Track and field: 2023 season preview capsules

Mar. 24—Team outlook

Class 5A

Boulder Panthers

Coach: Carl Worthington

One athlete to spotlight: Junior Kiki Vaughn is ready to parlay her 12th place state cross country finish into excellent results in mid-distance and relays for the Panthers.

Notable: Longtime coach Worthington is looking for both his teams to score more points this year at state, and experienced athletes Vaughn, Malia Chipourras (Jr.), Abby O'Leary (So.), Anja Rakow (So.), Nathan Resiegh (Sr.) and Morgan McCuen (Jr.) should help in that endeavor. Amy Perkins made state in pole vault last year, and juniors Embra Webring and Ava Priest are hurdlers who could move up in rankings this year. Boulder's boys 3,200 relay placed seventh and has half that team back.

Broomfield Eagles

Coaches: Craig Boccard and Justin Hazzard

One athlete to spotlight: Lilly Nichols will be shooting for a state meet record in pole vault this year, after hitting 12 feet, 9 inches last year to take the 5A title. The state meet record is 13-1.

Notable: In addition to returning champ Nichols is senior Maelynn Higgins, who placed third and fifth in individual events last year (800, 1,600) and was 22nd in cross country in the fall. Diego Estebanes has his sights set on a top-8 placing in hurdles, as is senior Elizabeth Deunham in pole vault. Other returning state qualifers are jumpers Sara Collins (Jr.) and Kayleigh Jones (Jr.), and Rylee Kane (Jr.) in sprint relays. Keep an eye on throwers Sarah Wallerius and Landon Davidson, and sprinters Kenna Holiday and Baylor Baessler.

Centaurus Warriors

Coach: Eddie Taylor

One athlete to spotlight: Senior Max Heins placed 13th in 5A cross country last fall and will lead the Warriors' distance efforts in track this spring.

Notable: The Warriors get to compete in Class 5A this year, but should still see some pretty good results with a few returning athletes. Expectations are high for the 3,200 relay after a third-place finish last year in 4A — Max Heins and Jacoby Ennis will lead the way on that squad. Jack Carlson, a senior, will be in the spotlight in the mid-distance events, and on the girls side the Warriors will have jumper Lauren Kidney shouldering much of the point possibilities in her junior season. Youngsters Jesse Hatland (So.), Addie Grosser (Fr.) and Addie Locks (Fr.) were also mentioned as up-and-comers.

Erie Tigers

Coach: Brandon Havard

One athlete to spotlight: Blake Barnett won an exceptionally close 100-meter dash last year in 4A. A repeat is not out of the question, though it will be a tall task.

Notable: Early results indicate that the Erie boys sprint relays are going to be a force once again, led by Barnett and Caden Lettis. The pair have already bested 11.3 seconds or better in the 100-meter dash. Jackson Cowgill has high hopes in the throws his junior season, and Nonso Uwalaka has speed to burn in girls sprints. Look out for Myla Wilkes in jumps, Annison Pound in hurdles and Sabina Stroia in distance. Also don't forget about Evan Kraus in distance.

Fairview Knights

Coach: Tricia Vieth

One athlete to spotlight: Flynn Meier soared at last year's state meet in pole vault as top male 5A placer (seventh) and he'll be ready to give it his all as a senior.

Notable: The female jumpers and pole vaulters make up the Knights' strongest contingent of athletes, but Vieth is excited about the well-roundedness of the girls team and the unscripted potential of the boys. The girls distance will feature an up and coming group with sophomores Sierra Wall, Emma and Molly Weber, and freshman Ellie Cartwright leading the way. Helen Carlson and Devin Murphy star on the track, and the boys distance team will be anchored by the senior group of Marcos Cote, Marcus Zoldak, Walker Hungate, Gordy Nilsen, Rowan Nilsen and Casper Bartholomew Brown.

Legacy Lightning

Coach: Rachel West

One athlete to spotlight: Sophomore Gabrielle Shepston finished seventh in the 400-meter dash and should help LHS relays be a force again this season, too.

Notable: The LHS girls relays were strong last year, placing sixth or better in three events. Shepston teamed up with senior Lexie Lit, sophomore Rhianna LaBar, junior Addison Dolan and junior Isabel Breaux in a mix-and-match that scored a lot of points and should do so again. On the boys side, senior Duncan Pearson looks to qualify for finals in hurdles. While the Lightning hope to leave their mark in field events as an area of growth, West noted sophomore Annalina Torres and senior Cian Nagle as runners to watch in mid-distance events.

Monarch Coyotes

Coach: Kent Rieder

One athlete to spotlight: Senior Levi Hoenninger is ready to lead the MoHi sprint relays back to state, while himself honing in on cracking the top-10 in 5A long jump after easily clearing 20 feet last year.

Notable: The Coyotes had a lot of success at last year's meet with their seniors leading the way, and now another group looks to step in a keep Monarch in the conversation with results. Senior Mia Munoz will aim to score points in long jump, while Tyler Rowan is right there among potential top-10 pole vaulters, too. Junior Owen Mellish will join Hoenninger in sprint relays, as will sophomore Gavin Fagan. Munoz will team up with Maren Holecek and Catherine Campbell, both sophomores, on the girls sprint relays. Pole vaulter Ethan Nuttall, distance specialist Sam Kapner and thrower Will Kibe are all notable athletes to watch.

Class 4A

Frederick Golden Eagles

Coach: Sheli Mares

One athlete to spotlight: Gracie Wilts secured the Golden Eagles' only state points last year, placing eighth in high jump.

Notable: Wilts has gotten off to a solid start to her season in jumps and sprints, and the junior will lead a young team overall. Tristan Dean should improve in sprints over time his sophomore season, And Jessica Ellinger has already put up some good times as a freshman. Peyton Torres adds depth to the girls' jumps and sprints.

Longmont Trojans

Coach: Scott Dickinson

One athlete to spotlight: Junior Ella Pears should be a favorite for the 4A triple jump title after leaping a distance of 36 feet, 7 inches last year for second place. The lone girl ahead of her was national elite jumper Agur Dwol of Mullen, who graduated.

Notable: The LHS boys won last year's Class 4A division with an amazing group of seniors, but the cupboard is far from bare with Kolby Holmes (So., sprints) and Dacen Wach (Jr., mid-distance) looking to make an impact as returning state qualifiers. In addition to Pears, the Trojans girls boast sprinting senior Christine D'Epagnier and a pole vaulter in Liadan Graham who scored some points last year. Dickinson pointed out the girls are strongest in their junior class and the boys are strongest in the sophomore class — giving LHS plenty of reason for optimism.

Mead Mavericks

Coach: Drew White

One athlete to spotlight: Tavon Underwood used this past indoor season to vault himself among the state's elite sprinters, and he should be considered a top contender in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races in 4A.

Notable: Ben Mayer and Nolan Hoffman form a tremendous duo in distance for the Mavericks, while sophomore Max Windhorst has posted some nice results already this season in high jump. Senior Zach Dibella is a thrower with lots of growth in store and Kannon Garrettson isn't far behind. The girls have freshman Rylee Klatt making early waves in sprints, as is senior Isabel Luedke. Senior thrower Marlee Morris should go out strong, and of course so should distance star Frances Hudson.

Niwot Cougars

Coach: Maurice Henriques

One athlete to spotlight: Jade West is the state's early leader in the clubhouse in shot put with a throw of 37 feet, 6 inches. That's a mark that would have placed third in 4A last year.

Notable: A top-two finish for both boys and girls is pretty much the annual rite for Niwot, and it may be a whole list of new names to do it, too. That's Niwot in a nutshell. The Cougars flexed at the St. Vrain RE-1J District meet on March 10, with the likes of Frederick Ambrose (Sr.), Carlos Kipkorir Cheruiyot (Sr.), Ben Rauschkolb (Jr.), Margaret Gillett (Sr.), Simocea Esquibel (So.), Cayden Justice (Jr.) and Ashlenn Baca (Jr.) picking up where they left off last season.

Silver Creek Raptors

Coach: Jacy Riel

One athlete to spotlight: Meghan Kelleghan is one of the most versatile athletes in the area and will look for a third 4A pole vault title to go along with points in sprints and relays.

Notable: While Kelleghan is the straw that stirs the drink, senior Grace Maroney is primed for a great season as well for the Raptors. She was one of the few non-Niwot girls in the top 10 of last year's 800-meter run, and she'll look to improve and score in the mile this year, too. Chloe Ruth is a recognizable name after garnering all-state cross country honors, and senior Katie Bogdanova will look to go out strong in a number of events. The boys have more growth in them, led by senior Luke Riters and Birch Neeld.

Skyline Falcons

Coach: James Davis

One athlete to spotlight: It's early, but junior JJ Davis already has a discus throw of 133 feet, good for eighth in Class 4A at this point.

Notable: The Falcons don't have any returning state qualifiers, but the team is notable for showing tremendous growth over the course of a given season. In addition to Davis, senior Evan King is looking to make significant strides in hurdles while junior Rahman Carson is fronting SHS' jumps crew. That crew also includes freshman Miley Davis, who dabbles in sprints as well.

Class 3A

Holy Family Tigers

Coach: Nick Harris

One athlete to spotlight: Alexis Mendlik made finals in both the 100- and 200-meter dash events last year, but could not start the 200. She'll look to have point-producing results in both events this year.

Notable: With seven girls and 10 boys returning from last year's state qualifiers, the Tigers are primed to make a serious dent in Class 3A track and field this season. The boys sprint relays have a lot to live up to, but junior Griffin Eastman, and seniors Conor Byrne and Will Nolan will help fill gaps along with sophomore DJ Redlinger. Distance relay and hurdles should other strong areas for HFHS. On the girls side, it's much the same story as sprint relays could be in for a banner season led by juniors Alexis Mendlik, Isabella Rossi, Sawyer Dana and Kenna Crookham; and sophomore Isabella Arroyo.

Jefferson Academy Jaguars

Coach: Eric Thimsen

One athlete to spotlight: Chrisly Kelly-Cannon has already ran a 10.71 in the 100-meter dash this season, tops in Colorado through events entered in MaxPreps as of Friday.

Notable: The Jaguars girls placed eighth in 3A last year and will look to crack the top-five this season through the efforts of seniors Hallie Williams (high jump) and Kate Runyon (sprints); juniors Emilee Harding (hurdles), Jessica Schaffer (hurdles) and Maya Ross (distance); and sophomores Sierra Buzick (sprints, jumps) and Elsa Nygren (sprints). There are more waiting in the wings. Kelly-Cannon will score many, many points at state and Sean Beasley (Jr.) will lead a boys distance group looking to keep a strong tradition alive.

Peak to Peak Pumas

Coach: Kim McConnell

One athlete to spotlight: BoCoPreps.com's female track athlete of the year Kourtney Rathke returns after scoring 35 state points for her Pumas team last year.

Notable: Rathke had one of the most notable performances of all classifications at state last year, and there's no reason to think her junior season won't be as special. The Pumas also boast a solid returning distance runner in Jack Cerullo — just a sophomore — with Ryan Taylor (Sr.) and Emory Vazquez also coming back and looking for stronger results. Distance junior Annaka Rudolph could turn heads, and Kellan Brockway (Jr.) and Tai Watson (So.) each have a unique skill set as sprinters/throwers. Clive Clickenberg (So.) is a sprinter/hurdler to watch.

Prospect Ridge Academy Miners

Coach: Von Miller

One athlete to spotlight: Avery Marr placed in both the 800 and 1-mile events last year while also helping the 3,200 relay team to a point-scoring finish.

Notable: While Marr dealt with injury during cross country season, she is already showing great results this track campaign. Miller is also excited to watch what Logan Goodman will do ahead of his departure to Marquette, where he is committed to run as well. Goodman placed sixth in the 2-mile last year. Others to watch are senior Vidhura Kumar (throws) and Avin Singh (distance). Miller is hopeful of all the boys relays as far as state-qualifying potential.

Class 2A

Lyons Lions

Coach: David Goodman

One athlete to spotlight: Junior Gemma Powell already has a discus state title and strives to defend that and add a shot put title to her name.

Notable: Both the Lions boys and girls have a lot to look forward to, and there's a lot of points to be had at state in the 2A ranks. In addition to Powell, the girls team will feature the versatile junior Josie Gaines (sprints/jumps), pole vaulter Eliana Hart (Jr.) and distance runner Leah Shelton (So.). The boys will be strong in distance running behind the legs and lungs of senior Cole Thomas and junior Sage Wynja. Senior Nathan Richardson will look to improve his placing in high jump, and Keenan Young represents another strong pole vaulter with promise. Keep tabs on Malik Sigg-Brown (So.), Sebastian Carheden (Fr.) and Molly Major (Fr.).

Nederland Panthers

Coach: Gavin Coombs and Skylyn Webb

One athlete to spotlight: Abigail Hess will lead the Panthers into spring competition after qualifying for state in cross country in the fall.

Notable: The Panthers are small but mighty, particularly on the girls side, and will look to get back in the state scene this season after missing out last year. They begin their season at the Northridge Grizzly Invite on March 29.

Twin Peaks Charter Timberwolves

Coach: Pam Wanninger and Jill Robinson

One athlete to spotlight: Yannis Diby cleared 6 feet in the high jump last year to soar to 2A second place at state. So far this year, he's already hit 6-2 which is tied for top-five in Colorado.

Notable: In addtion to Diby's potential, junior Joshua Bishop has already flashed brilliance in hurdles by winning the St. Vrain RE-1J final in the 300-meter short hurdles despite going up against 4A and 5A teams. So, too, has senior Giorgio Spensieri — he will excel in sprint distances this season. The Timberwolves girls are very young and could see some emergence with more experience during the season.