It's anyone's guess who the team favorite is this year, as the teams competing are well-rounded and coming into championship form. The difference could be the relays, which are worth double points this year, and it will likely come down to the 4x4 under the lights! The girls relays should provide quite a show for the crowd on Friday night. The teams running the 4x200m represent the defending State Champions in 3A (Classical Academy), 4A (Niwot), and 5A (Eaglecrest). Additionally, six of the current top 10 ranked teams in 5A will be competing in the event. The 4x100m isn't much different. Defending 5A Champion Eaglecrest has posted the top time in Colorado this year (46.75) but will have their hands full with the teams from Cherokee Trail, Vista Peak, and Fossil Ridge.
The "Rock The Boat" 4x400s will be worth the wait, as the athletes will be introduced to the crowd with their chosen walk-up songs under the lights. This could be anyone's race as the defending 4A State Champs from Niwot will be going head-to-head with the best teams 5A has to offer. Look for them to be battling for a full 1600 meters with Cherry Creek, Mountain Vista, and Eaglecrest's best quarter-milers.
We have some huge names in Colorado and American distance running represented in the longer events. The 1600m will showcase 2x 5A 800m Champion Rosie Mucharsky of Denver East with the top seed time of 4:43.95. She is one of eight in the field who have run sub-5 minutes in this event. Cross Country fans will see familiar names wearing green and gold for Mountain Vista, with Keeghan Edwards, Juliet Frum, Peyton Adams, and Claire Guiberson, fresh off of their NXR Championship this past fall. Look out for Anna Prok of Niwot, as she will certainly be toward the front of the pack, as will her teammate, Elise Hagen. The ladies will be running through the "Gauntlet" of athletes and spectators while they race down the homestretch, as this year we will be bringing everyone down from the stands and onto the track to cheer them on. Riley Stewart's (Cherry Creek, 2021) meet record of 4:44.13 just might go down in this race…
In the 800m, 4 of the top 10 placers in 5A from a year ago will be running, with Mia Williams of Fossil Ridge coming in as the top seed. If she hopes to keep that spot, she will have to fend off Prok, Kinley Wolfe of Cherry Creek, and Lindsey Kaines of Rocky Mountain. Keep your eye on Emily Cohen of Cherry Creek, who is dropping down from her usual longer events to run only two really fast laps! Although Mucharsky is not running her signature 800m at The Twilight, Denver East will still be showcasing their depth in the event with blazing sophomore Avery Johnson fresh off her PR from earlier this month at Jeffco Stadium, as well as her teammates Scout Chomas (Junior) and Lola Carhart (Sophomore), both also having run major PR's in the past three weeks. Sophomore Jenna Winn of Eaglecrest will be seeking a sub-2:20 finish after having gone from 2:24.9 to 2:20.36 just last Wednesday. Broomfield Senior Vilate Carwin, who last week put together the best 1600m of her career at the windy Centaurus Twilight, will be in the mix as she looks to improve on her PR of 2:17.86. All three heats of this event will be worth the wait, as the competitors in each are all separated by six or less seconds.
The lights will be shining on the 3200m, where there will be four ladies who have broken 11 minutes, with Emily Cohen (5th in 5A in 2024) leading the way shortly after her 800m. Mucharsky of East will be completing her 1600/3200 double under the lights as well. Keep an eye on Brenna Jorde of Mountain Vista to be in the mix with Mucharsky and Cohen.
The open sprints will be kicked off by serious speed in the 100m dash. Five of the top ten in 5A will be in a single heat. Colorado #1 Addyson Smith of Fossil Ridge is the top seed at 11.97. She will be challenged by one of Eaglecrest's fabulous freshmen, Evangeline Ansah. Nevaeh Winfrey of Rocky Mountain, Leiava Holliman of Grandview, and Tayah Burton of Cherokee Trail are sure to be in the mix as well. The 200m dash will have six of the top ten in 5A, with Amaya Rogers of Vista Peak shooting for another sub-25 performance. She'll have Lillian Osifodunrin of Broomfield and Ansah to deal with as well. Seven girls who have gone under 58 seconds will be running the 400m, the 3rd heat will be a must-see!
The hurdles are stacked! The 100's will have 10 of the top 20 girls in all of Colorado, 11 of the top 20 in 5A, and 6 returning state placers. Colorado #1 Reese Kasper of Niwot comes in at 14.22, but she will be fending off six other ladies who have run in the 14's during heat 5 of the event. Kasper will be doubling in the event she won last year, the 300m hurdles. This event is equally loaded, with eight ladies that have gone sub-45! Keep an eye on Fountain Fort Carson's Alexa Queen to challenge Kasper in this race.
The big dog over in the throws is Jade West. The defending 4A State Champ in both shot put and discus is on fire so far this year. She has gone 47-4 in the shot put, which is the best in Colorado. In addition to West, nine of the top 15 throwers in 5A will be competing in both events. Look for Cherokee Trail's Raziah Hyslop to challenge West in the discus.
There will be some ladies flying in the jumps! In the pole vault, eight girls are ranked in the top 10 in their classifications. Class 5A's #1 Renata Bergstrom of Cherry Creek will be the one to beat, coming in having gone 12-0 already this year. Over on the south side of the track, the defending 5A State Champions will be highlighting the long and triple jumps. The long jump should provide big-time fireworks as defending 5A champion Zenobia Witt of Eaglecrest and Runner-up Kaeli Powe of Cherokee Trail will see defending 4A champion and Texas A&M commit Bradie Menegatti of Pueblo West, as well as Clemson-commit Eliana Henriques of Niwot. Addison Hayes of Fossil Ridge will be a major contender as well. All five of those ladies come in having jumped at least 18 feet. Defending 5A State champion Powe will be the class of the field in the triple jump, coming in with a mark of 42-1.75(w). Khloe Scharf of Rocky Mountain, Hayes, and Jaylynn Wilson of Eaglecrest will all be looking to get nearer to the elusive 40-0 mark in the event as well.
Menegatti and Winfrey are on top of a talented field in the high jump, each seeded at 5- 6. Keep your eyes on the North side of the track as this event begins at 3:30pm!