Titan’s youth movement leads charge at Delta Invitational

“I’m excited about where we are”

Numbers are up on the Titans track team roster this year thanks to a large influx of freshmen and returning sophomores. While large numbers from those classes can often mean success in the coming years, this particular group is already making waves, posting top 10 results as well as a win at the Delta Invitational on Saturday, March 19, the first official meet of the 2011 season.
It was a big test for the young athletes, with several teams from throughout the Western Slope showing up for the meet—from 1A size up to 4A size schools.
“It was much bigger and there were lots of good teams there,” says Titans track head coach Laura Puckett. “It was a good opportunity for the kids to see bigger competition.”
Furthermore, the team’s been working hard and Puckett wanted to see her team come out of Delta tired, as well as more experienced.
“They’re in the third week of training and they’ve been working really hard,” explains Puckett. “They’re getting their feet wet and figuring out how to race. We’re not worried about times—we’re still building them up.”
With a handful of upper-classmen missing the meet for various reasons, the second-year runners were left to take on the leadership role.
“Leadership was on the sophomores’ shoulders,” says Puckett. “They’re talented, strong, enthusiastic and diving right into it.”
One sure way to lead is by example, and that’s exactly what sophomore distance runner Amber Scott did.
Battling windy conditions, Scott posted two impressive results in the 1,600-meter run (mile) and the 3,200-meter run (two mile) events.
Scott ran to a fourth-place finish in the mile with a time of 5:59.20 and then picked apart the field to win the two-mile with a time of 13:20.35, scoring big points for the Titans team.
“Given the conditions, she ran incredibly strong,” says Puckett. “She runs smart and it works for her.”
Sophomore Taylor O’Neal added more points to the team’s total with her two-mile effort, as well placing seventh.
Sophomore Abby Whiting charged into her first races of the season, finishing 10th in the 800-meter run and stepping onto the podium with a third-place finish in the 400-meter with a time of 1:06.11, four seconds off of Skylar Kraatz’s school record.
“She can be really successful at the 200, the 400 and the 800,” says Puckett. “The 400 is going to be her money-maker.”
Whiting’s teammates freshmen Lindsay Kopf and Shannon Costello also scored points for the team in the 400 and 800, respectively. Kopf placed ninth in the 400-meter run while Costello had the top Titan time in the 800-meters to place seventh.
“I’m excited about Lindsay’s 400—she’s got some speed,” says Puckett. “Shannon is going to be one of our distance runners to watch.”
The girls’ team finished in 11th place overall.
Ultimately, Puckett and the coaching staff got more insight into each athlete’s strengths and they will continue to whittle them down into more specialized roles. Their hope is to find success for the Titans, on an individual level spreading the talent to find success as a team.
“I’m excited about where we are,” says Puckett.
The Titans spent Tuesday at an unconventional meet in Leadville, complete with a 50-meter dash for example. Then they will run in the perennial classic track meet, the Mickey Dunn Invitational in Grand Junction Saturday, March 26.
“That one is a big meet,” says Puckett of the Mickey Dunn race. “We’re going to rest them up a little bit and we’ll start looking at times in Grand Junction.”