AURORA | A look at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports from Feb. 9-15, 2017:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
• The Class 5A girls state swim meet runs Feb. 9-10 as Aurora’s large contingent of qualifiers — 50 individuals and 12 relays teams — convenes with others at the Veterans’ Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton. With a new format in place, diving prelims are set for 10:30 a.m. Feb. 9, followed by swim prelims at 4 p.m. Finals in swimming and diving are slated for 4 p.m. Friday. (Full list of Aurora individual & relay qualifiers by school, here)
• Wrestling regionals run Feb. 10-11 at a variety of locations, including one locally, as the Class 5A Region 3 tournament will be contested on the mats at Cherokee Trail High School. The Cougars’ field fighting for the four 5A state tournaments berths at each of 14 weights includes three other Aurora teams in Gateway, Rangeview and Smoky Hill. Grandview and Regis Jesuit compete in 5A Region 1 at Fountain-Fort Carson, Eaglecrest and Overland are in 5A Region 2 at Legacy, Aurora Central and Hinkley head to 5A Region 4 at Arvada West and Vista PEAK is bound for 4A Region 3 at Cheyenne Mountain. (Full regional time schedules, here)
• Cherokee Trail pays a visit to Rangeview at 6 p.m. Feb. 11 in a late non-league boys basketball matchup of Aurora programs. The Raiders — who have an eight-game winning streak and lead the EMAC — topped the Cougars by four points last season and have beaten them in four straight.
• On the ice, Regis Jesuit skates against visiting Ralston Valley at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at Family Sports Center in the second game of a tough Foothills Conference back-to-back set. The unbeaten Raiders — who play Mountain Vista in an 8:30 p.m. contest on the same ice Feb. 10 — look for a sweep against the rival Mustangs, who they edged 1-0 in the first meeting.
• The Grandview girls basketball team plays host to Cherry Creek at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 15 in a game that would all but lock up the Centennial League championship for the Wolves with a win. Grandview topped the Bruins by 15 points in the first meeting and look for a sweep in the first game of a doubleheader that includes the Cherry Creek vs. Grandview boys at 7 p.m. Also on the Centennial League slate is the Smoky Hill boys basketball team’s visit to Eaglecrest in a rematch of teams that went down to the wire the last time they met before the Raptors prevailed. In girls play, Cherokee Trail pays a visit to Arapahoe, seeking a split.