Colorado state track and field championships: Pueblo Central's Bigley wins title on day one

Chris Abdelmalek, The Pueblo Chieftain
·6 min read
Kyle Bigley, Pueblo Central, stands with his posted distance as the 2022 CHSAA shot put state champion at Jeffco Stadium on May 19, 2022.
Kyle Bigley, Pueblo Central, stands with his posted distance as the 2022 CHSAA shot put state champion at Jeffco Stadium on May 19, 2022.

Day one of the Colorado state track & field championships kicked off Thursday at Jeffco Stadium.

The first day of action saw several Pueblo athletes advance to the final heat of their respective events and three athletes reaching the podium, one of whom brought home Pueblo's first state championship of the 2022 meet.

Here is a recap of all the athletes who competed on day one and how they fared.

Boys Class 4A

Kyle Bigley, Pueblo Central, attempts his shot put toss in the CHSAA 2022 shot put state finals held at Jeffco Stadium on May 19, 2022.
Kyle Bigley, Pueblo Central, attempts his shot put toss in the CHSAA 2022 shot put state finals held at Jeffco Stadium on May 19, 2022.

Kyle Bigley, Pueblo Central: shot put 

Bigley was crowned the 2022 shot put state champion for Class 4A after an impressive outing. The senior Wildcat put up a distance of 55.03.75 — a full two feet farther than anyone else in the competition. Bigley was the first Pueblo athlete to capture a state title in this year's track and field finals.

“It’s amazing, from last year to now, I just envisioned myself on the podium,” Bigley said. “It's kind of unbelievable. I was the only person from Central to make it and I'm just happy I get to represent my school.”

Vlad Dabovich, Pueblo West: shot put 

Dabovich did not have his best outing and failed to qualify for the finals in the shot put. His distance of 46.07.75 feet was good enough to place eleventh.

Ryan Lane, Pueblo South: shot put 

Lane was impressive in this year’s state meet. As a sophomore, the Colts' thrower finished sixth overall with a distance of 48.11 feet. Although he did not hit his goal of topping 50 feet this year, Lane steadily improved all season long and should be back at state next year.

Xavier Freeman, Pueblo East: shot put 

Freeman had two different injuries leading up to this week's shot put finals. He suffered a sprained wrist and sprained ankle in the final event of the season and it put him at a disadvantage.

But Freeman still took home second place with a distance of 52.02.25 feet. Although it wasn't a title, it’s Freeman’s second year straight runner-up finish.

Zach Musso, Pueblo County: 100m dash, 200m dash, 400m dash 

Musso missed out on qualifying for all three of his events for the first day of state finals. In both the 100m and 200m, Musso missed out by 0.2 seconds. The junior sprinter also competed in the 4x100m relay for the Hornets relay team, which also failed to qualify.

Pueblo West's Ryan King crosses the finish line in the 400 meter dash during the Class 4A state track and field meet at Jeffco Stadium on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
Pueblo West's Ryan King crosses the finish line in the 400 meter dash during the Class 4A state track and field meet at Jeffco Stadium on Thursday, May 19, 2022.

Ryan King, Pueblo West: 400m dash 

King failed to qualify for the final heat in the 400m dash by just 0.04 seconds, but the senior will still have a chance to reach the podium after helping the 4x100m relay team secure a spot in this year's finals.

Austin Clower, Pueblo West: 110m hurdles 

The Cylones' junior hurdler was able to qualify for the 110m hurdle finals with a time of 15.49 seconds, his second-fastest of the season. Clower will also compete in the 300m hurdles on day two.

Pueblo West Relay: 4x200m  

The Cyclones advanced to the finals of the 4x200m race. Gavin Lockett, Evan Lujan, Keishaun Gylling and King put up a time of 1:29.28, which was good enough for fifth in prelims.

Pueblo East Relay: 4x200m 

The Eagles had a close call, but were able to squeak by with a time of 1:29.78, qualifying for the finals by just a tenth of a second. Oscar Flores, Rocco Rowell, Cesar Sanchez-Acosta, and Izaiah Trujillo will look to push the Cyclones and the rest of the field on the final day for the state title.

Pueblo County Relay: 4x200m 

The Hornets failed to qualify for the final event in the 4x200m race. The team of Clayton McPherson, Seth Sherwood, Phillip Cullen, and Musso finished with a time of 1:31.01 which was good enough for twelfth place in the prelims.

Girls Class 4A

Layla Armijo, Pueblo South:100m dash 

Armijo's 100m time of 12.97 seconds on Thursday was ninth-best overall in the prelims. Her best time this season of 12.68 seconds would have been good enough for second overall. She will look to turn on the jets on the final day.

Leyah Martinez, Pueblo East: 100m hurdles 

Martinez finished first in the prelims in the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.78 seconds, which is the fifth-fastest time recorded in the state this year. The Eagles' hurdler will look to qualify for the 300m hurdles on day two and will have her finals heat in the 100m hurdles on the last day of competition.

Bradie Menegatti, Pueblo West: 100m hurdles, high jump 

Menegatti missed out on qualifying for the 100m hurdles by .04 seconds. However, she reached the podium in the high jump with a height of 5’03’, which was good enough for third place. She also helped the West relay team secure a spot in the final heat in the 4x200m relay.

"As a freshman, I am happy I made the podium," Menegatti said. "I just hope I do better next year."

Sara Gurule, Pueblo South: Shot Put 

Gurule ended her track and field season by placing fourteenth overall in shot put. The junior Colt finished with a distance of 31.03 feet.

Pueblo South's Sarah Gurule launches a shot put during the Class 4A state track and field meet at Jeffco Stadium on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
Pueblo South's Sarah Gurule launches a shot put during the Class 4A state track and field meet at Jeffco Stadium on Thursday, May 19, 2022.

Pueblo West Relay: 4x200m 

The Cyclones relay team finished fourth in the prelims and will move on to the final heat taking place on the final day of events. The team of Nkechi Onyejekwe, Menegatti, Olivia Melvin, and Kiera Kirkpatrick finished with a time of 1:44.48. The team is made up of three freshmen and Melvin, a sophomore. The relay team will also compete in the 4x100m race on day two of the competition.

Pueblo South Relay: 4x200m  

The Colts had a rough outing on the track for the relay team. Armijo, Mailee Holley, Tanis Chavez, and Brooke Huth finished with a time of 1:49.43 which was second-to-last place in the prelims. The team will have a chance at redemption in the 4x100m relay on day two.

Boys Class 2A

Stephen Wietzke, Swallows Charter Academy: 200m dash, long jump 

Wietzke made it to the 2A long jump finals with a distance of 19.05 and finished eighth overall in the final heat with a distance of 19.06. He also competed in the 200m dash and finished twelfth overall with a time of 23.4 seconds, his personal best time on the season.

Swallows Charter Academy's Stephen Wietzke flys through the air during the Class 2A long jump finals at the state track and field meet on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at Jeffco Stadium.
Swallows Charter Academy's Stephen Wietzke flys through the air during the Class 2A long jump finals at the state track and field meet on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at Jeffco Stadium.

Cameron Smith, Dolores Huerta Prep: long jump 

Smith ended his first-ever trip to the state finals with a distance of 18.03. Smith, who was the representative in state track for the Scorpions in school history, failed to qualify for the final heat when his hand slipped back and pulled his distance back from over 20 feet to 18.03.

Dolores Huerta's Cameron Smith sails through the air during the Class 2A long jump finals at the state track and field meet on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at Jeffco Stadium.
Dolores Huerta's Cameron Smith sails through the air during the Class 2A long jump finals at the state track and field meet on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at Jeffco Stadium.

Girls Class 2A

Kaitlyn Pearson, Swallows Charter Academy: 100m dash, 100m hurdles 

Pearson finished third overall in the prelims in the 100m dash with a time of 12.78 seconds. She also finished fifth overall in the 100m hurdles with a time of 16.91 seconds. Pearson still has two more events on day two, which include the 400m dash and the 300m hurdles.

Swallows Charter Academy's Kaitlyn Pearson, center, heads to the finish line during the Class 2A 100 meter dash qualifier at the state track and field meet on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at Jeffco Stadium.
Swallows Charter Academy's Kaitlyn Pearson, center, heads to the finish line during the Class 2A 100 meter dash qualifier at the state track and field meet on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at Jeffco Stadium.

Rye Relay Team: 4x800m relay 

The team of Clarissa Peterson, Katelynn Frick, Jaklyn Newitt, and Audrey Maroney finished seventh in the 4x800m relay with a time of 10:57.18, which was their best time all season.

Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter @chowebacca

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Colorado high school track & field: Pueblo Central's Bigley wins state title