Track and field: Underwood, West and Wilkes all claim titles on day two

May 19—LAKEWOOD — As Mead senior Tavon Underwood made his way around the Jeffco Stadium track for the first and second lap of his Class 4A 800-meter finals race, his bulging biceps — their definition visible from the top of the stands — hinted at just the kind of power he was capable of.

The final 200 meters of his state championship race Friday certainly proved as much, as he kicked it into high gear to overcome the rest of the field. He won the event in 1 minute, 51.97 seconds to edge out Grand Junction Central's Shalom Trowbridge at the finish line. Trowbridge clocked in less than two-tenths of a second later.

Underwood's road to his first state title of the 2023 spring season began much earlier than his outdoor season. Since then, he's only gotten better and better.

He'd only run the 800 one time before his gold-winning performance.

"It's been sort of a progressive build up to where I am now. We started in indoor season, and I was training with REAL Training throughout indoor season," he explained. "I had some ups and downs but ended up winning Nike Nationals in the indoor 400. That sort of led me into this season and that has been working my way up to where I am now."

He'll enter the final day of the state meet as the undoubted favorite in his final three events, as he holds the top seed in the 100 (10.81 seconds in prelims), the 200 (20.99) and the 400 (47.35).

"It definitely gives me plenty of confidence," he said. "This was the one event I thought I might have a lot of trouble trying to win. It gives me a ton of confidence, especially going into my 400, because I know I have that speed and endurance now to win it."

Launching her way into the history books

When Niwot sophomore Jade West stepped foot into the shot put pit on Friday, she came in not knowing what it felt like to lose the event at a single meet all year long.

She wrapped up her season with a nice little bow on her title-winning third throw when she launched the shot 40 feet, 8.25 inches to blow away the other girls. She trained with the football team all summer to get her there.

"It was just relieving because I did have this voice in the back of my mind saying, 'If you're going to lose a meet, it's going to be this one,'" West said. "But then I proved myself wrong and I just went out there and did it."

She credited her coaches, Maurice Henriques and father Lamar, for not only giving her the confidence but the acumen to achieve her field success.

"(My dad) is definitely the reason I'm throwing," she said. "I wouldn't have done it unless he encouraged me to because I was a swimmer."

Silver Creek's Lucy Swatfigure (sixth, 35-1) and Frederick's Gabriella Jima (eighth, 33-11.75) also earned podium finishes in the event.

A shocking finish

After most of the stadium had cleared out and the quiet had fully enveloped the field, a small contingent of Erie athletes ensured that junior Myla Wilkes wouldn't stand atop the podium in silence.

When the announcer called out her name as the new 5A long jump state champion, that small group on the other side of the fence screamed at the top of their lungs. After all, she wasn't expecting to win after sitting out of the sport her entire sophomore year.

"It felt so good. I love all my teammates and I love having them here to support me. They're my best friends, so they're like my family," Wilkes said. "I was nervous because I haven't run or jumped in over a year. Coming to state is definitely a lot of pressure, but it feels great being back and being able to win."

Prior to her gold-worthy jump of 17 — 11.5, Wilkes entered the competition with the No. 6 seed in the event. Everything just came together at the right time.

"I just kind of have to zone in before I jump," she said. "I have to tell myself everything I need to do, say it out loud and really focus in to be able to accomplish what I did today."

Fairview's Charlotte Elliston tail-ended the other end of the podium with a ninth-place finish (17 — 0.5).

One foot in front of the other

As the 5A girls 800-meter run began to reach its acme, Boulder junior Kiki Vaughn knew she had one last kick in her.

She wouldn't be able to catch any of the three ladies at the front of the field, but she at least wanted to move up a couple more spots before she herself ended her race. Her final push sent her soaring across the finish line alongside her friend, Broomfield senior Maelynn Higgins.

They didn't know who finished fourth at first.

"Normally, I feel like I have a good kick saved in me," Vaughn said. "(With 100 meters left), I felt my legs lock and I was seriously just stumbling over myself, trying to keep my feet under me, trying to just finish the race and catch the next person in front of me."

Vaughn ended up earning that fourth-place mark with a time of 2:13.10 to beat Higgins by a hair (2:13.12). Higgins, for her part, was just proud of her placement and time after swapping skin with the track in the opening meters of the race.

She got tangled trying to find her lane out of the gate and fell. Her bright white jersey was stained the same shade of red as the track with the battle wounds she suffered just after the gun went off.

"This wasn't the race I wanted. When I fell at the beginning, I mean, I was obviously hurting and I was just trying to keep my cool," Higgins said. "I think I did. I think I really went for it. It was hard running back from that adversity, and the outcome wasn't what I wanted, but that's OK. I mean, it's such a good opportunity and these things happen in sports."

Higgins hopes that early adversity will only help prepare her mentally for what she'll see during Saturday's finale when she tries her luck in the 1,600. Either way, she'll enter her collegiate career at North Carolina with the knowledge that she can do anything she sets her mind to.

Even if she has a few more scars to show for it.

"Last year, if that would have happened, I would have lost my mind," Higgins said. "I would have gotten so upset. I wouldn't know how to come back. To be able to just take a deep breath and say, 'Whatever, I roll with the punches,' I think that's a lot of progress from where I was last year."

Fairview's Helen Carlson ended her race just behind Vaughn and Higgins at sixth place, clocking in at 2:13.20.

Notable

Erie led the way with other top-10 finishes in Class 5A, as the Tigers saw Evan Kraus make the podium in both the 3,200 (fifth, 9:19.60) and the 800 (fourth, 1:54.45). The boys 800 relay kept the trend going with third place (1:27.81).

Elsewhere from 5A, Legacy's girls nabbed top-nine finishes in both the 800 sprint medley relay (fourth, 1:49.37) and the 800 relay (seventh, 1:44.57). Boulder's Nathan Reseigh added his own name to the mix in the boys 800 (sixth, 1:54.99).

In 4A, Mead rounded up its Friday performance with sixth place from Addison Babcock in the high jump (5-2) and seventh from Nolan Hoffman in the 800 (1:55.59). The girls relays showed out for Longmont with sixth in the 800 relay (1:46.68) and ninth in the 800 SMR (1:53.91).

Niwot, which saw state titles from West and Madison Shults in a Cougar-heavy girls 800 final, also saw banner finishes from its girls 800 SMR squad (fifth, 1:51.54) and Ben Classen in the 800 (sixth, 1:55.53). Silver Creek's Birch Neeld squeaked onto the podium with eighth in the long jump (6-1).