Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette

Payton Fielding is the peak performer for this week. The Cheyenne Mountain freshman took first in No. 2 singles at state.

This week's Peak Performer: Payton Fielding, Cheyenne Mountain

May 14, 2012 7:46 PM

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KEVIN CARMODY

THE GAZETTE

OTHER STANDOUT PERFORMANCES FROM THE PAST WEEK:

GIRLS' TENNIS
Cheyenne Mountain doubles – All four teams won state titles, carrying the Indians to a team title.

Nicole Kalhorn, Pine Creek – The freshman took second at 5A No. 1 singles.

BASEBALL
Ryan Warner, Pine Creek – Struck out 15 in a two-hit shutout in a district-opening victory, then hit a tiebreaking home run for the Eagles in the clincher as they are headed to state for the third consecutive season. In four district games over the past two years Warner is batting .700 (7-for-10), holds a .770 on-base percentage and is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 12 innings.

GIRLS’ GOLF
Kylee Sullivan, Cheyenne Mountain – Continued a phenomenal freshman season with a regional championship, shooting a 76 for a six-shot victory and leading Cheyenne Mountain to a team victory by a commanding 24 strokes.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE
Erin Todd, Air Academy – Scored seven goals as the Kadets blitzed Columbine 20-1 in the round of 16 of the state playoffs. Todd, who added an assist, has scored at least eight points in six of 18 games this season.

GIRLS’ SOCCER
Meghan Troupe, TCA – The junior scored four goals in a playoff-opening victory over Trinidad, then had a goal and two assists in a win over Denver Christian that put the defending champions back in the 3A quarterfinals.

BOYS’ SWIMMING & DIVING
Ian Clarke, Rampart – Set a CSML meet and Cheyenne Mountain pool record in the 200-yard individual medley and captured the league 500 freestyle title on the way to earning 5A Swimmer of the Year honors.

BOYS’ TRACK & FIELD
Chris Cutcher, Mesa Ridge – Won the 4A CSML championship in the 110 hurdles with a 14.89, topping second place by 32-hundredths of a second and beating the best time in the 5A race by nearly two-tenths of a second.

GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD
Heather Bates, Discovery Canyon – The senior set personal bests in winning the Colorado Springs Metro League Championships in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races. She is now the state’s leader in both, as the only female in Colorado this season to post either a sub-5-minute 1,600 (4:58.74) or sub 11-minute 3,200 (10.51.19).

Cheyenne Mountain freshman Payton Fielding won the 4A No. 2 singles state title on Saturday at Pueblo, overcoming nerves and a slow start to claim a three-set victory, helping Cheyenne Mountain to their fourth straight team title and 17^th in school history.

“I was definitely feeling more nerves than I usually have in a final,” said Fielding, whose older brother Billy finished third in last year's No. 2 boys' singles race. “All the pressure, with my team and school and the pressure of winning state as a freshman, made me more nervous than I had been in a while.”

Fielding was the lone individual champion for the squad.

“I’m happy I could do that as a freshman,” Fielding said. “It still hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

SEE IMAGES OF EVERY PEAK PERFORMER FROM THIS SCHOOL YEAR

QUICK HITS

With your height (6-1), have you been recruited by the volleyball team?

I was going to try out for volleyball last fall, but I wanted to focus on tennis this year. I really like volleyball, and I might think about it this coming year, but it’ll take away from tennis.

How long have you been playing tennis?

My dad started me when I was 4 or 5, just for run. I played in my first tournament at 8. My dad (John) is the club pro at the Broadmoor, and it’s awesome having your dad as a coach.

What do you do for fun?

I like to hang out with my friends and pretty much do anything that sounds good during the day, like swimming or going back to my home town of Crested Butte to go hiking.

How long have you lived here?

I was born here, lived here 3 years, moved to Crested Butte and lived there 8 years before moving back here a few years ago.

Do you have any big plans for the summer?

I’ll play as much tennis as I can this summer and start training. I need to get faster. I might get to go to France to play tennis and visit my friends from Denmark. I really love traveling.

It’s a ways off, but have you thought about career goals?

I want to see how far I can get with tennis. If that doesn’t work out, I’d like anything with architecture, interior design and traveling.

Payton could do without quite so much Kelly Clarkson on the radio