to 6-2, check. Then to 6-5, check. Then, assistant coach Adam Priestly said move the bar to 6-7. Philpott, the Mancos High School high jump record holder, has his own personal record of 6-6. The No. 1-ranked 2A high jumper had 6-7 in his sights, cleared for success, but his left arm grazed the bar knocking it off.
I was hoping to get 6-8 today, but just couldnt do it, said Philpott, who has committed to do the high jump at Colorado School of Mines next fall. I need to set it (the record) as high as I can, before anyone breaks it.
Perhaps 6-7 will have to wait, but Philpott helped lead the Bluejays to a third-place team finish with 112 points. He also nothced a person record in the long jump with a first-place leap of 20-2.
That was a PR by like six inches, so that was really good, Philpott said.
Bayfield won the boys and girls team championships. Dove Creek hosted the meet with some help from Dolores and Bayfield.
Anytime you get Dolores and Bayfield included into running a meet, then its going to be a very professional meet, Dove Creek coach Jason Fury said. One comment I heard today by one of our officials running the meet, is that our athletes in Southwest Colorado are very well prepared, theyre very courteous. These are kind of things they dont see everywhere in the state. All seven teams today have been impressive in that regard.
Branson Mitchell also performed well for the Mancos boys. He won the 100-meter dash at 11.78 and took second in the 400 in 53.79.
Devon Kroeker led the Lady Bluejays with fourth- and-sixth-place times of 29.34 and 14.24 in the girls 200 and 100. The Mancos girls were seventh as a team.
Im really happy with the effort of our kids, Mancos coach Alan Mathews said. We probably had eight or 10 personal records today. Any day you can have like that, its great. Theyre a great group of kids to work with.
The Dolores Lady Bears competed strong with a third-place team finish. Dolores dominated in the relays, winning the girls 4x100, 200 and 800. The Lady Bears appear to be coming on strong in time for state in just more than three weeks.
Our girls 4x200 ran sub 1:50. That should put us back at least second-ranked in (2A) state. It will just keep getting better, Dolores coach Nick Kohler said. We should have the top time there in a couple weeks.
Lexi Atkinson won the 100 (13.20) and was second in the long jump (15-08). Michelle Kline ran strong, winning the 400 at 64.30 in come-from-behind fashion.
I know the track and it seems pretty small compared to the other ones. I was pretty pumped for it, said Kline. When youre coming around the first corner, its pure adrenaline, so you dont really think about it or know what youre doing. Youre just running. Along the straightaway, youre suppose to settle into a fast sprint. Coming around the last edge, its all guts. You just have to find a way to just push it.
Moki Youngquist continued his dominance of late in the hurdles for the Bears. He claimed the 110- and-300-meter hurdles in 16.84 and 44.98. Stephen OConnor-Seville contributed the Bears fifth-place finish with a victorious 800 (2:14.32).
For the hosts, it was Cole Baughman hurdling to times of 19.10 (second) and 45.85 (third) in the 110- and-300-hurdles. Chance Randolph placed sixth and eighth in the 400 (60.45) and 800 (2:35.14) for the Bulldogs, who took seventh as a squad.
The Lady Bulldogs were led by Cori Guynes in the hurdles. The sophomore, currently No. 3 in the 1A 100-hurdles, won the event in 16.78 and was the runner-up in the 300-hurdles at 51.32.
I think it went really good today. I really like this track because its so close and everything, Guynes said. Today was really good. I PRd on the 100-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles. I want to win state in the 100-meter hurdles.
Kristin Knuckles took the top time in the 3,200-meter run for the Lady Bulldogs in 14.22.73. The Dove Creek girls were sixth as a team.
I think we had a lot of PRs today. I was really excited about that, Fury said. I think our kids had a good day.
Dove Creek and Dolores will travel to Bayfield on Saturday to compete in the Abel Velasquez Invitational beginning at 6:30 a.m. The event is hosted by Ignacio High School. Mancos will head south to New Mexico to the Bloomfield High School Invitational at 9 a.m.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.