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Tracksters strong in Vail

Hilling leads boys' winning effort; girls take third

Melinda Mawdsley

With the 40 points he scored at Saturday’s track and field meet in Minturn, Evan Hilling defeated five teams by himself.

The Hayden junior won individual titles in the high jump, triple jump, 100 and 200 meters to help lead the Tigers to first place overall at the Phelan-Alexander Invitational hosted by Vail Christian.

Hilling cleared 5 feet, 10 inches to win the high jump and finished with a leap of 39-6 1/4 to place first in the triple jump. His winning times in the 100 and 200 were 11.26 and 23.53 seconds, respectively.



He was one of three Tigers to claim top honors at the Minturn track. Senior Andrea Deepe placed first in the 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 18.07, while freshman Jessica Newberry won the shot put, throwing 31-1 1/2. She was the only thrower at the meet to break 30 feet. She also placed sixth in the discus with a throw of 84-4.

“We’re loaded in the sprints and throwing events,” Tigers coach Kevin Kleckler said. “Every kid I’ve got in relays is a sophomore or junior. We don’t have a senior boy, and I have two senior girls, Andrea (Deepe) and Jana Denker. I’ve got a young team.”



As a team, the Hayden boys placed first, scoring 100.5 points. The girls also scored 100.5 points to finish third.

In addition to her first place in the 100-meter hurdles, Deepe picked up a third place in the triple jump, leaping 30-3 1/2, and in the shot put, throwing 29-10 1/4. She also took a fourth in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 56.50.

Freshman Jessica Martin and sophomore Keenan Bruchez joined Hilling and Deepe as the other two Hayden athletes to score points in four events Saturday. Colorado high school athletes can enter no more than four events.

Martin placed fifth in the 400 meters with a time of 67.45, took sixth in the 100 and 200 in 13.63 and 29.59, respectively, and finished seventh in the long jump, leaping 13-4 1/2.

Bruchez placed third in the triple jump with a jump of 37-7 1/2. He also took third in the discus, throwing 116-11 1/2. Bruchez came in fifth in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 17.39 and placed eight in the shot put with a throw 37-9 3/4.

Hayden’s 3,200-meter relay team of sophomore Ray Curtis and juniors Chris Suits, Cam Whiteman and Eric Cromie finished third in 10:43.25. The Tigers’ 1,600-meter relay team of freshmen Jeff Bray, Brandon Ford, Robert Culver and Tucker Overstreet came in fifth in 4:08.71.

Overstreet also placed sixth in the 200 in 25.58. Without the 400- and 800-meter relays offered at the meet, several Tigers who typically participate in those events were able to compete in additional individual events.

Junior Kenny Gehrman took third in the 200 in 25.57 and placed fourth in the 100 in 11.75. He also finished fifth in the triple jump in 36-8. Sophomore Tyson Letlow was fourth in the 200 in 25.35 and placed sixth in the 100 meters in 11.92.

Sophomore Tyson Sweetser rounded out Hayden’s scoring on the boys’ side with a fourth and fifth-place showing in the discus and shot put. He threw 116-2 1/2 in the discus and 40-2 1/2 in the shot.

On the girls’ side, junior Lauren Branstetter placed second in 400 in 63.35. She also took third in the 100 in 13.42 and fourth in the 200 in 28.46.

The Tigers’ 1,600-meter relay team of Newberry, freshman Emily Hallenbeck, senior Jana Denker and sophomore Amber Suits took third in 5:21.11. Also placing third was junior Chantal Gregory in the shot put with a throw of 29-10 1/4.

Hallenbeck placed fourth in the triple jump, leaping 30-1 1/4. Suits was sixth in the 1,600 meters with a time of 6:41.62 and was eighth in the 800 meters in 3:02.31.

Junior Margie Jones picked up a fourth-place finish and a sixth-place finish in her throwing events. Jones threw the discus 84-5 and the shot 29-3 3/4.

— To reach Melinda Mawdsley call 871-4208 or e-mail mmawdsley@steamboatpilot.com


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