GREENWOOD VILLAGE | The Cherokee Trail boys track team will be after the Class 5A state championship in a few weeks, but before that, it added a title Saturday at the Stutler Twilight Invitational.
Coach Chris Faust’s Cougars set the meet record in the 4×400 relay — which was after a delay when the lights at Stutler Bowl shut off for a short time — to put the finishing touches on a performance that saw them win three relays and get a sprint crown from sophomore Peyton Sommers on their way to 105 points.
Cherokee Trail also fared well in the distance events to pocket 105 points for a comfortable margin over runner-up Fossil Ridge (93.83) and two-time defending 5A state champion Grandview (72). Eaglecrest finished tied for seventh as Aurora-area teams did very well in a field of 16 scoring teams.
Sommers secured Cherokee Trail’s lone individual title in the 200 meter dash, which he took early in the day with a time of 21.19 seconds, then he capped the night by anchoring the Cougars’ 4×400 relay team, which dazzled during the “Rock The Boat” race — which saw all athletes on the infield run from side to side as runners passed by. Cherokee Trail’s time of 3 minutes, 16.94 seconds, is tops in Colorado regardless of classification.
The Cougars also captured the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relays in tight victories over Cherry Creek and Fossil Ridge, respectively, and were sixth in the 4×800 meter relay with a team that did not include any of the returning members of last season’s 5A state championship-winning team in the event.
Senior Maliek Jamison finished as the runner-up in the triple jump, junior Kahari Wilbon added a third in the 400 meters, senior Reuben Holness and freshman Dylan Smith finished 3-4 in the 800 meters and junior Lavelle Kabeya-Kombo finished in the top six in both hurdles events to help the cause for Cherokee Trail.
Grandview excelled in the sprint events as usual as senior Luke Trinrud claimed the 100 meter dash in 10.77 seconds, while he was also the runner-up to Sommers in the 200 meters. Senior David Maldonado had top-five finishes in both sprint events and senior Gibby Leafgreen finished second in the 300 meter hurdles and third in the 110s to help the cause for the Wolves, who are coached meet organizer John Reyes.
Eaglecrest finished as the runner-up of the 4×800 meter relay, while senior Diego Cearns was a three-event placer (fifth in 100 meters, seventh in 200 meters, eighth in long jump), junior Jeffery Poku finished in the top seven in both sprint events and senior Peyton Taylor placed in the top seven in two jumping events for coach Chris Carhart’s Raptors.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2023 STUTLER BOWL TWILIGHT TRACK & FIELD RESULTS (BOYS)
Team scores: 1. CHEROKEE TRAIL 105 points; 2. Fossil Ridge 93.83; 3. GRANDVIEW 72; 4. Cherry Creek 65.83; 5. Niwot 63; 6. Mountain Vista 52.5; T7. EAGLECREST 37; T7. The Classical Academy 37; 9. Palmer Ridge 35; 10. Fountain-Fort Carson 27; 11. Rocky Mountain 25.5; T12. Fort Collins 25; T12. Broomfield 25; 14. Doherty 19.83; 15. Chaparral 13.5; 16. Legend 5