Rio Blanco County high schools well represented at state meet | The Herald Times | Serving Meeker, Rangely, Dinosaur & Northwest Colorado

Austin Russell, a junior at Meeker High School, made it to the podium during the state meet. He cut 20 seconds off his personal best in the 3,200-meter run and finished in 10:08, ending up in eighth place. Russell was also on the 4×400-meter relay with Cole Brown, Josh Cochran and Gavin Garr and the 4×800-meter relay with Cochran, Tannen Kennedy and Marshal Pool. Both teams failed to place, but coach Strate said, “They ran well,” and the 4×800-meter relay team took 10 seconds off their best time and narrowly missed the podium.

Sierra Williams had a series of point-scoring events at the state track meet for the Meeker harriers. Williams was part of the 800-meter medley relay along with Loran Casias, Maggie Phelan and Madi Russell, which finished ninth, she was part of the school-record-setting team in the 4×400-meter relay along with Phelan, Gracie Bradfield and Julia Eskelson and she was part of the 4×200-meter relay team, which finished eighth along with Russell, Casias and Bradfield.

Brennan Noyes, a sophomore at Rangely High School, is an excellent jumper for the Panthers. His high jump tied his personal best of 6-5, but it also earned him an impressive and lofty second-place finish in the state meet. In the triple jump, he turned in an impressive hop, skip and jump of 39-1.25, which was good enough to place 11th.

Katelyn Brown, only a sophomore at Rangely High School, was the only girl from RHS to qualify for state, which was held May 21-23 at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood, a suburb of Denver. Brown qualified for the finals in the triple jump, and she placed sixth overall with a hop, skip and jump of 34-2.

The Rangely team has lots of talented juniors, and Troy Allred is one of those. Allred, above, competed in the long jump and the triple jump for the Panthers. He turned in a personal best long jump of 19-6, which placed him in 13th overall. He also competed in the triple jump, where he turned in a leap of 37-10.75, which was good enough for 16th place. To qualify for state, the top 18 times and distances qualify for state, where all Colorado schools from all classifications compete.

Rangely sophomore Patrick Scoggins competed in the 200-meter dash, the 400-meter dash and the 800 meter run. He also qualified in the 1600-meter run but didn’t run as he was limited to the number of events he could compete in. He just missed the 200-meter finals, finishing 13th overall, he turned in a new personal best in the 400-meter dash, finishing fifth overall, and he turned in a new personal best in the finals of the 800-meter run, finishing sixth overall.

Meeker’s Cole Brown is seen here in the long jump at the state track meet in Lakewood. Brown, only a junior, missed the finals by one spot. He also competed on the 4×400-meter relay team along with Austin Russell, Josh Cochran and Gavin Garr. Coach John Strate said that although the 4×400-meter relay team missed the final, they ran well.

Meeker’s Gracie Bradfield is seen here running in the 4×400-meter relay at the state track meet in Lakewood, a Denver suburb. Along with Maggie Phelan, Julia Eskelson and Sierra Williams, the team set a new school record of 4:15 and claimed sixth place. Bradfield was also part of the 4×200-meter relay, which finished fourth, and she was part of the 4×100-meter relay team along with Madi Russell, Loran Casias and Peyton Burke, which finished eighth.

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