AURORA | A look back at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports between April 14-20, 2016:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
• Aurora prep sports scoreboard for April 19, here.
• Aurora prep sports scoreboard for April 18, here.
• The Smoky Hill boys swim team captured the championship of the Smoky Hill Invitational on April 16, the only event able to take place given the snowy conditions around Aurora. The Buffaloes scored 573 points to win the meet, which was changed to a timed finals only format to speed it up given the weather. Sophomore Tylen Phillips won the 200 yard freestyle and 100 yard butterfly, senior Joseph Waite won the 500 freestyle, senior Aidan Mercer took the 100 breaststroke and senior Devin Bellamy put a capper on the day with a meet and pool-record score of 571 points for the Buffaloes. Cherokee Trail finished ninth in a 13-team field. Full Smoky Hill Invitational results, here.
• The Vista PEAK girls soccer team continued to roll with a 2-1 non-league victory against visiting Denver North in blustery conditions April 15. Sophomore Jessica Jefferson and freshman Jenna Vidal notched goals for the Bison, who improved to 8-1 on the season. Sophomore goalie Emma Francis made three saves in the win.
• Aurora prep sports scoreboard for April 15, here.
• The Regis Jesuit girls soccer team knocked off powerhouse Mountain Vista with a 1-0 Continental League victory on April 14. Sophomore Abby Kassal’s goal in the first half stood as the only score in the game and senior goalie Emily Griffith made five saves as the Raiders moved alone into first place in the Continental League standings at 3-0-1 ahead of four teams with 4-1 league marks.
• In a rematch of teams that have played for the past two Class 5A boys lacrosse state championships, Regis Jesuit fell to Cherry Creek 6-5 in overtime on April 14 at Stutler Bowl. The Raiders trailed for the entire game until Joey Chott’s goal with just 1 minute, 25 seconds left in regulation knotted the contest at 5-5 and eventually sent it into sudden death overtime. The Bruins’ Asher Nolting forced a turnover just in front of the Raiders net and scored to end the game. Chott and Cole Boland notched two goals apiece and Mikey Bealer also tallied for Regis Jesuit, which got two assists apiece from Alec Barnes and Anders Erickson.
• The Grandview baseball team finished a Centennial League sweep of Cherry Creek with a 7-3 victory on April 14. Senior starter Cade Crader gave the Wolves a strong effort on the mound with 4 2/3 innings and senior Thomas Knowlton provided 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in the victory. Grandview scored all seven of its runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by Tyler Smith’s three-run triple. Travis Parker notched two hits as well for the Wolves.
• The Overland baseball team dealt Smoky Hill just its second loss of the season a walk-off 8-7 victory April 14 at Utah Park. Junior Erik Salas had two hits and knocked in a pair of runs and junior Preston Askew went 2-for-3 with two runs scored for the Trailblazers, which scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning. Freshman Jose Cintron benefited from the comeback with the win on the mound with two scoreless innings of relief. Parker Friedentag and Evan Richards drove in two runs apiece for Smoky Hill, which saw a three-game win streak snapped.
• The Cherokee Trail boys and girls track teams both posted Aurora’s top results in the abbreviated Pomona Invitational April 15 at Jeffco Stadium. The meet was scheduled for two days, but only got in one day worth of events on a revamped time schedule. The Cougars finished second on the girls side with 65 points — just 5.5 behind Rocky Mountain — while they were fifth in the boys rankings with 43 points. The Cougars’ girls got a triple jump victory from sophomore Sydnee Larkin and took the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relays, while Grandview junior Brie Oakley dominated in sweeping the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs. David Thornton cleared 6 feet, 6 inches to win the boys high jump for Cherokee Trail, which also won the 4×100 meter relay.
• Aurora prep sports scoreboard for April 14, here.
• The Regis Jesuit boys track team won the championship of the Don Osse Lakewood Invitational on April 14, as the Raiders piled up 103 points to finish comfortably atop a field that also included third-place Hinkley. The Raiders claimed second and the Thunderbirds ninth in the girls competition. Even without some of its standouts in the field, the Regis Jesuit boys got two wins apiece from Javan Lanier (100 meters, long jump) and Jason Lewis (pole vault, 300 meter hurdles), Ryan Cornell (triple jump) and Jack Davidson (800 meters), while Hinkley topped the field in the 4×400 meter relay. Regis Jesuit had two girls event champions in sophomore Olivia Grenardo in the 200 meter dash along with the 4×100 meter relay, while sophomore Kylie Davis finished second in both hurdle events. Sophomores Kierra and Sierra Arceneaux had strong finishes in the sprints for Hinkley.
