Colorado state track and field rewind: Fort Collins athletes win 21 event titles, 3 team titles
LAKEWOOD — It seems that poor weather conditions is a state track and field championship tradition in Colorado.
It's happening again this week during this year's three-day state meet.
Balmy mid-week weather started the state meet off Thursday with temperatures in the upper-80s. That gave way to cold, rain and, yes, snow, on Friday and Saturday at Jeffco Stadium.
And sure enough, the schedule has been completely altered due to the storm.
No matter what happens, the Coloradoan team will be on scene to document the dozens and dozens of local athletes competing for titles.
Follow along here in this story for updates through the meet and check in on the following social media channels for an inside look at the meet:
Reporter Kelly Lyell: @KellyLyell on Twitter
Reporter Kevin Lytle: @Kevin_Lytle on Twitter
Editor Chris Abshire: @ChrisAbshire on Twitter
Instagram: @Coloradoan
Most recent updates are at the top of this story. Scroll down for more.
Final team tally
Here's a look at final team scores for classifications in the top 10.
5A boys (top 10)
Grandview 96
Cherokee Trail 69
Valor Christian 62
Fort Collins 54
Cherry Creek 49
Rocky Mountain 46
Denver East 37
Chatfield 33
Poudre 27
Fossil Ridge 25.5
3A boys (top 10)
Lutheran 83
Classical Academy 75
Liberty Common 65
Eaton 58
Manitou Springs 50
Resurrection Christian 41.5
Frontier Academy 39.5
Holy Family 39
Woodland Park 39
Platte Valley 29
1A boys (top 10)
Heritage Christian 128
Cheraw 69
Sanford 69
Cheyenne Wells 64
Stratton 54
Arickaree/Woodlin 53
Akron 46
DeBeque 35
Dove Creek 35
Haxtun 29
5A girls (top 10)
Cherry Creek 112
Cherokee Trail 70.5
Fort Collins 68
Grandview 48.5
Chatfield 44
Ralston Valley 41
Regis Jesuit 36
Arapahoe 35
Valor Christian 34
Eaglecrest 33
3A girls (top 10)
Liberty Common 98
Coal Ridge 86
Berthoud 52
Classical Academy 50
Alamosa 42
Basalt 41
Holy Family 40.5
Jefferson Academy 36
Peak to Peak 35
Lamar 33
1A girls (top 10)
Heritage Christian 124
Merino 77
Idalia 60
Fleming 55
Kiowa 48
Sanford 45
Lone Star 44
Simla 42.5
Cheyenne Wells 42
Cheraw 40
Liberty Common finishes with a relay win
The Liberty Common boys 4X400 relay team of Pierce Richardson, Jack Friesen, Maclean Majeski and Brandon Bate finished the meet with a 3A title in a time of 3:23.77.
One more state title for Fort Collins. @Golibertyeagles boys win Class 3A 4x400-meter relay in final race of weather-delayed three-day Colorado state track and field championships #copreps pic.twitter.com/N9FYKeyqjY
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 23, 2022
Jackson Fagerlin surges to 1,600 title
Resurrection Christian freshman Jackson Fagerlin led the 3A boys 1,600 race for almost the entirety of the first three laps (out of four). He was passed around the first curve on the final lap and fell to third.
But he still had his kick in him. Halfway through the last lap he surged back to the lead and pulled away down the stretch to snag the title in a time of 4:22.79.
Isabel Allori races to title in record time
Liberty Common's Isabel Allori owns the 3A distances. After winning the 3,200-meter race earlier in the week, Allori took the 1,600 title Sunday afternoon.
Isabel Allori of @Golibertyeagles sets 3A record of 4:55.12 to win girls 1,600 at Colorado state track championships. Allori won the 3,200 on Thursday. #copreps pic.twitter.com/63ye5GPnr1
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 22, 2022
She won the race in 4:55.12 for a 3A record time and her second individual title.
Liberty Common dominates 4X100
The girls Liberty Common 4X100 relay team was dominant to win another 3A title. The team of Grace Williams, Logan Haugenstuen, Lily Morrison and Katie Wrona for the Eagles were well clear of any opponents for the final 100 meters and won in a time of 49.35 seconds.
Brooke Naughton does it again
Make it three!
Fort Collins High School senior Brooke Naughton did it again Sunday, winning her third title of the state meet. Her winning jump of 37 feet, 9½ inches won the Class 5A triple jump.
It's her third title of the meet after she won titles in high jump and long jump earlier in the week.
Meet Naughton: How Brooke Naughton became the best girls high school jumper in Colorado
Naughton's week is arguably the top individual performance in city history. She also finished seventh in the 100-meter hurdles and secured 33 team points for the Lambkins all on her own.
Naughton won the triple jump on a tiebreaker after matching the best effort of Cherokee Trail's Kaeli Powe on the fifth of her six jumps. She secured the win on her final jump, going 37-5 for a second-best jump that was well beyond the next-best mark of Powe.
Brooke Naughton of @FoCoHSathletics and @LambkinRunners wins her third state title of this meet in girls triple jump. She also won the high jump and long jump to “sweep the leaps” as one of my coworkers noted. #copreps pic.twitter.com/YXKjQPLge7
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 22, 2022
Brandon Bate wins again
Liberty Common's Brandon Bate secured his second individual title of the meet Sunday when he cruised to a 3A 400-meter championship in a time of 48.01 seconds.
It's his second individual title of the meet after winning the 800 earlier in the week.
Jack Nauman wins in dramatic finish
Heritage Christian's Jack Nauman was racing down the final 100 meters of the 1A 1,600 race with Cheraw's Josh Snyder right behind him in a sprint to the finish.
It looked like a likely photo finish before Snyder stumbled to the ground in the final 200 meters and Nauman won the race in 4:34.14. It's his second individual title after winning the 3,200 earlier in the week.
Poudre's Rhys Travis bounces back to win 2nd straight 5A title in triple jump
Redemption.
Fewer than 14 hours after failing to clear a height in the high jump, Poudre High School’s Rhys Travis leaped 44 feet, 8½ inches to win a second straight state championship in the Class 5A boys triple jump.
“Last night was a low point for me, and this is a high point,” Travis said.
Travis was the defending state champion in both jumps.
But jumping under the lights with temperatures in the low-40s Saturday night, he missed two attempts in the high jump at 6-0, then passed to 6-2, where he again missed – leaving him without a made height and tied for last place among the 23 state-meet qualifiers.
On Sunday, though, he was all smiles, watching anxiously as the final round of jumps were marked, including a 44-5 effort by runner-up David Wardlaw of Cherry Creek, then racing across the track to leap into the arms of coaches, teammates and family members watching along a fence.
He’s a three-time state champion now.
Rhys Travis of @impalatweets wins Colorado Class 5A state title in triple jump. #copreps pic.twitter.com/9QamQlz3h7
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 22, 2022
Team score update
Here is a look at team scores at the beginning of Sunday action, only for local teams in the top 10.
5A girls (top 10)
Cherry Creek, 60
Fort Collins, 55
Cherokee Trail, 32.5
Fairview, 28
Arapahoe, 24
Valor Christian, 21
Grandview, 19.5
Broomfield, 19
Legacy, 18
Loveland, 16
3A girls (top 10)
Classical Academy, 36
Liberty Common, 36
Basalt, 29
Coal Ridge, 28
Berthoud, 24
North Fork, 21.5
Jefferson Academy, 18
Peak to Peak, 17
Manitou Springs, 16
Kent Denver, 14
1A girls (top 10)
Heritage Christian, 62
Merino, 41
Simla, 30.5
Idalia, 29
Lone Star, 28
Haxtun, 25
Cheraw, 19
Hi-Plains, 19
Kiowa, 18
Sanford, 17
5A boys (top 10)
Valor Christian, 37
Cherokee Trail, 33
Fort Collins, 32
Rocky Mountain, 31
Grandview, 26
Mountain Vista, 18
Chatfield, 17
Fruita Monument, 14
Pomona, 13
Vista Ridge, 12
3A boys (top 10)
Classical Academy, 41
Eaton, 32
Frontier Academy, 30.5
Lutheran, 28
Liberty Common, 28
Manitou Springs, 23
Woodland Park, 18
Resurrection Christian, 16
Weld Central, 16
Delta and Salida, 13
1A boys (top 10)
Heritage Christian, 62
Cheyenne Wells, 41
Stratton, 28
Granada, 19
Cheraw, 19
Hi-Plains, 17
Arickaree/Woodlin, 16
Sanford, 16
Haxtun, 14
Otis, 14
Joe Cottingham surges in high jump
Fort Collins High School's Joe Cottingham surged to a second-place finish in the high jump, just missing on a state title. Cottingham and winner Daniel Thomason (Fruita Monument) both cleared 6-foot-5, but Thomason did it in fewer attempts, and neither could clear 6-6.
It was Cottingham's top mark this season. Fossil Ridge's Ryan Pollyea (fourth) and Luke Garvin (seventh also placed). Poudre's Rhys Travis, the defending champion in the event, did not place.
Heritage Christian, Liberty Common win relays
Liberty Common and Heritage Christian relay teams capped the track portion of Saturday's events with titles.
The Liberty Common girls 4X200 relay team of Grace Williams, Ruby Richardson, Logan Haugestuen and Lily Morrison won the 3A race in a time of 1:44.78, a second above second-place North Fork.
The Heritage Christian boys 4X800 team of Elijah Vigil, Ryan O'Loughlin, Andrey Kutchma and Jack Nauman won the 1A race in 8:44.32, 11 seconds in front of second-place Cheyenne Wells.
Fort Collins' Brooke Naughton repeats as girls 5A high jump state champion
The Fort Collins standout successfully defended the state title she won a year ago in the Class 5A girls high jump Saturday.
Naughton was the only competitor to clear 5 feet, 7 inches – the same height she made to win the 2021 state title.
The high jump title was the second state championship of this year’s meet for Naughton, a senior who also won the 5A girls long jump Thursday.
Brooke Naughton of @FoCoHSathletics and @LambkinRunners clears 5 feet, 7 inches to repeat as Colorado Class 5A girls high jump champion. She’s trying 5-9 1/2 now, which would be a school record #copreps pic.twitter.com/clVzTtu0rE
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 22, 2022
Laura Davis wins 5A girls shot put title
She was seeded first and lived up to it.
Fort Collins' Laura Davis picked up right where she left off before the weather delay (and then some), taking the 5A girls shot put crown. Davis was runner-up in the event last year but bettered that this time as the top seed with a throw of nearly 40 feet.
The Colorado State track and field commitment also placed second in the 5A girls discus throw on Thursday before snow moved day two of competition to Saturday. She is the Lambkins' third state champion at the state meet already.
State champ! CSU-bound Laura Davis of Fort Collins HS wins 5A shot put title with top throw of 39-feet, 3 3/4 inches #copreps pic.twitter.com/1hDdDWmLiX
— Kevin Lytle (@Kevin_Lytle) May 22, 2022
Brandon Bate wins 3A 800 meters
Liberty Common's Brandon Bate won the 3A 800-meter run Saturday with a time of 1:56.25. He pulled away in the final stretch for the title.
Bate entered the race as the No. 2 seed.
Never know what you'll see
This is a new one! A Weld Central shot put competitor wins the best helmet (only helmet?) of the meet. Between throws, he put this Transformers lid on while waiting for his next attempt.
All of the snow
The markings of why the meet was postponed for more than a day are still all around Jeffco Stadium.
Several inches of snow had blanketed the area and stadium grounds crew workers spent Saturday morning clearing it for both competition and seating.
For those wondering about why state track was postponed, here you go. They’re still clearing snow at Jeffco Stadium to get ready for resumption of meet at 2:10 p.m. #copreps pic.twitter.com/V9PpB9FW9B
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 21, 2022
State meet scheduled to resume at 2:10 p.m. Saturday
Competition is scheduled to resume at 2:10 p.m. Saturday following a 1-day postponement due to snow.
The Colorado High School Activities Association announced a new schedule for the remainder of the meet, following one of four previously announced scenarios. Events will still be run in the same order as they were originally scheduled for Friday but at new times, with the exception of the 4x400 relays, where preliminary heats have been eliminated. That event will be run as a finals-only race Sunday based on times from the two heats.
The delayed start Saturday was needed to give Jeffco Stadium workers time to remove snow and standing water from the competition surfaces, CHSAA said.
Running events begin at 2:10 p.m. Saturday, with field events starting at 2:30 p.m.
Spectators will not be allowed into the stadium until 2 p.m. Athletes and coaches will be admitted for warmups beginning at 1:10 p.m.
For those wondering about why state track was postponed, here you go. They’re still clearing snow at Jeffco Stadium to get ready for resumption of meet at 2:10 p.m. #copreps pic.twitter.com/V9PpB9FW9B
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 21, 2022
Friday events postponed due to weather
The cold front hitting Colorado moved in thick and fast, forcing a massive change to the schedule. CHSAA announced just after 6 a.m. Friday that the track meet would be postponed and no events would be held Friday.
As CHSAA officials continued to monitor the weather, the cold front moved in earlier than expected. Therefore, today's track and field state championships has been postponed due to the weather conditions and in the interest of the athletes' safety. #copreps
— CHSAA (@CHSAA) May 20, 2022
CHSAA also announced that they are considering resuming midday Saturday and finishing the meet Sunday. If that's not possible, the meet would likely be moved to a Sunday-Monday finish.
A decision is expected to be announced Saturday morning.
Day 1 at state track and field
With eight state titles, including seven individual champs from Fort Collins, it was a banner day to open the Colorado track & field championships for our local athletes.
Liberty Common’s Isabel Allori claims state title in 3A girls 3,200
Isabel Allori of Liberty Common made it seven individual titles for athletes from Fort Collins schools on the opening day of the three-day state meet by winning one of the last races of the day, the Class 3A girls 3,200 final.
Allori’s winning time of 10:57.69 was over 16 seconds faster than runner-up Allison Pippert of Stargate Academy, who finished in 11:13.77.
And yet another state champion from Fort Collins on opening day of state meet. @Golibertyeagles Isabel Allori wins 3A 3,200. #copreps pic.twitter.com/gqF2n2RPbK
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 20, 2022
Heritage Christian runners repeat as 1A state champs with sweep of 3,200
Heritage Christian’s Ainsley Stanton and Jack Nauman each repeated as Class 1A state champions in the girls and boys 3,200 meters.
Stanton lapped several runners during the girls race and won in 12:48.68, about 4 seconds slower than her winning time in 2021 but almost 12 seconds clear of runner-up Cecilia Richardson of Simla.
Heritage Christian’s Ainsley Stanton lapping runners as she reaches finish line to win Colorado Class 1A title in girls 3,200 meters #copreps pic.twitter.com/QgEsMgiWjX
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 19, 2022
Jack Nauman and Ryan O’Laughlin went 1-2 in the boys 3,200, improving their 1-3 finish in the event a year ago.
Nauman was the winner in 10:19.23. O’Laughlin finished second in 10:24.78.
Heritage Christian’s Jack Nauman and Ryan O’Laughlin go 1-2 in Colorado Class 1A boys 3,200 meters a year after going 1-3 in the event. #copreps pic.twitter.com/raJhmmm53J
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 20, 2022
Liberty Common's Justin Bate wins
3A title in boys pole vault
Eagles sophomore Justin Bate won a Class 3A state title in the boys vault by clearing a personal-best 13 feet, 6 inches. Two other competitors, Frontier Academy’s Parker Gentry and Sterling’s Xander Burns, went out at 13-0.
While Bate was making his three attempts at 14-0, his older brother, Brandon, was running a sizzling anchor leg in the 4x800 relay final to lead the Eagles to a second-place finish. Brandon moved Liberty Common from fifth place to second on the final leg and was joined in the relay by Carter Conrady, Pierce Richardson and Maclean Majeski.
Frontier Academy won the relay in 8:11.44. Liberty Common’s time was 8:14.68.
Liberty Common’s Justin Bate clears 13 feet, 6 inches to win Colorado Class 3A state title in boys pole vault. @Golibertyeagles #copreps pic.twitter.com/8TFm0JkcbH
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 19, 2022
Heritage Christian girls set meet record to win 1A sprint medley title
Heritage Christian High School set a 1A state-meet record while winning the sprint medley relay in 1:52.27. That was more than four seconds faster than the Eagles’ previous top mark this season (1:56.44) and second-place Idalia's time. It was more than 1.5 seconds better than Springfield's previous meet record of 1:53.88 set in 2018.
The Heritage Christian team featured Harper Siemers and Kayla Cuckler running the first two legs of 100 meters apiece, Kali Siemers running the 200-meter third leg and Kate Green anchoring with a 400-meter leg.
Heritage Christian girls set 1A state meet record of 1:52.27 while winning sprint medley relay. Team members are Harper Siemers, Kayla Cuckler, Kali Siemers and Kate Green. #copreps pic.twitter.com/Cb07JnGnvF
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 19, 2022
Dontay Johnson leaps to upset state title
Fort Collins two-sport star Dontay Johnson scored a big upset in the 5A boys long jump, winning the state title with a mark of 22 feet, 10½ inches.
Johnson (who also starred for the Lambkins' football team) entered the meet seeded fourth, over a foot and a half behind Vista Ridge's Brandon Hills for the best mark in the state this year. And Johnson was still only in sixth place entering the finals before making his big leap to first place.
Your Colorado 5A boys long jump state champ!
What a leap from Fort Collins' Dontay Johnson: 22 feet, 10 1/2 inches. And on his last jump of the event no less @FoCoHSathletics #COpreps pic.twitter.com/JaiLEVM0A0— Chris Abshire (@ChrisAbshire) May 19, 2022
Fort Collins' Laura Davis runner-up to 3-time state champion in girls discus
Fort Collins’ Laura Davis finished second in the Class 5A girls discus with a throw of 127 feet, 1 inch.
Loveland’s Kajsa Borrman, who will compete for Colorado State next season, won her third straight state title in the event with a best of 146-1. Borrman, the daughter of former CSU All-American’s Mattias and Shelley (Greathouse) Borrman, also won state titles in 2019 and 2021; she didn't compete at state track in 2020 because the season was canceled due to COVID-19.
Laura Davis of @FoCoHSathletics and @LambkinRunners finishes 2nd to 3-time state champion Kajsa Borrman of Loveland in girls 5A discus at Colorado state championships #copreps pic.twitter.com/cYmDeaxaAh
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 19, 2022
Fort Collins' Brooke Naughton wins state title in long jump
Brooke Naughton, the defending state champion in the girls Class 5A high jump, won the long jump title Thursday with a personal-best leap of 18 feet, 9¾ inches.
Naughton, a senior, matched her previous best of 18-6 on two of her other six jumps in the competition.
Naughton will attempt to defend her state title in the high jump Friday. She's also a title contender in the triple jump, scheduled for Saturday.
Brooke Naughton of @FoCoHSathletics wins state championship in long jump with leap of 18 feet, 9 3/4 inches. She’ll defend her state title in the high jump Friday @LambkinRunners #copreps pic.twitter.com/1XV4vxg7Hu
— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 19, 2022
Kevin Bruxvoort grabs first state championship
Rocky Mountain senior Kevin Bruxvoort tossed his way to the first state championship for city athletes this season.
Coming into the 5A discus seeded second, Bruxvoort won the title with a top throw of 169 feet.
Fort Collins spring sports state championship tracker: Postseason brackets, scores, schedules
State champion! Rocky Mountain's Kevin Bruxvoort wins the 5A discus. His final throw was 167 feet, 8 inches (which would have won it) but his prelim throw of 169 feet was the official title mark @LoBo_Athletics #copreps pic.twitter.com/lUAZXQWkuC
— Chris Abshire (@ChrisAbshire) May 19, 2022
And we're off from Jeffco Stadium
As promised, day one is balmy and humid already down in Lakewood.
It's a busy morning, with local favorites like Fort Collins' Brooke Naughton (long jump) and Christian Groendyk (3,200 meters) plus Rocky Mountain's Kevin Bruxvoort (discus) and Dalton Kaines (3,200 meters) in finals.
Pre-meet reading:Fort Collins-area athletes with best chances of winning titles
Repeat? Poudre's Rhys Travis taking pressure of defending two state track titles in stride
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado state track meet 2022: Fort Collins athletes results, live updates