“I was really pleased with the performances that we had,” said Hampton, whose boys’ team tallied 13 points to finish 11th, while the girls’ team totaled 14 points to place 14th. “Every athlete had at least one season-best performance.”
Senior Mitchell Phillips led the two boys’ athletes that made the trip as he finished second in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 4 inches, trailing winner Cody Richards of Hotchkiss (20-0), and picking up eight points toward the team’s total.
“Mitchell had never competed in the long jump before,” Hampton said. “In fact, the long jump pit in Telluride is currently buried under five feet of snow. Mitchell worked with field events coach Justin Ludwig to get his steps down just prior to the start of the event. In the first round, he jumped a surprising 19-3/4 to make the finals. In the finals, Mitchell scratched on his first jump, but then hit the board perfectly on his second jump and extended into the pit. The measurement showed 19-4, enough for second place overall and a position as one of the best jumpers in the state.”
Senior Ryan Hampton picked up the team’s remaining five points, placing fourth “in a very strong 800-meter field with a personal-best performance of two minutes, 10.11 seconds,” Hampton said.
“The leaders took out the race at a very fast pace, going through 200 meters in 27 seconds and passing the 400-meter mark in 59 seconds,” Hampton added. “Ryan was pacing slightly off the lead at the 400 meters as he went through in 60.5 seconds. The pack began to stretch out on the back straight as runners fought for position; Ryan was in sixth place at this point with a runner from Eagle Valley just ahead. On the final straight, Ryan dug deep for a little extra speed – he quickly passed the Eagle Valley runner and just missed catching the third-place finisher.”
Carlson Places Fifth and Sixth to Lead Girls’ Squad
Leading the individual point-getters for the girls’ team was junior Sarah Carlson.
Carlson brought home four points with a fifth-place finish in the 1,600 (6:00.8) and three points by taking sixth in the 800 (2:48.03).
“Both times were personal-bests for Sarah,” coach Hampton said. “In the 1,600, Sarah joined a strong lead pack that included runners from Basalt, Steamboat Springs, Delta, and Montrose. She went through the 800 in 2:55, on pace to break the six-minute barrier. In the third lap, the Basalt runner stretched the pack with Sarah fighting to hold her position. As the bell sounded for the final lap, Sarah made a strong move to surge ahead of runners from Hotchkiss and Hayden. Despite a challenge from the runner from Hotchkiss in the final straight, Sarah was able to hold onto her place.”
The rest of the Miners’ points stemmed from three relays, which placed in the top eight.
The 1,600 relay of Lindsey Bosse, Nicole Goldsworthy, Tarja Berry, and Carlson finished fourth in 5:07.15. The 800 relay of Berry, Erin Thompson, Chanel Brooks, and Katie Pape placed eighth (2:17.57), as did the sprint medley of Vanessa Northrup, Pape, Berry, and Brooks (2:24.51).
Coach Hampton also noted a performance by Bosse, who finished 11th in the 800.
“I was really impressed with how strong her last 200 meters was,” he said. “She can definitely go faster.”
The Miner boys’ and girls’ teams return to action on Saturday, March 22 by competing in the Mickey Dunn Invitational in Grand Junction’s Stocker Stadium.
“The meet is one of the premier competitions of the season with 2A through 5A schools participating,” Hampton said. “This will give the Telluride athletes a great opportunity to see how they measure-up statewide. The meet is also a pre-qualifier meet where athletes can qualify for the state meet in Pueblo next May.”
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