LAKEWOOD — There is little doubt The Classical Academy girls track team has found redemption.
And they did it in impressive fashion.
The Titans had won five Class 3A state championships before a third-place finish last season ended their run. But that proved to be more of a hiccup than an actual shift in the landscape as the team roared back to the top of the podium in dominating performance this year to recapture the team title.
The Classical Academy came away with seven event championships during the three-day competition at Lakewood’s Jefferson County Stadium. In the process the Titans of coach Tony Daggett chalked up 137 points to outdistance runner-up Eaton (95) and third-place Berthoud (62).
Among local 4A schools, Discovery Canyon had the best outing finishing eighth with 33 points. Lewis-Palmer came in ninth (30) while Palmer Ridge settled for 23rd with 14 points. Thompson Valley won the girls championship scoring 76 points, followed by Pueblo South (66) and Valor Christian (56).
Helping to lead the way in the individual events for The Classical Academy was Alexa Chacon, who won both the 100 and 300 hurdle events. She dominated the 100 hurdles, winning with a time o :14.57-seconds to a 16.11 effort by runner-up Gabby Pajak of Pagosa Springs. However, she need a strong lean in the 300 hurdles as she nipped Berthoud’s Courtney Mills in a time of 44.41-seconds to Mills’ 44.92.
“I love to run with all these girls as they push me hard,” Chacon said. “It was kind of like an epic for me. I was moving strong and loving it, but I got really nervous as anything can happen. I had to keep in focus. I was pumped. I won the 300’s last year and was third in the 100’s. I hit all the hurdles clean, but the last one. The Eaton girl had beaten me in the prelims, but came back and got her.”
It was a fine day for TCA in the longer events as well as the Titans came away with one-two finishes in each.
Regan Mullen came through the winner in the 1,600, beating teammate Shelby Stableford. Mullen ran 5 minutes, 05.67-seconds for the gold medal while Stableford turned in a 5:09.68. But it was turnaround time in the 3,200 with Stabelford nipping Mullen with a time of 11:19.01 to her teammates’ 11:19.89. Mullen then picked up her third distance medal with a second in the 800, running 2:16.34 against the winning time of 2:15.59 by Jennifer Celis of Hotchkiss.
“This is actually my first state meet and it’s so exciting,” Mullen said. “I didn’t think about the time, just going hard. I felt my second lap in the 800 was biting me. Every race can’t be your best and I was a little tired after the 3,200 yesterday. What makes this so exciting is that we all did so well and I felt the magic from my teammates.”
Stableford took a huge breath after she was able to turn it around against her teammate.
“Oh, my gosh,” Stableford beamed. “This is so wonderful. I just wanted to do well for my team and winning the team championship was on our minds. I love to run with Regan. She can really push you.”
Lauren Hamilton came through for a fourth-place finish in the 800, running 2:22.41. Megan Deroy finished 12th to round out a strong distance event for TCA.
“It was a great run and I just thank the girls for pushing me,” Hamilton said.
Added Deroy: “It was a hard race, but seeing my teammates out in front pushed me. They kept me calm and in it.”
Allison Kropkowski pulled out the next individual win for TCA, running the 400-meters in 58.31 despite havinge to fight a bit of the flu. And it was a lean at the finish that enabled her to beat Jennifer Celis of Hotchkiss (58.57).
With Kropkowski a member of the TCA sprint medley quartet, the Titans came through with a state meet record in 1:48.25 in the prelims. Making their contributions were Hannah Lindbloom, Alexa Chacon and Taylor Harris.
“Yes, I ran sick, but I ran for the team,” said Kropkowski after the Titans ran 1:48.26 in the final. “I was nervous and not feeling my best, but the girls did great. We came in the second seed, so I’m really proud as we fought hard.”
Added Harris: “We fight hard and this is what happens. We just wanted to go out for our teammates and our coaches.”
There was another state record set by TCA, this time in the 3,200 (9:24.95) with Brianne Hoglin, Lauren Hamilton, Stableford and Mullen running the legs.
“Shelby told me this would be our last race together and we had to push hard,” said Hamilton. “On my second lap, oh my, my legs were hurting. But I wanted to go hard and make my run memorable.”
Hoglin also over came the pain adding, “My legs did hurt, but when I saw my teammates, I wanted to do it for them.”
The Classical Academy also picked up a second in the 800 relay (1:45.91), a fourth in the 400 relay (51.35) and a fifth in the 1,600 relay (4:08.65).
Hannah Carr was the standout in the field events for TCA taking third in both the Discus (124-feet, 4 inches) and heaving the shot put 38-1 1/2.
“This has been pretty exciting since I didn’t compete last year,” Carr said. “I didn’t get a PR today, though, but I’m happy with the way things turned out.”
Heather Bates of Discovery Canyon was among the leaders for the Thunder in the 4A competition. She won the 3,200 (10:55.2), finished second in the 1,600 (5:00.33) behind Thompson Valley’s Karina Earnst (4:54.89) and placed seventh in the 800 (2:18.91).
Bates teammate Allie Morgan was third in the 3,200 (11:15.01) and also placed seventh in the 1,600 (5:13.65). Bates, teamed with Moriah Nelson, Arianna Ross and Alyssa Carman for an eighth-place finish in the 3,200 relay with a time of 9:46.34.
“Not having a cross country season because I was injured really helped motivate me,” Bates said. “I love this sport. I didn’t think about my state race until this morning. Going into the 3,200, I don’t think we thought we could finish this high.”
Added Nelson: “I’m so estatic as this is the second year that we’ve place.”
Freshman Nicole Montgomery of Lewis-Palmer was able to pick up a pair of silver medals finishing second in the 400 (56.19) and running anchor for the Rangers in their second-place finish behind Cheyenne Mountain (1:47.82) in the 800 medley relay. Here she was joined by Katie Kimbal, Kami Ahart and Alaina Hansen.
“The 400 is such a good race and I had a great time as a freshman,” said Montgomery, who was second to Abby Simpson of Pueblo County (:5.6) in the quarter. “Just getting in the top three was a key and I’m definitely proud of all our efforts.”
The Lewis-Palmer 800 relay team also came through with a 4th place finish (1:44.33), won by Valor Christian (1:42.55), and a fifth in the 1,600 relay (3:56.95). Thompson Valley was the winner in the longer event (3:56.95). Kathryn Kimball also added a seventh in the 300 hurdles (26.24).
Alison Deitsch helped lead the way for Palmer Ridge, finishing sixth in the 1,600 (5:11.37). The 800 Medley quartet of Jordan Bryant, Desiree Harvey, Emily Guy and Daelynn Demello, placed ninth (1:51.24).
“We pushed hard, we beat our prelim time, and it is just an honor to have reached the finals,” Bryant said.