With fingers crossed, local teams ready for state

The state 18 in track and field is not a popular subject in the high county, but it’s how track and field athletes make the big dance next weekend in Denver.

Without going into a dissertation, the playing field is not level for the Western Slope with weather and even if a team chases the sun, there’s no guarantee that works either. (Battle Mountain, seeking fast times, went to the St. Vrain Invitational last spring, and it poured that weekend.)

Fairness aside, it seems that Eagle Valley, Battle Mountain and Vail Christian will be well-represented at the state meet,

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By virtue of coin flip, let’s start with the Devils.

Eagle Valley

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The Devils started the weekend with only two athletes in a comfortable position in the state 18 — Charise Crabb in the hurdles and Cody Osteen in the pole vault.

The two ladies have company now.

The girls two-mile relay and the boys mile both laid it down at the Tiger Invitational at Grand Junction and have their state invites. John Davis soared to 6 feet, 3 inches in the high jump. That most certainly will do it.

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Jay Neal has been dancing with the 18 in the 300-meter hurdles. He got it done at the Tiger.

And the Devils have a few on the bubble. Taylor Hermosillo was 17th in the 800, while Cassie Jaramillo (shot put) and Trever LaFramboise (pole vault) were holding down the 18th spot as of press time. Milesplit.com closed later on Saturday night, so Eagle Valley is crossing its collective fingers.

“I’m so proud of how everyone fought their way in,” Devils coach Jeff Shroll said.

As is usually the case, there are teams that have heartbreak. Both the boys 3,200 relay and the girls 1,600 ended up 19th.

Battle Mountain

Kaela Fahrney and Elizabeth Constien were the big movers for Huskies track and field at the sunny St. Vrain Ivitational.

Fahrney was 17th in the 3,200 and Constein started the weekend outside the 18. Both pounded the two-mile in their last chance.

The Huskies felt fine with both of their 3,200 relay teams and the girls mile — rightly so — and did not run them this weekend.

Demetrius Parrish is good to go in both sets of hurdles, having already set the school records in both. Kate Pittel has qualified for the pole vault.

The hard-hard-luck candidate for state was Jake Borel, who ran a time of 4 minutes, 33 seconds in the 1,600. That’s a great time, but does not make state in Colorado, where milers a very fast.

Vail Christian

The Saints had a light workout at St. Vrain with Taylor Alexander winning the girls pole vault with an 11-9 and Nick Boyne taking fifth on the boys’ side (113-8). Ethan Pence had ran a 4:32 in the mile.

All three, as well as Cooper Daniels (pole vault), are good to go for state.

Battle Mountain

St. Vrain Invitational

Boys

300 hurdles — 7. Demetrius Parrish, 15.94.

3,200 relay — 7. Battle Mountain, 8:27.90.

Girls

800 — 8. Naomi Harding, 2:23.89.

3,200 — 5. Kaela Fahrney, 11:36.24; 6. Elizabeth Constien, 11:36.37.

1,600 relay — 4. Battle Mountain, 4:07.71.

Eagle Valley

Tiger Invite

Grand Junction

Boys

100 — Austin Shearwood, 11.77.

3,200 — 8. Aiden Branch, 10:33.78.

300 hurdles — 7. Jay Neal, 47.08.

400 relay — 5. Eagle Valley, 45.79.

1,600 relay — 1. Eagle Valley 3:26.96.

3,200 relay — 4. Eagle Valley, 8:34.25.

High jump — 1. John Davis, 6-3.

Pole vault — 2. Trever LaFramboise, 11-8; 3. Joseph White, 11-2; 4. Jack Neifert, 10-8.

Girls

1,600 — 5. Avery Doan, 5:37.02.

100 hurdles — 1. Charise Crabb, 15.47.

300 hurdles — 2. Charise Crabb, 47.59.

1,600 relay — 3. Eagle Valley, 4:10.84.

3,200 relay — 2. Eagle Valley, 9:54.30

Discus — 4. Cassie Jaramillo, 108.

Shot put — 4. Cassie Jaramillo, 33-8.25.

Sports Editor Chris Freud can be reached at 970-748-2934, cfreud@vaildaily.com and @cfreud.