RANGELY | The Rangely High School track and field team had a packed weekend, competing in back-to-back meets. The Panthers first faced off against 18 teams at the Clint Wells Invitational in Craig, Colorado, before dominating a smaller field of four teams at the Hayden Valley Track Meet in Hayden, Colorado.
The Clint Wells Invitational kicked off Friday morning with the girls 4×800-meter relay. Taya Wren led off, handing the baton to freshman mid-distance runner Addison Thayn. The next two legs—Ashlynn Ducey and Miah Wren—ran their first-ever 800s, helping the team win the race with a time of 10:52.78, nearly a minute faster than their previous season best. The boys 4×800-meter relay followed, with Kellen LeFevre, Tavan Morgan, Aaron Savage and Kyler Fouts placing fifth in 10:27.60.
Tylee Fielder and Aubrianna Tapia got the sprinting events rolling in the girls 100-meter dash, finishing in 14.33 and 14.37 seconds, respectively. Fielder set a new personal record (PR). In the boys 100, Logan Peterson led the way in 11.84 for fifth place. Jordan Irwin ran a PR of 11.98 to take ninth, followed by Robert Murray (12.16) and Izaiah Moody (12.90). Murray and Moody teamed up with Davon Lucero and Christian Fortunato for seventh place in the 4×200 relay (1:43.74).
Faith Prieto ran solo in the girls 1,600 meters, finishing in 6:57.56. The boys race saw four Panthers compete: LeFevre finished ninth (5:21.28), followed by Morgan (5:34.20), Fouts (5:58.76) and Gage Nielsen (7:05.27).
In the girls 4×100-meter relay, Fielder, Rachel Elder, Natalie Bolinger and Tapia took sixth in 55.71. The boys team—Murray, Fortunato, Lucero and Moody—clocked 48.70 for ninth place.
In field events, Tapia and Talor Fouch set PRs in the shot put, finishing second (33-1.75) and fourth (33-0), respectively. In the boys discus, Chase Cochrane threw 120-0 for eighth place, followed by Cutler Mergelman (100-4) and Jaren Blankenship (83-2). Logan Peterson leapt 18-0.5 in the long jump for seventh. Fortunato jumped a PR of 17-10 for ninth, and Lucero went 16-1.5.
Ducey ran a strong 400, finishing second in 1:00.56. Benson (1:06.90) and Elder (1:08.58) each set PRs. On the boys’ side, Savage ran 1:08.20 and Nielsen 1:23.42. In the 300-meter hurdles, Miah Wren won with a time of 50.06, while Kacey Allred made his event debut in 49.15.
Taya Wren took second in the girls 800 in 2:24.99. Haiden Garcia ran a PR of 2:53.13, and Courtney Casto followed in 3:14.88. James Talbot led the boys 800 with a winning time of 1:58.57. Joseph Valdez (fifth, 2:12.96), Chance Allred (sixth, 2:13.36), and Clay Allred (seventh, 2:13.52) all ran PRs. Elder added another PR in the 200, finishing eighth in 28.54. In the boys 200, Kacey Allred (25.78), Moody (26.77) and Easton Peterson (26.85) also set PRs.
Mergelman (37-11), Cochrane (37-3) and Blankenship (34-11.5 PR) all contributed strong marks in the boys shot put. Fouch took ninth in girls discus with a PR of 86-5, followed by Tapia (84-8) and Amber Castillo (53-7). Bolinger and Benson each cleared 4-3 in the high jump to tie for fifth. Bolinger also leapt 13-6 for eighth in the long jump. Irwin won the boys triple jump with a PR of 43-6.5.
In the 4×400 relays, Miah Wren, Taya Wren, Fielder and Ducey ran 4:21.63 for second and a season-best. Garcia, Thayn, Prieto and Casto placed ninth in 5:13.25. The boys team of Peterson, Valdez, Irwin and Talbot placed third in 3:43.79. Allred, LeFevre, Morgan and Allred ran 4:07.80.
After a long day of competition, the Panthers looked forward to dinner and rest before Saturday’s meet in Hayden.
Panthers Dominate Hayden Valley Meet
The next morning in Hayden, the Panthers picked up right where they left off.
Thayn, Garcia, Prieto and Casto ran unopposed in the girls 4×800 relay and finished in 13:09.88. Clay Allred, Chance Allred, Valdez and LeFevre won the boys race after a close finish.
Ducey won the girls 100 hurdles in 16.32 with a new PR. In the boys 100, Lucero led a deep Panther lineup with a PR of 12.07 for second. Murray (12.52), Kacey Allred (PR 12.53), Fortunato (PR 12.74), Peterson (PR 12.81), Moody (12.86), and Blankenship (13.33) followed.
Wren, Elder, Fielder and Ducey won the girls 4×200 in 1:50.75, a season best. Murray, Moody, Lucero and Fortunato won the boys race in 1:43.85. Savage ran solo in the boys 4×200 relay for third in 6:42.22.
Tapia, Elder, Fielder and Benson placed second in the girls 4×100 in 54.89. Murray, Moody, Peterson and Irwin won the boys 4×100 in 47.00. Lucero, Morgan, Fortunato and Peterson placed fourth in 50.00.
Fouch won the girls discus (83-7), Tapia was second (75-7), and Castillo was sixth (62-2). Cochrane won the boys discus (115-0), Mergelman was second (PR 105-9), Blankenship was fifth (PR 85-5), and Matthew Morgan threw 61-6. Fouch also won the girls shot put (32-2), followed by Tapia (31-10) and Castillo (16-0). Mergelman was second in the boys shot put (PR 38-3.5), Cochrane third (36-1), Blankenship fourth (33-8.5), and Morgan threw 24-11.
Miah Wren cleared 9-0 to win the girls pole vault. Bolinger (PR 7-6) placed fifth, Elder (PR 7-0) sixth and Fielder (7-0) seventh. Kacey Allred won the boys pole vault at 11-3. Peterson cleared 7-3 for sixth.
Benson cleared a PR 4-7 for second in the girls high jump, while Bolinger matched her best (4-3) for third. Lucero cleared 5-2 for second in the boys event.
Ducey jumped 16-1.5 to win the girls long jump. Benson placed third with a PR of 13-7.5. In the boys long jump, Lucero won with a PR of 17-9.5, Peterson was second (17-9.5), and Fortunato third (17-7.5). Irwin won his second triple jump of the weekend with a mark of 38-5.
Garcia (1:15.99) and Casto (1:19.11) finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the girls 400. Valdez won the boys race in 55.97, followed by Clay Allred (1:00.27) and Moody (PR 1:01.68).
Wren won the girls 300 hurdles in 51.56. Kacey Allred (PR 48.08) placed second in the boys race, and Chance Allred was fourth (53.36).
Tapia (PR 2:54.07), Elder (2:58.38) and Thayn (3:02.67) went 2-3-5 in the girls 800. Savage (2:48.86) placed third and Morgan fifth (3:30.64) in the boys race. Fielder ran a PR of 29.29 in the girls 200 for third. Irwin won the boys 200 in a PR of 23.63. Peterson was third (24.61), followed by Allred (25.78), Murray (27.06), and Easton Peterson (27.36).
Taya Wren won the girls 3,200 in 11:42.13. Prieto ran a PR of 16:13.62. In a Panthers-only heat, LeFevre won the boys 3,200 in 11:42.18, followed by Morgan (12:20.01), Fouts (12:36.13) and Nielsen (PR 13:32.34).
The Lady Panthers won the meet with 192 points. The boys team followed with 227 to also claim first.
“This was a really great weekend for us,” head coach Beth Scoggins said. “We had the chance to improve our standings in several events, compete over the span of two days, and try some new events. I’m really proud of how everyone did.”
The Panthers next compete at the 1A/2A Western Slope League Championships on May 2–3 in Meeker, Colorado.
