LAKEWOOD – The Bluejays capped off a strong 2020-21 athletic calendar in their final competition of the season at the Colorado 2A Track and Field State Championships. Four Bluejays hauled home a total of seven all-state performances, while a handful of other Jays, along with a pair of Dolores Bears, made their state championship debuts.
Mancos track and field has made a habit of imposing itself at the state’s highest level.
Junior Connor Showalter headlined an impressive weekend for Mancos throwers, as he backed up his all-state performances as a freshman with a pair of additional medals in the shot put and discus. A heave of 44 feet, 5¼ inches in the shot put earned him a fourth-place finish, to go along with a mark of 142 feet, 1 inch in the discus, and another fourth-place result.
Senior Dustin Morning made his state debut a memorable one, as he joined Showalter on the podium in the shot put, placing seventh with a toss of 42 feet, 6¼ inches.
Junior Edgar Hernandez continued a fantastic year in the distance events, qualifying and placing in the top six in both the 800 and 1,600. His time of 4:37.87 helped him to a fifth place finish in the 1,600, while he also hit a personal best in the 800, where his run of 2:02.12 earned him sixth overall.
Junior William Small also qualified in the discus, claiming 17th overall with a throw of 111 feet, 9 inches.
Showalter finished just outside the finals of the triple jump, as he took 11th overall with a mark of 38 feet, 9½ inches.
In the girls’ competition, Grace Manning capped off a sensational distance running career for the Lady Jays, as she made a return trip to the podium in both the 800 and 1,600.
Her run of 5:42.12 earned her eighth place in the 1,600, while a time of 2:30.09 earned her ninth place in the 800.
Manning also anchored the 800 meter sprint medley squad – joined by junior Desi Dainty-Guilfoyle, sophomore Shelby Jabour and freshman Chloe Endres – that finished just outside of the finals, running 11th with a time of 1:58.57.
Manning and Endres also compromised two of the four legs in the 4x800 relay, joined by freshman Clara Most and sophomore Madilynn Ritter, to take 10th overall, with a time of 11:19.80.
Mancos boys’ team picked up 24 points, to finish 17th in the state. Yuma captured the boys crown with 76 points. Meanwhile, Manning accounted for the three Lady Jay points in the meet. Cedaredge ran away with the 2A team title with 87 points.
A pair of Dolores Bear seniors got a taste of the state championships in their final meets for the red-and-black.
Camden Malloy earned a spot in the field in the 110 hurdles, where he ran to a time of 18.64 to take 18th in the event.
Sam Castillo made her appearance in the discus, where she has been a force in the Four Corners all season. Castillo capped her career with a throw of 78 feet, 7 inches, to take 18th overall.
