Another batch of Aurora prep athletes secured their opportunity to play in college, with several national letter of intent ceremonies taking place in and around Aurora on April 12.
At Overland, volleyball players Ciara Brown (Univ. of South Florida) and Taylor Carlson (Southern Connecticut State University) and basketball player Simone Evans (Western Nebraska C.C.) were honored, while swimmers Kelse Johnson (Ohio) and Steven Holiday (Colorado Mesa) along with soccer player Ashton Carlson (Sioux Falls) finalized things at Smoky Hill.
Eaglecrest track star Danielle Williams went all the way to Columbia, Mo., to sign her scholarship offer with the University of Missouri, while Hinkley basketball standout Jon Newsom stayed in his own living room to sign with Northwest College (Powell, Wyo.)
Regis Jesuit pitcher Peter Bayer finalized his offer from Richmond.
• Senior Steven Holiday and sophomore Juhan Hong won events and Smoky Hill finished second in the 20th annual Smoky Hill Boys Swimming Invitational on April 14, coming in second, 128 points behind run-away winner Fossil Ridge. Led by a pair of second-place finishes from sophomore TJ Konde, Cherokee Trail placed fifth as a team.
• Newcomer Dezant Burks placed in three individual events and one relay and Jordan Medina, Tyler Bloyer, Khalil Sellers and Steffen Johnson combined to win the 4×200 and 4×400 relays as Rangeview won the boys title at the Rod Card Invitational April 14 at Regis Jesuit.
The hosts were led by pole vault champion Jordan Hatfield and a pair of relay teams to finish 2nd as a team, while Zack Golditch swept the throwing events for 6th-place Gateway. Golditch broke the school discus record with throw of 171 feet, which is the state’s top distance.
Mia Holland won the two sprint events and Sydney Rohlwing took a hurdles title for the Regis Jesuit girls, who were 2nd behind ThunderRidge. Katie Pham and Rikki Gonzales each won twice and the 4×400 relay team was victorious for 4th-place Rangeview, while Desiree Spillman won the lone event for 6th-place Gateway.
• Regis Jesuit freshman diver Kyle Goodwin won a gold medal in the 14-15 boys age group at the Junior West National Diving Championships held April 13-15 in Oklahoma City. Goodwin won on the 1 meter board and was second on the 3 meter board to fellow Colorado frosh Alan LeBlang of Arapahoe.
• The Grandview girls and boys led the way among three Aurora teams at the Pomona Invite April 13-14 at Jeffco Stadium, taking 2nd and 3rd among 19 teams, respectively.
Lettia Wilson and Adaeze Obinnah won individually for the Wolves, while Danielle Williams collected four first-place medals by winning the long jump and triple jump and took first with a pair of relays for Eaglecrest, which was 4th. Glen Taylor (200 meters) and the 4×100 relay team won for the Grandview boys.
• The Cherokee Trail girls lacrosse team downed rival Grandview for the first time with a 14-10 victory April 13 at Legacy Stadium. Nicole Morris had 5 goals, while Amanda Geary, Adreia Herndon and Raelyn Mercer had two each and goalie Kati Read made eight saves.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555