After a successful regular season that saw them consistently place well, the Mancos High School boys’ and girls’ track teams performed well at the Colorado High School State Track and Field Championships in Lakewood on May 17-19.
Leading the boys’ team was sophomore Caden Showalter, who placed fifth in the shot put (45 feet, ½ inch), and 13th in the discus (122 feet, 4 inches), at his second state meet in two seasons.
Also cracking the Top 10 in individual events was senior distance star Jake McKie, who placed ninth in the 800-meter run (2:01.37) and 10th in the 1600-meter run (4:41.22). Close behind McKie in both events was fellow senior Caleb Yoder, who placed 13th in the 800-meter run (2:04.00) and 17th in the 1600-meter run (4:50.34).
Other top finishers on the boys’ side included Anthony Medina, who placed seventh in the long jump (19 feet, 7 inches) and 17th in the triple jump (37 feet, 10¾ inches); Caden Galloway, who finished 10th in the high jump (5 feet, 10 inches); and Simon Kearns, who placed 15th in the 3200-meter run (10:41.83).
The boys’ team also fielded a 4x800-meter relay that placed sixth (8:22.41), a 4x400-meter relay that placed 15th (3:39.02), and a 4x100-meter relay that finished 15th (46.04).
As a team, the Mancos boys finished 23rd overall with 13 total points.
Resurrection Christian finished as the top boys’ team in the 2A Classification with 63 points.
On the girls’ side, Mancos was represented by freshman Grace Manning, who made the most of her first state competition by placing 11th in the 800-meter run (2:29.84), and 13th in the 400-meter dash (1:02.27).
Although Manning narrowly missed on out finals in both events, expect the first-year runner known for her competitive spirit and strong work ethic to climb the state standings at next year’s state competition.
