LAKEWOOD – For the first time in 32 years, the Alamosa High School girls track and field team has come home from the state meet with a championship.
The state meet for all five classifications took place this past weekend at Jefferson County Stadium.
“These girls have worked very hard for this honor,” said Alamosa coach Jen McQuitty.
Leading the way for the Lady Mean Moose were junior Sarah DeLaCerda and senior Aani Hardesty.
DeLaCerda won two individual championships. On Friday, she won the 3,200-meter run in 11:04.13, and on Saturday, she won the 1,600-meter run in 5:31.54.
For DeLaCerda, it is the third sport in which she has a state title. She has won individual titles in wrestling and track and was a member of last fall’s state championship cross country team.
“I couldn’t do it without my coaches and of course all glory to God,” DeLaCerda said. “I always thank him for all of my gifts.”
Hardesty also won two individual titles both in the hurdle events. She took the 100-meter high hurdles in 15.38 seconds and she claimed the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 44.56. She also finished in sixth place in the 100-meter dash in 12.67.
“It was pretty fun,” Hardesty said. “I’m glad I finally won. I’m super excited.”
This isn’t the end of Hardesty’s track career as she will continue in college.
“I signed to go to the Colorado School of Mines in January,” Hardesty said. “I like the academics and they’re a very developmental school. I just want to keep getting better and better.”
Both DeLaCerda and Hardesty were not done for the meet as they combined with Whitney Thong and Lia Castillo to win the 4x400-meter relay in 3:58.53.
“It was great,” Hardesty said. “I’m so happy for Sarah as well that she got to win big this year. She’s just a junior so she has lots to go.”
“I like the respect we got as a team,” DeLaCerda said. “The 4x400 was a fun race.”
There were additional runners in both distance events. Autumn McQuitty was seventh in the 3,200 in 11:37.46 and eight in the 1,600 in 5:13.82, and her sister, Elizabeth was eighth in the 3,200 in 11:38.43 and 16th in the 1,600 in 5:25.52. Madeline Castillo was 18th in the 1,600 in 5:31.54.
Lia Castillo was also a member of two championship relay teams as she ran on the 4x800 team along with her sister, Madeline, and the McQuitty sisters on Thursday.
Lily Heersink also ran in the 300 hurdles. She took fourth in 47.94 seconds.
Brooke Gonzales finished sixth in the discus at 104-2.
For the Mean Moose boys team, Brant Jackson placed sixth in the high jump at 6-3. Jackson, along with Santiago Trujillo, Isaac Higareda and Jayr Almeida took fifth place in 3:26.73 in the 4x400-meter relay.
The Alamosa girls scored 98 1/5 points, and the boys team finished 16th with 18 ½.
“We’re definitely going to keep building it up,” said coach McQuitty. “We’re losing 16 seniors this year. We’re going to see if we can get another title next year.”
Centauri
Troy Sowards was the only Centauri athlete to place as he tied for fourth place in the high jump at 6-3.
Josh Taylor was 16th in the discus at 112-11 on Friday.
The Falcons placed 27th with 5 ½ points.
Class 1A
Sanford
The Sanford boys finished third with 60 points.
Scoring for the Mustangs on Saturday were Gauge Lewis who was third in the 100 in 11.40 and sixth in the 200 in 23.46. Ren Canty was third in the 1,600 in 4:53.07. Cash Caldon was seventh in the 200 in 23.46 and 10th in the 100 in 11.79. Lincoln Reynolds was third in the 200 in 23.31 and 10th in the 400 in 53.88.
In relays, the team of Caldon, Reynolds, Lewis and Craig Ford was fifth in the 4x100 in 46.33, and the team of Tucker Canty, Justin McCarroll, William Malouff and Koda Mortensen was 10th in the 4x400 in 3:52.75.
The Lady Mustangs took sixth place with 49 points. Holly McDaniel was second in the 100 hurdles in 16.93 and sixth in the 300 hurdles in 49.85. Erica Miller was second in the 400 in 59.50.
The Lady Mustang relay events saw Kasey Gylling, Emery Mortensen, Brooklynn Reynolds and Makenzie Reynolds finish sixth in the 4x100 in 53.69. Brooklynn Reynolds, Mortensen, Brecken Crowther and Miller were eighth in the 4x400 in 4:31.39.
Creede
Creede took three athletes to state and all three scored in their events.
Ryder Whitehorn took eighth place in the shot put at 38-10.
For the Lady Miners, Lila Fairchild and Jasmine Laing both competed in the high jump. Fairchild tied for sixth at 4-7 and Laing tied for eighth at 4-5.
The Creede boys finished 33rd with two points, and the girls were 28th with 4 ½.
Sangre de Cristo
Sangre de Cristo had two representatives at state and they both placed in their events.
William Wilson was fourth in the 3,200 in 11:16.12 on Thursday and was sixth in the 1,600 in 4:59.95.
For the Lady Thunderbirds, Peyton Metz was seventh in the 100 in 13.03 and fifth in the 200 in 27.19. She also took sixth in the triple jump at 32-8 ¾ on Friday.
The Sangre boys tied for 24th with 10 points, and the girls were 28th with 4 ½.
Class 2A
Del Norte
On Saturday, Michael Laymon finished second in the high jump at 6-4.
The Tigers finished 30th with 8 ½ points, and the Lady Tigers were 40th with 2 ½.
Monte Vista
The Pirates had one championship on Saturday as the team of Jack Noonan, Memphis Garcia, Khegan Gunter and Damian Lopez took the 4x100 in 43.81 seconds.
Lopez also took ninth place in the 100 meters in 11.48.
The boys team tied for 19th with 21 points and the Lady Pirates were 32nd with 6 ½.
Sargent
Bailey Asbell finished ninth in the 300 hurdles in 50.68 seconds. The Lady Farmers tied for 41st place with one point.
