A great season for the SmokyHill girls soccer team got even better on April 24, when the Buffaloes vanquished Cherry Creek 3-2 at Village Green Park in Greenwood Village.
Coach Andy Colella hadn’t beaten the powerhouse Bruins in his five years with the Smoky Hill program, but goals by junior Candace Cephers, senior Michaela Herrmann and freshman Brynell Yount — whose first score of the season turned out to be the game-winner — got the job done.
The victory put the Buffs at 5-2 in Centennial League play, which assures them of second place behind currently unbeaten Arapahoe, which has two games remaining. The Warriors hold the tiebreaker thanks to a 1-0 win over Smoky Hill.
• What a difference a week made for the Cherokee Trail baseball team against Overland. On April 17, the Cougars topped the Trailblazers 4-1, but it was a much different story in the Centennial League rematch April 24.
Cherokee Trail scored 18 runs in the 4th inning alone in a five-inning 26-1 win at Overland. Daniel Mackay homered twice and drove in 10 runs for the Cougars, who got at least one hit from 11 different players.
• A wild day of lacrosse for Aurora took place on April 23, as three games went to overtime, with city teams going 2-1.
The lone loss was a stunner, as the Regis Jesuit boys were two periods away from dealing Arapahoe its first loss of the season, taking a 9-3 lead into halftime at Lou Kellogg Stadium. The Warriors scored seven goals in the final two periods and overtime, however, winning 10-9 to deal the Raiders a second straight one-goal loss following an 11-game win streak.
The Cherokee Trail boys and girls both won overtime affairs on Senior Night at Legacy Stadium. Senior Dylan Duresky scored midway through overtime to give the boys a thrilling 9-8 win over Heritage in a game that should bolster the Cougars’ playoff position, while the Cherokee Trail girls outscored Palmer 2-0 to win 14-12 and reach double figures in wins.
• The Rangeview girls golf team wrapped up the EMAC South Division title with a 44-stroke victory April 23 at Buffalo Run Golf Course. Danae Bushman turned in a 28-over-par 97 to take top individual honors, with teammate Julia Kim right behind with a 99. Rangeview goes for the overall EMAC title May 1.
• The Hinkley girls held off Rangeview to win the championship at the 56th annual Robert F. Caviness Invitational track meet on April 21 at APS Stadium, winning the meet for the first time since girls started competing in 1973. The Rangeview boys swept the relay events and cruised to the team championship in the event named for late Hinkley track coach Bob Caviness.
• On April 19, Rangeview senior Rikki Gonzales was honored as one of six prep athletes to win the High School Distance Runner Achievement Award at the Colorado Running Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Denver Athletic Club Smoky Hill’s Tanner Ruhl was also among the honorees, who were selected for a combination of achievement, grades and community involvement.
Ruhl didn’t attend the ceremony, as he and teammates Kyle Ames and Clayton and Dylan Adams were competing in the University of Kansas Relays. The Buffs won the 4×880-yard relay and took 2nd in the distance medley.
• The Grandview baseball team was amped up to face Cherry Creek on April 18, but the Wolves’ offense was short-circuited by left-hander Jason Palzer in a 5-0 Bruins victory. Jake Thurston had the only hit for Grandview, which fell two games off the pace set by Cherry Creek in the Centennial League.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555