AURORA | The Grandview boys track team had its top sprinters compete elsewhere, but its distance runners were a big part of a close victory in the Aurora City Championship meet April 1 at Aurora Public Schools Stadium.
The two-time defending Class 5A state champion Wolves had a number of key contributors up in Fort Collins at the Altitude Running Invitational — where they won two relay events — but won four events and dominated the distance competition for a score of 124 points that brought them just in ahead of Rangeview (120) in competition of a field that included all Aurora programs save Regis Jesuit.
Grandview’s depth in the the distance events proved to be huge as it picked up 45.5 points in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters alone. Sophomore Evan Valencia won the 1,600 meters with support from Danek Colson in third, while sophomore Josh Tobin won the 3,200 meters with Colton White (2nd), Colson (3rd) and Ethan Hitz (5th) close behind him. The Wolves also captured the 4×800 meter relay by a wide margin.
Senior Rylen Lippelt gave Grandview (which won the meet for a second straight time) its other event championship when he won the city title in the pole vault for a second straight season. Lippelt bettered his winning height from last season of 12 feet as he cleared 12 feet, 3 inches.
Rangeview finished with a meet-best five event championships with its strength showing in the jumping events. Senior Micah Dobson won both the triple jump and the meet-closing long jump and joined senior teammates Kevin Frazier — who had one of the early highlights of the meet as he won the high jump by clearing 6 feet, 7 inches — and Demetrious Brown (800 meters) and junior Jaheim Alexander (110 meter hurdles) with victories for the Raiders.
A jump of 44 feet, 10 inches, put Dobson in front of Cherokee Trail’s Maleik Jamison (44 feet) atop the leaderboard in the triple jump earlier in the day and he ended it with a long jump of 21 feet, 7 1/2 inches to finish in front of Gateway’s Isaiah Oliver (20-11 1/4).
Frazier had a big early highlight for Rangeview in the high jump, where his mark is third-best recorded in Colorado (regardless of classification) so far this season.
In another close race, Vista PEAK edged Overland by 2.5 points for third place.
Junior Nathan Hunholz uncorked a throw of 130 feet, 1 inch, to take the discus competition. The Bison got another individual win from freshman Isaiah Watson in the 400 meters and from the 4×200 meter really team of Watson, Leyton Youmans, D’Quan McClennon and Dhanavan Rashad.
The Trailblazers earned 101 points with help from an individual title from sophomore Jarrius Ward in the shot put as well as the 4×100 meter relay team of Ward, Alexander Owuso Jr., Curtis Bunton IV and Komari Owens, who beat the Bison at the finish line. Ward captured the shot put title with a throw of 46 feet, 11 inches, and was the discus runner-up.
Besides Dobson, the only other multiple-event individual winner was Smoky Hill’s Richjarion Hines, who topped the field in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. He also anchored the Buffs’ 4×400 meter really team, which closed the meet with an emphatic victory.
Donovan Sanders took the 300 meter hurdles for Cherokee Trail, which had the majority of its top athletes at the Altitude Running Invitational in Fort Collins.
NOTE: Rangeview finished atop the standings initially, but meet organizers had to go back in and correct some errors from the finish line camera that changed the team point totals.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2023 AURORA CITY CHAMPIONSHIPS TRACK MEET RESULTS (BOYS)
April 1 at Aurora Public Schools Stadium
Team scores (updated): 1. Grandview 124; 2. Rangeview 120; 3. Vista PEAK 103.50; 4. Overland 101; 5. Cherokee Trail 83; 6. Smoky Hill 78.5; 7. Eaglecrest 35; 8. Gateway 20; 9. Lotus School For Excellence 13; 10. Hinkley 8; 11. Aurora Central 4
Y’all need to update that headline!