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Widefield leads area in final bid for state
The Widefield boys and girls led area 4A track and field teams Saturday in efforts to move on to Friday's state meet in Denver.
The top three advanced along with those posting a pre-qualifying time or distance this season.
Widefield had a big meet with the boys qualifying in six events and the girls qualifying seven at the two-day Region 3 meet at Don Breese Stadium.
Patrick Richards set a personal record in the 100-meter dash to qualify for the first time and anchored the winning 800 relay team. He had prequalified in the 200 and 400. Thomas Powers qualified in the 1,600 and 3,200 and Sam Smith qualified in the discus and shot put for the Gladiators.
Sierra qualified in four new events after pre-qualifying in nine this season.
Terrance Thomas won the discus, Steven Zinn qualified in the 800 and Mike Wright and Xavier Newton took second and third in the high jump to qualify for the Stallions.
Woodland Park had Dakota Brown (shot put), Ben Fischer (200) and the 400 relay team advance to state for the boys.
On the girls side, Joyce Banks broke her personal best in the triple jump by four feet to win that event for Widefield.
Other qualifiers for the Gladiators include Daniesha Watson (400), Alena Hartman (200), Shanti Bridgewater (100), Desarey Balloon (300 hurdles) and the 800 and 1,600 relay teams.
"The girls were frustrated with winning the league and not getting any press coverage so they were pretty fired up," coach Fred Marjerrison said.
Before the Region 3 meet at Garry Berry Stadium, Joy O'Hare had prequalified in the 400 run and the 400 relay, so Cheyenne Mountain coaches Stan Lambros and Karen Scott asked their star to rest. But the senior declined and won the 100 and 200 dashes to help lead the Indians to second behind Alamosa, 140-138.
"She's a phenom and a freak of nature out there," Lambros said.
Fountain-Fort Carson's Calvin Williams returned to state for the third year by qualifying in the long, triple and high jumps, as well as 110 hurdles. The senior's performance led the Trojans to second behind Pueblo South, 142-134½.
