MEEKER | The Meeker High School track and field team ended its regular season on the road last weekend, competing at the Cardinal Invitational, also known as the Last Chance Meet, hosted by Grand Valley High School.
Head coach Jordan Brown reflected on the team’s overall performance, which included several personal bests and state-qualifying marks.
“We concluded our regular season on a high note at the Last Chance Meet, marked by numerous personal best performances and a state-qualifying effort,” Brown said. “The boys’ 4×100-meter relay team, composed of Clay Crawford, Tyler Sanders, Sam Smithers and Sam Conrado, delivered an exceptional race, achieving a personal record that secured their spot among the top 18 teams heading to the state meet.”
Taylor Garcia ran a personal-best time in the 200 meters, while Adi Selle cleared a personal-best 4 feet, 10.5 inches in the high jump. Sam Hightower also set a personal best in the pole vault, clearing 13-2. In the open 100 meters, McKenna Berthelson, Addie Knowles and Braydin Raley all ran personal records. Brown also noted Alex Garcia’s consistent season in the high jump, though he narrowly missed state qualification.
“We have immense pride in the team’s overall progress and the dedication shown by the athletes, particularly those who achieved crucial personal bests at the Last Chance Meet,” Brown said.
Senior Adi Selle led the girls’ team, placing second in the high jump at 4-10.5. She will compete in both the high jump and 300-meter hurdles at the Colorado State Track and Field Championships this week.
“It was nice to see consistency in high jump and make sure I can continue to move up in heights,” Selle said. “This week I have all days set aside to practice relay handoffs. Monday will be my hurdle day, Tuesday will be my high jump day, and Wednesday I’ll polish it all off. The coaches have done a great job preparing me up to this point.”
Senior Reese Clatterbaugh placed fifth in the long jump at 14-10.25 and also finished in the top 10 in the shot put with a mark of 28-9.75. She will compete in the triple jump at state.
Freshman Haylee Schwartz took fourth in the shot put with a mark of 30-1, and Haylee Steele finished seventh in the 1,600 meters with a time of 7:46.99.
Senior Taylor Garcia placed fourth in the 200 meters with a time of 27.23. She will compete in the 200, 400, and both the 4×100 and 4×200 relays.
“I’m just excited to be going to state in the 200 and my goal is to leave everything on the track,” Garcia said. “I don’t do anything specific to prepare before a race.”
Junior Addie Knowles placed third in the discus with a throw of 105-9, fifth in the shot put at 32-3.75, and sixth in the 100 meters with a time of 13.91. She qualified in three events: discus, pole vault, and the 4×200 relay.
“It’s always exciting to get to go to state track and to participate individually and as a team,” Knowles said.
Sophomore Ruth LeBlanc placed seventh in both the discus (87-5.25) and shot put (30-11). She will compete in the shot put at the state meet.
“I definitely felt much more confident in my shot put simply because I like it more and have spent much more time practicing it,” LeBlanc said. “I’ve learned a lot this year about attitude and hard work and I can’t wait to put that knowledge to use throughout the rest of high school.”
Freshman McKenna Berthelson took fourth in the 100 meters, clocking 13.56. She will compete in the 4×100 relay at state, running the second leg.
“When Taylor starts the race, I make sure I’m in the head space to run the fastest I possibly can while still using all my technique,” Berthelson said. “Our relay team works well together because we’re all there to run our best—but most of all, have fun and be together.”
Coach Brown said the girls’ team used the meet for fine-tuning, while the boys focused on state qualification marks.
“For the girls, the Last Chance Meet provided a valuable opportunity for individual adjustments and performance optimization,” she said. “In contrast, the boys’ team concentrated their efforts on achieving the specific times required for qualification in the highly competitive Colorado state meet.”
Senior Sam Hightower led the boys, winning the pole vault with a mark of 13-2. He also placed third in the high jump (5-8.5) and fifth in the triple jump (38-6.75). He will compete in the high jump and pole vault at state.
“I’m very happy with how I did in my last regular meet of high school,” Hightower said. “This week I’m focusing on rest—especially for my shins—and getting into a good mindset for state so that I can be successful on Thursday and Friday. I hope to PR in high jump and vault over 13-5 in pole vault to claim the school record.”
Sophomore Tucker Chinn will compete in the 300-meter hurdles at the state meet.
“I think qualifying as a sophomore will help me to be more confident these next two years and show myself that there’s still plenty of room left to improve,” Chinn said.
Senior Clay Crawford placed seventh in the 100 meters (12.21) and will compete as part of the 4×100 relay.
“The 100 is a very competitive race and I’m happy that I was able to place top 10 and score some team points,” Crawford said. “I run the first leg of our relay and I try to come out of the blocks hard and fast to get a good lead.”
Coach Brown said mental preparation has been key as the team heads into a high-stakes three-day meet.
The Meeker Cowboys departed for the state championships on Wednesday afternoon. The state meet will run Thursday through Saturday at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood.
