Meeker girls finish third in 2A at state track meet

MEEKER | “Our girls knew heading in they could compete at the state level and they were right,” Meeker head track coach John Strate said after the 2017 Colorado State Track and Field Championships held last weekend in Denver. The girls’ team finished third as a team in 2A.
Although the girls did not receive a team plaque for the trophy case, they did win three state relay titles and between the girls and boys, they set five new school records and several Meeker athletes experienced the view from the podium in Jefferson County Stadium.
Because of a spring snowstorm, the meet was postponed two days and the Cowboys seemed rested and ready to perform when the meet started Saturday.
“Instead of a three-day meet with preliminary heats, all the races were finals,” coach Strate said. “Our kids did a great job with the downtime, we took a trip to the Denver Art Museum, did some bowling and studied for final exams. They really handled themselves well over the course of the two-and-a-half days we were delayed.”
The state meet started Saturday morning with Meeker track veterans, seniors Austin Russell and Julia Eskelson, both entered in the 3,200-meter run, which was the first race of the meet and where Russell made the podium in the eighth position. Eskelson, who has been recovering from an injury, did not, but she did get on the podium in the eighth position as a member of the 4×800 relay team with Sierra Williams, Avery Watt and Briar Meszaros.
Russell also medaled in the 1,600-meter and broke the school record in the 800-meter run, which was set by Coley King in 1988.
“I’ve wanted that school record since I was a sophomore,” Russell said of the record held by the son of Meeker’s new track namesake, Bob King.
“Austin ran his career best time of 2:00.16 and his time earned him eighth place overall in an incredibly loaded field,” coach Strate said. “The top seven were under two minutes and a new state record was set by the winner.”
Russell’s twin sister Madison will also go into the Meeker High School record books as she was in the second race of the day, helping her 800 medley relay team win a state championship and she also won gold medals on two other relays and placed fifth in a fourth relay.
Coach Strate said senior Loran Casias, sophomore Gracie Bradfield and Russell set up a “nice lead” for senior anchor Maggie Phelan in the medley relay.
“Maggie was able to hold off the top two 400-meter dash runners in the state from Paonia and Hotchkiss,” coach Strate said. “They ran a four-second personal record and broke the school record by more than three-seconds with a time of 1:50.93.”
The previous record was set in 2007 by Marki Cook, Kelsey Rundberg, Janae Kindall and Beth Hollowed.
Casias, Bradfield and Russell, along with sophomore Tori Lasker, set the pace most of the season in the 4×100 relay team, holding the fastest 2A time until the Calhan team “bumped them” to number two one week before the state meet.
“Our girls were not to be outdone and they responded in a big way,” coach Strate said. “Their best time of the season coming in was 51.34 and at the state meet, they blew up the rest of the field by almost a second, with their new school record of 50.10.”
Russell was on the last record-setting team in 2014 with Linda Olivas, Sydney Hughes and Halle Ahrens.
Russell was not on last year’s 4×400 relay team, which set a school record at last year’s state meet, but she was on the this year’s team, which shattered last year’s record and earned her a third gold medal as a relay teammate.
“I’m so happy for my sister and all the girls,” Austin Russell said.
Madi Russell, along with Phelan, Williams and Bradford saved their best for last, running in the final event of the state meet Sunday at 4:35 p.m., the 4×400 relay.
“The girls’ 4×400 relay was a concern I had with the format changing, since we had not run our strongest team yet this season, our plan was to get them into the finals and then stack it with our strongest group and try to win it,” coach Strate said. “With the format change, the girls ended up running in the slow heat but they turned a lot of heads, dropping a time of 4:08.07. We all waited on the edge of our seats to see what would come out of the fast heat and after the first three legs of the race, it was evident the girls would be state champions in another relay. They ended up winning the overall race by seven seconds and they beat the school record of 4:15 set by Eskelson, Bradfield, Williams and Phelan at last year’s state meet.
“Winning out of the slow heat really showed the confidence these girls had in themselves and their teammates,” coach Strate said.
Coach Strate attributed a big part of the program’s success this year to the “great senior leadership,” which included the Russell twins, Casias, Phelan, Eskelson, along with qualifiers Peyton Burke, Joshua Cochran, Cole Brown and Caleb Bradford.
“It’s a group that loves to work hard, compete and believes in themselves and their teammates,” coach Strate said. “Their passion for the sport is contagious. The countless hours these kids have spent in the weight room and on the track really paid off for them.
In addition to the two gold medals won in the relays, Phelan also stood on the podium in the fifth position in the triple jump and ninth in the 400-meter, while classmate Cole Brown turned heads as he won his heats in the 200-meter and 400 dashes, placing ninth and sixth respectively after qualifying for the state meet with the 17th and 15th best times, respectively.
Bradford set a personal record (45 feet 6.5 inches) in the shot put and ended his three-sport career with a fourth place state medal in the event.
“Peyton (Burke) ran on a sprained ankle but still set a personal best in the 100-meter hurdles,” Coach Strate said. “That’s a tough race to run with an ankle injury, so I was really proud of how she pushed through it.”
Cochran led underclassmen distance runners Tannen Kennedy, Pake and Kale Burke to the state meet in the 4×800 relay, while freshmen Kirstin Brown and Tevin Pelloni gained state experience, both qualifying in individual events, Brown in the triple jump and Pelloni in the pole vault, a new event this year for the Cowboys.
Sophomores Megan Shelton and Syndie Main both made the podium in the discus, with Shelton throwing a personal best by more than 5 feet (117-4), placing her fourth and Main finished fifth, with a throw of 116-9. Shelton also earned a fifth place medal in the shot put.
Bradfield, also a sophomore, also earned a fourth place medal in the 200 dash.
“Our state meet and season as a whole was a huge success,” coach Strate said. “Between the boys and the girls, there were nine new school records set this season and five of those were at the state meet.”
Coach Strate was thankful for his coaching staff, most of whom are volunteers, including Kris Casey, Terrence Casias, Ben Quinn, Shane Phelan, Brittany Shubnell, Heather Burke and Coley Turner.
“Our kids are so fortunate to have all these people dedicate so much time,” coach Strate, who was also thankful for the new track, said.
“I think with the success we have had this year and a top notch facility, including the addition of pole vault, our numbers will continue to look good for our program. We are looking to be competitive at the state level again next year.”