GRAND JUNCTION — For a pair of small teams at the 1A/2A regional championships, Soroco and Hayden pack a serious punch, especially the girls. Thanks to Marissa Martindale earning the long jump title and many other top-five finishes, the Soroco girls track and field team finished third at regionals in Grand Junction out of 15 teams.

“I was really pleased with the way everybody performed,” said Soroco head coach David Bruner. “Every girl that I had, they performed really well.”

Off the backs of regional titles from Alison Rajzer and Jillian Bennett, Hayden finished fifth.

“She’s just a really hard worker, she’s got a lot of desire,” Hayden head coach Joe Knez said of Bennett. “She expects a lot of herself. She’s just a talented athlete. She’s got a lot of promise.”

Rajzer won triple jump with a leap of 34 feet, 8.5 inches and Bennett ran the 400-meter dash in 1:03.55. Right behind her was Soroco’s Martindale, who took third in 1:03.96. Martindale won long jump with a distance of 15 feet, 11.5 inches.

Martindale is ranked in the top eight in the state with a better distance than her jump on Friday.

“She jumped 16-2 last week, so she knows she’s got a shot when she gets to meets,” said Bruner. “The main thing, with this COVID track season I guess you’d call it, my kids are at practice every day and working on their events and putting in the extra time and the work and it’s showing. That’s pretty much my whole girls team. They’re pretty dedicated.”

Bennett also took second in the 200 with a time of 27.04 seconds.

Soroco’s Lexi Vandenberg podiumed in the 100, earning third in 13.43 seconds. She was also fourth in the 200 and third in long jump. Larhae Whaley also earned some big points for the Rams ladies. She finished fourth in the 400 with a time of 1:09 and third in pole vault with a height of 6 feet, 10.5 inches. Rose Karrow got closer than ever to her goal of a sub-six minute mile, placing fifth with a 6:01.46.

Soroco’s success was earned without the help of the relay teams, all of which are in the top eight in the state.

Hayden’s team score was bolstered by some strong finishes by Isabella Simones, who took fourth in the 100, and helped the 4×200 team of Mia Mikos, Jenna Kleckler and Bennett take second with a time of 1:53.42. Sadie Dunckley was sixth and seventh in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, respectively.

“Those girls, they’re really close, a really close-knit group,” Knez said of his relay squad. “We got a small team, so those girls are running in practice together all the time. Everything we do, it’s pretty much the same girls doing it. They’ve had a lot of time together. They’re just fast. They just make a good team.”

The boys from Soroco and Hayden had fewer athletes, so smaller team scores, but just as impressive performances. Tiger senior Keaton Knez was second in both the 800 and 1,600 with respective times of 2:09.79 and 4:49.29. Senior Andrew Kleckler took seventh in discus with a throw of 111 feet, 7 inches. Kale Johnson was seventh in the 3,200 with a time of 12:38.5. Sophomore Brayden Dale finished seventh in the 100 and sixth in the 200 with a time of 24.91.

“He’s been quietly just getting better and better. He’s been shaving a little time off of both his race,” Knez said. “For a sophomore, I’m really happy with the season he’s had.”

The Rams boys were led by senior Chase Delamater, who earned a pair of top-10 finishes. He took seventh in shot put with a throw of 38 feet, 9 inches and finished eight in discus with a throw of 110 feet, 3 inches.

“A lot of seniors didn’t even go out for track this year, or didn’t finish the season,” Bruner said. “He stuck with it, is at practice every day and the results are showing.”

Athletes can qualify for state through next Saturday. The state track meet will be at JeffCo Stadium in Lakewood on June 24-26.

2A

Girls results

Team scores: 1.Cedaredge 156.3. 2. Rangely 75. 3. Soroco 59.3. 4. Meeker 59. 5. Hayden 53.

100: 1. Dixie Rhea, R, 12.87. 3. Lexi Vandenberg, S, 13.43. 4. Isabella Simones, H, 13.79.

200: 1. Kylee Terry, C, 26.86. 2. Jillian Bennett, H, 27.04. 4. Lexi Vandenberg, S, 28.94. 5. Marissa Martindale, S, 28.73. 6. Isabella Simones, H, 30.13. 11. Isabel Medina, S, 30.45. 13 Mia Mikos, H, 30.59.

400: 1. Jillian Bennett, H, 1:03.55. 3. Marissa Martindale, S, 1:03.96. 4. Larhae Whaley, S, 1:09. 9. Jenna Kleckler, H, 1:10.35. 10. Mia Mikos, H, 1:10.41. 11. Kayedence Bruner, S, 1:11.63.

800: 1. Naomi Kamperman, O, 2:27.27. 7. Rose Karrow, S, 2:40.32. 8. Larhae Whaley, S, 2:40.4. 15. Isabel Medina, S, 2:55.4.

1,600: 1. Lindsey Whitton, VC, 5:41.17. 5. Rose Karrow, S, 6:01.46. 15. Isabel Medina, S, 7:07.81.

3.200: 1. Lindsey Whitton, VC, 12:36.43.

100 hurdles: 1. Megan Jenkins, C, 15.81. 6. Sadie Dunckley, H, 19.19.

300 hurdles: 1. Megan Jenkins, C, 48.07. 7. Sade Dunckley, H, 54.69.

Medley relay: 1. Cedaredge 1:55.59.

4×100: 1. Cedaredge 52.56.

4×200: 1. Cedaredge 1:50.05. 2. Hayden (Mia Mikos, Isabella Simones, Jenna Kleckler, Jillian Bennett), 1:53.42.

4×400: 1. Cedaredge 4:21.08.

4×800: 1. Olathe 11:16.63.

High jump: 1. Maya Mercado, R, 4-09. 8. Rose Karrow, S, 4-03.

Long jump: 1. Marissa Martindale, S, 15-11.5. 3. Lexi Vandenberg, S, 14-03.5. 7. Jenna Kleckler, H, 12-06.5.

Triple jump: 1. Alison Rajzer, H, 34-08.5. 2. Mary Scoggins, R, 34-01. 7. Isabella Simones, H, 31-08.5. 8. Kayedence Bruner, S, 31-06.75. 14. Shelby Geiger, S, 25-10.25.

Pole vault: 1. Lillian Hufford, WG, 7-10.5. 3. Larhae Whaley, S, 6-10.5. 6. Sophia Benjamin, S, 6-10.5.

Shot put: 1. Elizabeth Brooks, C, 34-09. 9. Daisy Hoff, S, 25-10. 13. Dakota Munden, H, 24-05. 20. McKenzie Clark, S, 22-10.

Discus: 1. Lauryn Kiefer, P, 107-05. 8. Daisy Hoff, S, 82-04. 9. Dakota Munden, H, 81-04. 24. McKenzie Clark, S, 58-07.

2A Boys results

Team scores: 1. Meeker 128.5. 2. Cedaredge 116. 3. Grand Valley 74.5. 5. Hotchkiss 69. 5. West Grand 60. 9. Hayden 25. 15. Soroco 3.

100: 1. Wesley Ryan, D, 11.62. 7. Brayden Dale, H, 12.23.

200: 1. Hunter Jordan, C, 23.43. 6. Brayden Dale, H, 24.91. 19. Gavyn Salberg, S, 28.71. 20. Logan Whaley, S, 29.04.

400: 1. Micah Defield, H, 53.88. 19. Logan Whaley, S, 1:07.63.

800: 1. Trevor Lewis, D, 2:04.73. 2. Keaton Knez, H, 2:09.79. 17. Logan Silva, H, 2:28.88.

1,600: 1. Trevor Lewis, D, 4:43.1. 2. Keaton Knez, H, 4:49.29. 12. Andrew Kleckler, H, 5:29.86. 13. Logan Silva, H, 5:30.85.

3,200: 1. Alyster Birk, P, 11:18.7. 7. Kale Johnson, H, 12:38.51.

110 hurdles: 1. Blaine Peebles, Ho, 15.7.

300 hurdles: 1. Blaine Peebles, H, 43.17.

4×100: 1. Meeker 45.21.

4×200: 1. West Grand 1:35.72.

4×400: 1. Cedaredge 3:37.59.

4×800: 1. Grand Valley 9:04.58.

High jump: 1. Wesley Ryna, D, 6-07.

Long jump: 1. Wesley Ryan, D, 20-01.25.

Triple jump: 1. Ryan Phelan, M, 38-04.25.

Pole vault: 1. Cooper Main, M, 11-10.5.

Shot put: 1. Cris Alejandre, C, 43-09. 7. Chase Delamater, S, 38-09. 17, Dustin McLaughlin, H, 33-04. 25. Austin Williams, H, 30-08.

Discus: 1. Kenyon Cochrane, R, 140-09. 7. Andrew Kleckler, H, 111-07. 8. Chase Delamater, S, 110-03. 9. Austin Williams, H, 96-0. 14. Josue Mejia, S, 82-04.