If recent results provide any indication, the Dolores High School boys' and girls' track teams will enjoy plenty of success following the conclusion of their regular season.
Competing at the San Juan Basin League Championships in Ignacio on April 21, the Dolores girls' team finished tied with Telluride atop a 7-team field. Both the Lady Bears and the Lady Miners scored 160 total points.
"We were happy because we were shorthanded because of grades," said Dolores head coach Nick Kohler. "Telluride joined with Norwood during the track season, so we were basically competing against two schools."
Leading Dolores individually was senior Taylor Elder, who captured 1st place in the long jump (16 feet, 2 ½ inches) and the triple jump (33 feet, 3 inches). Both of Elder's marks represented personal bests.
"Taylor keeps getting better," Kohler said. "I think she wants to stand on the podium in both jumping events at state and I can't see anything happening that will keep that from happening."
Also earning a first-place individual finish was junior Larissa Umberger, who crossed the line first in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.47.
In the relay events, the Lady Bears 4x200-meter relay team made up of Kelly Charles, Olivia Wright, Nichole Kibel and Elder captured top honors (1:54.74).
The Lady Bears 4x100-meter relay made up of Sierra Schwartz, Umberger, Kibel and Wright also finished 1st (54.15), and sophomore Teegan Hite competed in the 4x800-meter relay, the 800-meter run, the 1600-meter run and the 3200-meter run.
"Teegan gave the hardest effort out of anybody," Kohler said. "She sacrificed individual times for the good of the team and that is one of the reasons that we won the meet."
On the boys' side, Dolores finished 3rd overall at the San Juan Basin League Championships thanks to several solid individual finishes and two top-placing relays.
"The boys did well," said Kohler. "I knew that there was no chance that the boys would win, but I knew that we would win events and we did."
Among the Bears individual winners was sophomore Tristan Medina, who placed 1st in the 110-meter hurdles (17.99) and 1st in the 300-meter hurdles (44.47).
"Tristan just blew everybody away," Kohler said. "He loves the hurdles and that's the most important thing."
In the relay events, the Bears 4x100-meter relay made up of Branden Donaldson, Miceal Ford, Rylan Huff and Trevor Robinson finished 1st overall (46.59).
The Bears 4x200-meter relay made up of Guy Wallace, Huff, Robinson and Ford also captured top honors (1:38.66).
Next up for both Dolores track teams will be the B&B Invitational, which will take place in Aztec, April 24-25.
"We have done no speed work yet because I wanted to delay it as soon as possible," said Kohler, when asked about how his teams plan to prepare for upcoming meets. "I wanted to delay (speed work) as long as possible, but now we're going to start doing it and I expect our times to drop."
