Battling inclement weather and big-time competition, the Dolores High School track teams produced mixed results at the Tiger Invitational as the girls team finished 16th, and the boys team finished 19th.
"The meet was alright, but the competition was too high for schools our size," said Dolores head coach Nick Kohler. "All of the kids did fine."
Leading the way for the girls was senior thrower Jessica Schleisser, whose career-best toss of 97 feet, 10 inches qualified her for state for the first time.
"Jessica set a personal best and now she gets to throw at state," Kohler said. "It's the first time that she has made it, and she's tickled pink. We're excited for her."
Also coming through with top-10 finishes for the Bears were Larissa Umberger, who placed ninth in the long jump (15 feet, 3½ inches), Shavargus Noyes, who crossed the line 9th in the 300-meter hurdles (53.43) and Taylor Elder, who finished 10th in the triple jump (31 feet, 9 ¾ inches).
Elder will compete in the long jump and triple jump, and Umberger will compete in the 100-meter hurdles at the state meet.
Joining the Lady Bears individual state qualifiers at the state meet will be the team's 4x200-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay, which are both made up of Olivia Wright, Kelly Charles, Nichole Kibel and Elder.
"We're hoping to put our relays and some individuals on the podium," said Kohler. "We'll spend time this week getting our exchanges down and getting everyone ready."
Among the boys, Dolores was led by Tristan Medina, who finished eighth in the 300-meter hurdles (45.25) and 15th in the 110-meter hurdles (18.16). He narrowly missed qualifying for state in both events.
"Tristan will be a good hurdler at the state level next year," said the coach. "This year was his first in track, and he made great progress."
Rounding out the boys team's top-15 placers were Mikeal Ford, who finished 11th in the 100-mter dash (11.94) and 15th the same event (12.33). Ford will compete in the 100-meter dash at state, as will the Bears 4x100-meter relay.
This year's Colorado State Track Meet will take place in Lakewood, May 14-16, and will feature teams from each of Colorado's five classifications.
"It is an honor to compete at the state level and I am confident that our athletes will perform well," Kohler said. "Competing at the state meet is always a great experience."
