AURORA | A look back at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports from Aug. 29-Sept. 4, 2023:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
THE WEEK PAST IN AURORA PREP SPORTS, 8.29-9.4.23
MONDAY, SEPT. 4: No events were contested as schools were closed for the Labor Day holiday.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 2: The Grandview girls volleyball team finished in third place in the loaded Varsity Gold division of the Chaparral Showcase tournament held over two days at the Gold Crown Fieldhouse. The Wolves won their first two matches on the opening day (including a match against Legacy in which they won the opening set 34-32), then — despite a 17-kill, five-ace effort from senior Emerson Deferme — dropped a five-setter to a Chaparral team they played for the second time in a handful of days in the semifinals. Grandview bounced back with a 22-25, 26-24, 25-18, 21-25, 15-11 victory over Castle View. Cherokee Trail finished in 10th place in the same bracket as it defeated Chatfield in the consolation semifinals before Fossil Ridge won a 25-18, 25-15, 25-20 match with the Cougars in the consolation championship. Regis Jesuit finished in ninth place in the Varsity Red bracket with a 25-17, 25-20, 25-17 triumph over Fruita Monument, which had stopped Smoky Hill in the consolation semifinals. …The Grandview softball team defeated defending Class 5A state champion Columbine 6-0 in a game that saw starting pitcher Leah Graves record a complete game and scatter four hits. Ashley Miller doubled twice and drove in three runs, Kristin Gallego homered and drove in a pair of runs and Sasha Kennedy and Peytann Weiland had two hits apiece for the Wolves. …The two-day Amy Howe Memorial boys tennis tournament hosted by Smoky Hill came to a close, with Cherokee Trail taking top honors among local teams in third place. The Cougars had all seven lines place in the top four of their respective positions, led by runner-up finishes for No. 2 singles player Swagat Behara and the No. 3 doubles team of Ali Minhajuddin and Ryan Martin. Host Smoky Hill and Eaglecrest each tied for fifth, while Rangeview came in eighth. …The Overland softball team dropped a 12-6 decision to Adams City despite Michaela Halton’s 4-for-4 performance that included a home run and three runs scored. Pennie Siple also had two hits. …The Eaglecrest boys soccer team played to a 0-0 tie with Fruita Monument.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 1: Three pitchers — led by Sydney Cobb, who threw four scoreless innings — combined to deliver an 8-0 win for the Cherokee Trail softball team over Douglas County. Julia Russell drove in three runs, while Kennedy Brian knocked in two for the Cougars. …The Lotus School For Excellence boys soccer team defeated Vail Mountain 2-1 in a rematch of last season’s Class 2A state championship game won by the Gore Rangers. …The Smoky Hill boys cross country team finished ninth among 24 scoring teams at the Legacy Lightning Invitational at Broomfield County Commons as it was paced by a Benicio Martinez, who crossed the finish line in 17 minutes, 51 seconds, to finish ninth out of 214 runners. The Gateway girls did not have enough finishers to record a team score, but Leona Ferguson finished a city-best 40th with a time of 22:36.
THURSDAY, AUG. 31: The Eaglecrest girls volleyball team defeated visiting Vista PEAK Prep 25-20, 25-19, 25-16 in a crosstown city programs. …Maddie Kilmer recorded eight kills and Anika Davison had seven for the Rangeview girls volleyball team, which swept visiting Littleton 25-22, 25-20, 25-18. Kilmer added 15 assists and 12 digs in the victory. …The Cherokee Trail boys soccer team continued its unbeaten start to the season with a 2-0 road win over Columbine. …Alex Kedzierski scored a goal and had two assists for the Grandview boys soccer team in a 3-1 road win at Fort Collins. Kaelan Higgins and Jacob Winning also had goals for the Wolves, who got three saves from Nikhil Patel. … Sebastian Campos scored twice to lead five goal scorers for the Regis Jesuit boys soccer team in a 6-0 victory over Ponderosa at EchoPark Stadium. …The Eaglecrest softball team topped Douglas County 7-1 behind a combined effort from winner Addison Mower and Briahna Gallegos. Megan Drugan doubled as part of a 2-for-3 day, drove in two runs and scored twice for the Raptors, who also got two stolen bases and two runs scored from Jac Smith. …Amara Herrera pitched a complete game, homered and drove in three runs as the Vista PEAK Prep softball team dug out of an early hole to defeat Denver East 13-7 in City League play. Jaya Gray had three hits and scored twice for the Bison. …The Cherokee Trail boys tennis team earned a 4-3 Centennial League dual win at home against rival Grandview. …Gateway’s Colt Wenzel shot 96 to edge teammate Ronan McNeal by a shot for top honors at the Colorado League boys golf minor tournament at Aurora Hills G.C.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 30: Eaglecrest sophomore Gregory White shot a season-low 67 — which was 5-under-par — for a three-stroke victory in the penultimate Centennial League boys golf tournament of the season played at Saddle Rock G.C. White’s playing partner, Grandview junior Michael Rosman, carded a 2-under 70 to finish second and sophomore Brayden Forte tied for third with a 1-under 71 for Cherokee Trail, which finished tied for second in the team standings behind Cherry Creek. Dalton Sisneros of Cherokee Trail (73) and Grandview’s Nick Scott (75) finished eighth and ninth, respectively. … In the fifth Continental League boys golf tournament of the season, Regis Jesuit topped the team standings and had the tournament medalist in junior Sam Walker, who had a 5-under-par 67. Anthony Lore tied for fifth with a 71 to help the Raiders finish two strokes in front of Mountain Vista. …Peytann Weiland went 3-for-3 and plated two runs for the Grandview softball team in a 6-4 win over Chaparral. Leah Graves allowed four runs on nine hits in seven innings for the victory. …Despite three hits from Darleen Valenzuela and Melody Guerrero’s two RBI, the Aurora Central softball team fell to Greeley Central 12-7. …The Overland gymnastics team earned a score of 174.825 points to finish in front of Ponderosa (169.925) and Rock Canyon (151.600) in a three-team home meet. The ‘Blazers were led by the all-around due of Kyla Burke (36.275) and Ainsley Renner (35.600). Renner topped the vault and balance beam, while Emeley Brain had the best score on unbeven bars and floor exercise.
TUESDAY, AUG. 29: Chaparral defeated the Grandview girls volleyball team 26-24, 21-25, 25-14, 25-20 despite nine kills for Emerson Deferme and eight for Rachel Briar for the Wolves. Ashley Harkness added 22 assists and 13 digs. …Shylin Collins and Maddie Kilmer shared team-high honors with nine kills apiece for the Rangeview girls volleyball team in a 25-20, 22-25, 25-20, 25-19 all-Aurora victory against Overland. …A balanced effort for the Hinkley girls volleyball team saw Mercy Addai-Opoku rack up 10 kills, while three others had seven or more and Mayte Vaca Rios dished out 22 assists in a 25-22, 25-19, 25-15 win over Lincoln. …The Gateway girls volleyball team got into the win column for the first time with a five-set home victory over Jefferson. …Stephanie Gomez drove in two runs and earned the pitching win for the Aurora Central softball team in a 20-8 win over Englewood. Melody Guerrero, Yoselin Reyes Rosales and Aniyah May had two RBI apiece.