AURORA | City teams and athletes won a combined four team championships and 12 individual events in the final weeks of the 2016 spring prep sports season. Here’s a look at one of Aurora’s individual state event winners in Regis Jesuit senior Austin Campbell, the Class 5A boys high jump state champion:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
REGIS JESUIT’S AUSTIN CAMPBELL: 5A BOYS HIGH JUMP STATE CHAMPION
Regis Jesuit’s Austin Campbell has been one of Colorado’s high jumping stars for several seasons, but the Penn State-bound star claimed a long-awaited Class 5A state championship in his final competition. Campbell and Cherokee Trail’s David Thornton went head-to-head twice during the season and they ended up finishing at the same height both times, including a mark of 6 feet, 9 inches, in the finals of the 5A state meet on May 19 at Jefferson County Stadium. Campbell cleared his second attempt at the height, which gave him the tiebreaker over Thornton, who made it on his third try. Both Aurora athletes, who noted how the grass at Jeffco Stadium changed their approach as they were used to turf at the stadiums they regularly practice and compete at, came up short as they attempted 6-10. Working with Regis Jesuit jumps coach Heather Budd — as well as Vista PEAK’s Quinn Pack outside of high school competition — Campbell jumped 6-9 on two occasions during the 2016 season, as he also hit the mark on April 22 at the Liberty Bell Invitational, where he also attempted 7 feet for the first time in competition. His career-best jump of 6-11 came during his junior season. Campbell plans to head to the Great Southwest Classic June 2-4 in Albuquerque and the New Balance Nationals June 17-19 in Greensboro, N.C., with the hopes of jumping 7 feet or higher before he heads to college. Aided in part by Campbell’s championship, coach Ryan Taylor’s Regis Jesuit team — which also got two top-three finishes from distance runner Jack Davidson — placed fifth among 28 scoring teams in the 5A boys standings.