The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Vosburg returns in mid-season stride
Despite winter conditions in the valley, coach Laura Puckett and her team are maintaining their training regimen, and it’s starting to show.
While a number of Titan tracksters were missing due to a track competition in Florida, senior Emma Vosburg and sophomore Erin Kelly led the charge for the Titans at the Cedaredge Invitational on Saturday, March 28.
Although Vosburg had just one week of track training under her belt heading into Cedaredge, she jumped right in posting a fourth-place finish in the 800 meters, 10th place in the 400 meters and seventh place in the triple jump.
“Emma ran really well with just a week of training,” says Puckett. “I was wicked impressed.”
Kelly finished fifth in the 800 meters and then placed second in the 1,600-meter event, a.k.a. the mile, with a time of five minutes, 33 seconds.
“Erin ran an awesome mile,” says Puckett. “She fought her way through it.”
In addition, now that basketball season is over, several other girls have joined the team, opening up more events for Puckett to enter her athletes.
Freshmen Hailey Loeffler and Skylar Kraatz teamed up with Kelly and Vosburg to finish fifth in the 4×400-meter relay.
“It’s been fun to put together some relays now,” says Puckett.
For the boys, it’s one step at a time, but Puckett likes what she sees out of junior Ricky Sandoval and sophomore Tanner Gordon.
“Tanner and Ricky are dropping their times—individually they’re progressing,” says Puckett. “It’s exciting to see and encouraging for them.”
Still, the weather is wearing on the intrepid team and Puckett is looking to get her team down to Gunnison for further training.
“Snow and cold is fine,” says Puckett. “It’s the ice on the roads that makes things difficult. We’re trying to make weekly trips to Gunnison. Hopefully we can make that happen. It will really be a boon to their training.”
The team heads to Gypsum this weekend for the Eagle Valley invitational. Their first and only meet close-by will be in Gunnison on Saturday, April 18.
The focus for Puckett and the team, though, is a meet in Montrose on Saturday, April 25.
“Montrose is really where I hope to see our training take effect,” says Puckett. “Everyone will be on board by that point.”
