The Montezuma-Cortez, Dolores, Mancos and Dove Creek track teams all begin their 2016 season on Saturday at the Piedra Vista Invitational in Farmington. Official practices began Monday, February 29, and after two weeks of preparation, the teams are eager to start competitions.
Montezuma-Cortez
The Montezuma-Cortez Panthers are blessed with numbers on both the boys’ and girls’ squads.
Girls’ head coach Paul Koops has over 40 athletes out for the team, including returning two-time state-qualifier Tayla Topaha, who will anchor the Lady Panthers’ throwing events.
Amy Campbell returns as a sprinter, Rachel Zetts, Julia Damore and Emma Thissen will run middle-to-long distance and, splitting time on the track team and soccer team, senior Weslie Kirks will contribute as a hurdler and in sprint relays.
Koops also pointed to Kristine Candelaria, Ashley Wood, Morgan Short and Regina Schuster as key team members, and said that he sees relays as the Lady Panthers’ strength.
And competing in Class 4A for the last time before dropping to Class 3A next year, Koops hopes his team can go out with a bang.
“I’d like to see some kids rise and compete at the highest level in the state,” he said. “It’s our last year in 4A, and I’d like to go out of 4A and have people remember us.”
The boys’ team is also loaded, with head coach Bob Archibeque noting that there are a lot of new faces amongst the 52 athletes out for the season.
The Panthers also bring back key returners in Josh Ramos and Elisha Vaquera, who qualified for state in the 4x400 meter relay last season, and Victor Perez as a thrower.
Other key returners are Blair Rice, Skyler Yarbrough, Sonny Boren, Reid Littlefield and Coby Baer.
“I really believe our sprints, our intermediate runs and our relays are going to be really strong,” said Archibeque. “We’ve just got great depth right now.”
With just ten boys out for the season, the Dolores Bears don’t have the same luxury of depth.
However, head coach Nick Kohler is optimistic about the athletes he has to work with.
Tristen Medina, Ruben Gomez, Trevor Robinson and Tristan Holgate all return for the Bears, and freshman Forest Pejsa will also be a key contributor.
Kohler said that if they can get handoffs down, he believes the Bears can send a 4x100 meter relay team to state.
The Lady Bears have stronger numbers, with 16 girls out, including returning state qualifier Larissa Umberger.
Kohler believes Umberger has a shot to qualify for the state meet in both the 100-meter hurdles and the long jump.
Sierra Schwartz and Shavargus Noyes will also run hurdles for the Lady Bears, Cameron Elder and Danica Noyes will be quarter-milers, Morgan Milligan will lead the throwers and Nicole Kibel and Aryelle Wright will chip in as sprinters.
Kohler has plenty of young talent, and while he is still moving pieces around, he said the team’s strengths will be in sprints and field events.
Mancos head coach Brady Archer has a light squad on the girls’ side, with only 12 team members. But his goals for the team are to place as high as possible at the league meet and send more athletes to the state meet than last year.
Archer said that middle-to-long distance runs are “definitely a strength,” of the team, with Emma Most, Kaylee Rose, Brittney Peacock and Hannah Skinner all returning.
Most qualified for state in the 3200 meter run last season, and the quartet nearly qualified in the 4x800 meter relay.
Jessica Gutierrez also returns as a long and triple-jumper, and freshmen Morgan Rose and Taylor Samora will contribute as throwers.
On the boys side, after placing 13th as a team at state last season, Archer returns all of the Blue Jays’ state qualifiers.
After finishing second place at state in the 4x800 meter relay, Ro Paschal, Simon Kearns, Adrian Hernandez and Nic Archuleta return to challenge for the state’s top spot.
They will also lead the Jays’ middle and long-distance races.
Andrew Plunkett returns after qualifying for state in the high jump and triple jump, and Archer said that he sees a handful of freshmen chipping in as sprinters.
“We were league champs last year, so [our goal] is to repeat as league champs,” said Archer. “We did lose some valuable seniors, but I think it’s still a possibility to go out there and repeat as league champs, and try to get as many guys all-conference as possible.”
The Dove Creek girls’ track team is hoping to pick up where it left off.
The Lady Bulldogs return three members from last year’s state qualifying 4x800 meter relay team in Maureen Bartley, Savannah Ayers and Larissa Randolph, and head coach Jason Fury also sees Kiera Baughman and Mikayla Hankins as key contributors.
Fury said that he expects to have another solid 4x800 meter relay team this season, but that he also believes the Lady Bulldogs will contend in the hurdles and throwing events.
There is less certainty on the boys’ side, as Fury is unsure whether seniors Case Baughman and Spencer Gatlin will be able to participate in many meets as they are playing baseball as well.
Fury sees senior Ricky Adams as one of the team leaders, and expects him to do well in throwing events.
“He’s already in practice throwing near what state qualifying would be,” said Fury.
The Bulldogs also return sophomores Levi Taylor and Logan Myers, who Fury said showed a lot of growth last season.
With a majority of the team consisting of underclassmen – including four freshmen – the Bulldogs are young. But Fury is optimistic.
“I have yet to see what’s going to come out of that, but they show a lot of promise,” he said. “What we look for is continued improvement throughout the season.”
