Every year, Boulder County and the area that surrounds it is teeming with track and field talent. The ladies from our area proved as much this year with 51 selections to CHSAA’s all-state teams.
Broomfield’s Lilly Nichols crowned herself the queen of Colorado girls pole vault when she set the record (14 feet) among all high schoolers, winning her third Class 5A crown. Naturally, she made CHSAA’s first team, and was the only local 5A girl to do so.
Fairview’s Charlotte Elliston led the way on second team, thanks to her second-place finish in pole vault (11 feet, eight inches). Boulder’s Kiki Vaughn earned runner-up honors in both the 1,600-meter run (4 minutes, 52.30 seconds) and the 800 (2:11.33) to join Elliston.
Legacy’s Annalina Torres placed third in the 400 (56.02 seconds), then joined her teammates for second team recognition on the 800 sprint medley team, which included Natalie Flageolle, Rhianna LaBar and Gabrielle Shepston (second, 1:45.99) as well as the 4×400 alongside Laila Frazier, Kaylee Hoang and Shepston (third, 3:56.91).
Niwot, naturally, dominated the 4A conversation.
Maurice Henriques won CHSAA’s 4A coach of the year following the Cougars’ fifth straight team title. Times-Call athlete of the year Addison Ritzenhein once again took the reins of the team, winning the 1,600 (4.47.07) and the 3,200 (10:28.54), then joined her fellow 4×800 champions in Olivia Alessandrini, Anna Prok and Mia Prok on first team.
Simocea Esquibel, Eliana Henriques and Reese Kasper all teamed up to win the 4×200 (1:40.67) and the 4×400 (3:52.50), as Julia Rudolph took part in the 4×400 and Kate Schmidthuber tapped in for the 4×200. Kasper, likewise, won the 300 hurdles (42.23). Jade West served as Niwot’s last first-team candidate after she claimed the gold in the shot put (43–4) and the discus (137–9).
Longmont’s Terra Brubaker, Jordan Johnson, Ella Pears and Makenna Smith picked up the last four spots on first team after taking a victory home in the 800 SMR (1:48.66).
Niwot’s Sammie Holliday added her name to second team thanks to her part in the 4×100 team’s second-place finish (49.02). Longmont’s Rosie Nowlin likewise paved a path for herself on the 4×400 team (second, 3:57.61). Frederick’s Gabriella Jima secured the bronze in the shot put (37 feet), which was good enough to place her on second team alongside Silver Creek’s Cloe Ruth, who garnered the silver in the 800 (2:12.81) and third in the 400 (56.96).
3A’s list, while shorter, featured plenty of star power in its own right.
Peak to Peak’s Kourtney Rathke, the repeat Daily Camera and CHSAA athlete of the year, made first team through state titles in the pole vault (13–10), triple jump (36–9.75) and long jump (18–9). Jefferson Academy’s Emilee Harding joined her atop the podium in a different event, the 100 hurdles, in which she beat her to claim the crown at 14.96.
Holy Family’s Alexis Mendlik, Isabella Rossi, Kylee Schlepp and Claire Tannehill earned the last local spots on first team after collectively winning the 4×100 relay with a finishing time of 48.52. Shea Owens and Emma Sedlock picked up second-team nominations in the 4×200, which finished third at 1:44.46
JA’s Jessica Schaffer joined Harding in edging out Rathke in the 100 hurdles race, placing second by 0.05 seconds with a 15.22 mark. Rathke’s Peak to Peak 4×800 teammates, Abbey Brende, Skye Williams, Harper Riss and Annaka Rudolph, earned their own recognition for placing third 9:47.69.
HONORABLE MENTION
Sierra Buzick, Jefferson Academy, (Long Jump, Triple Jump)
Liberty Ley, Holy Family, (4×800)
MacKenzie McIntosh, Holy Family, (4×800)
Elsa Nygren, Jefferson Academy, (4×200)
Monica Slusser, Jefferson Academy, (4×200)
Adiah Stoll, Holy Family, (4×800)
Emmy Stoll, Holy Family, (4×800)
Ella Augustaitus, Longmont, (Shot Put)
Sarah Perkins, Niwot, (3200)
Maren Holecek, Monarch, (200)
Amy Perkins, Boulder, (Pole Vault)
Shepston, Legacy, (400)
