For years, Montezuma-Cortez High School had looked up the standings at Alamosa, Bayfield and Pagosa Springs during the track and field season.
Not anymore.
The Panthers used balance across the sprints, relays, distance and field events to stand at the top of the heap on a windy day Friday at Panther Stadium. M-CHS held off perennial league power Alamosa in the waning moments of the meet, picking up precious points in the 4x400 relay and pole vault to beat the Mean Moose by three, 135.5 to 132.5, to win the Intermountain League title.
M-CHS scored in all four relays, topped by a second-place effort in the 4x200 relay (1:37.70), to go along with fourth-place marks in the 4x400 (3:47.07) and 4x800 (10:57.95), as head coach Bob Archibeque used a deep roster to help the Panthers claw out points from every angle.
Having four-event winner Zander Cruzan certainly helped the cause, as the senior won the 100 (10.68), 200 (21.82), 400 (53.58), and long jump (20 feet, 5¼ inches) – the long jump crown coming in his season debut in the event.
However, the balance across the board carried the day for the orange-and-black, as sophomore Ben Hoffman continued to surge to the top of the local middle-distance scene. Hoffman took second behind Cruzan in the 400 (55.03), while also claiming runner-up in the 1,600 (5:06.86).
Junior Raul Soto placed as the highest finisher in the IML in the 110 hurdles, taking second overall in the meet with a time of 17-flat, while senior Austin Wood took third (37’ both the 300 hurdles (44.52) and triple jump (37-4).
Senior Farrar Desloge took fifth in the 3,200 (12:14.41) in an event where three Panthers placed, and Dawson Stubby took fourth in the 110 hurdles (17.77) and sixth in the 300 hurdles (45.77).
Sophomore Tay Wheat scored third in the long jump (19-8½), while both Houston Hurst and Ryan Pipkin scored in the pole vault (both cleared 9-6). Junior Chandler Snyder provided the top throwing performances for the Panthers, taking ninth in the discus (93-9) and 12th in the shot put (33-9).
The Panthers held off Alamosa’s late charge, as the Mean Moose scored big points in the distance events, while Bayfield finished third (100 points).
Three top relay performances led the way for the M-CHS girls, aiding the Panthers to a sixth-place finish in the IML field at the Panther Invitational.
The Panther 4x200 relay took fourth (2:06.14), and both the sprint medley and 4x100 relays took fifth to bolster the M-CHS point total.
Freshman Marlee Mack scored in four events, the 200 (third, 28.31), 300 hurdles (fourth, 54.05), long jump (sixth, 14-2), and 100 hurdles (eighth, 18.17).
Sophomore Madeline Pipkin took eighth in the pole vault (6-0), junior Markylla Jones landed in ninth in the shot put (25-2). Sophomore Gracie Gengerich took 12th in the triple jump (22-3½), while classmate Olivia Yarbrough claimed 12th in the high jump (4- 2). Freshman Aubrie Mathias took 13th in the 100 hurdles (20.23), while sophomore Kaylynn Quinonez finished as the top Panther in the 100 dash (27th, 14.96).
The Panthers totaled 29 points, while the IML league chase turned into a two-team battle. Alamosa (166) held off Pagosa Springs (155) to claim the overall title.
With a league title in hand, the Panthers now turn their focus on gaining or improving state qualifying spots with a weekend trip to Pueblo and Colorado Springs upcoming on May 5-6. The Panthers will also send some athletes to Grand Junction for the Tiger Relays over the same weekend. The state championships now await just three weeks away, held at Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood over the weekend of May 18-20.
