When teams from around the state convene at the Colorado High School State Track and Field Championships in Lakewood, May 17-19, the blue and white colors of Mancos High School will be well represented.
Throughout the storied Mancos track program, few runners have put forth the effort or matched the results of senior distance runners Jake McKie, Caleb Yoder and Simon Kearns. Now set for their final state track meet, the senior trio will look to earn spots near the top of the podium in several individual and relay events.
For McKie, this year’s individual event schedule will begin with the 800-meter run on May 18 and conclude with the 1600-meter run on May 19. The senior enters the meet as the eighth-ranked 800-meter runner in Colorado’s 2A Classification with a time of 2:01.45. McKie is ranked seventh overall in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4:43.93.
Joining McKie in the 800-meter run and the 1600-meter run will be Yoder, who is ranked 18th in the 800 (2:04.37) and 13th in the 1600 (4:46.51). h Yoder and McKie will be hard-pressed to chase down Soroco High School senior Ben Kelley, who ranks first in the 800 (1:54.43) and the 1600 (4:17.23).
Kearns will compete in the 3200-meter run, where he ranks 14th overall. All three will compete on the 4x800 meter relay team, which was fifth-best in the 2A classification during the regular season.
Mancos will also field a 4x100-meter relay that is ranked 15th (46.12) and a 4x400-meter relay that is ranked 18th (3:40.04) in the state.
While seniors figure to lead Mancos on the track, Caden Showalter will almost certainly lead his team in the field when the sophomore competes in the discus and the shot put events.
Currently ranked third in the shot put with a regular-season mark of 46 feet, 11 inches, Showalter will battle with Hotchkiss senior Darrin Young (48 feet, 2 inches) and Sedgwick County junior Layne Green (47 feet, 11½ inches) for the title.
Showalter, who is ranked third in the discus with a mark of 139 feet, 4 inches, will face a taller task in winning the discus state title given Crowley County junior Lane Walter’s regular-season mark of 176 feet, 4 inches, which was tops in the 2A classification.
Jumpers Anthony Medina, Caden Galloway and Griff Huver consistently found themselves near the top of meet standings throughout the regular season.
Medina, a sophomore, will enter the meet ranked 10th in the long jump (20 feet, 3 inches), and 12th in the triple jump (40 feet, 1 inch), while Huver, a senior, will enter the meet ranked 18th in the long jump (19 feet, 6½ inches).
Galloway will enter the state meet as one of 10 individuals in the 2A classification that cleared 5 feet, 10 inches in the high jump this year. The junior will be hard-pressed to beat Soroco junior Grant Richmond, who ranked No. 1 in the 2A classification with a leap of 6 feet, 6½ inches.
Serving as Mancos’ lone female representative at this year’s state meet will be newcomer Grace Manning, who performed impressively throughout her freshman season in middle distance and distance events.
Manning will open her first state meet on May 17 when she competes in the 400-meter dash. The freshman will then compete in the 800-meter run on May 18. Manning is ranked 18th in the 400 (1:02.95) and 11th in the 800 (2:29.48) based on her top performances during the regular season.
