Titans get eye opener at Front Range meet

Amber Scott setting pace for state supremacy

Titans track coach Laura Puckett knew that her athletes would be getting a bit of a smack-down at the Pikes Peak Invitational track meet last weekend. Nevertheless, she saw some value in making the trip to see what track and field is all about outside of the Western Slope.
“We went so that these kids could see what track and field looks like in the rest of the state,” says Puckett. “I wanted them to see why we work their tails off. I think they got their eyes opened.”
Out of the 20-plus teams in attendance, all but six were from 4A and 5A programs so the meet would be tough enough for the Titans at full strength. Add in a rash of illnesses, some nagging strains and the ACT test prep course that same weekend, and Puckett’s team dropped from 26 healthy tracksters down to 19 for the weekend.
“Our numbers are diminishing,” says Puckett. “Kids are getting sick pretty much right and left and some kids are dealing with aches and pains that we want to sort out before they become full-blown injuries.”
The one area in which the Titans shine, as always, is girls’ distance events, and they stepped up to the challenge of their Front Range opponents.
Sophomore Amber Scott’s methodical mile strategy paid off once again. After running in fifth place for most of the four laps, she turned it on the final lap to push up into second place with a time of 5:49.55, shaving another 10 seconds off her time.
“When the other girls started slowing down, she took off,” says Puckett. “She’s just chomping off time.”
Freshman Shannon Costello joined Scott in the mile and appears recovered from an illness that sidelined her the week prior.
Costello pushed her way into the top 10 scoring points for the team, with a seventh-place finish in a time of 5:59.33.
The girls’ relay teams had strong showing as well with the 4×400 taking fifth place with a time of 4:39.60, the 4×800 running a time of 11:24.48 to place seventh, and the 4×200 taking ninth place in a time of 2:01.64.
Sophomore Elisabeth Desmarais got her first shot at the 300-meter hurdles with little to no training and proved she has the makings for success once she can get more time in on the hurdle events.
“She just looked like a natural,” says Puckett.
Freshman Ian Boucher and sophomore Jesse Reeves led the charge on the boys’ side of things.
Both stepped up to the line in the mile with Reeves finishing in 10th with a time of 5:05.01 and Boucher coming in 12th in a time of 5:12.37.
“Ian and Jesse are neck-and-neck,” says Puckett. “They’ll be good pushing each other in practice and at meets.”
Puckett called upon freshman Forrest Smith to run his first two-mile race of his high school career and Smith responded posting a respectable 14th-place finish with a time of 11:38.
“It was a great first two-mile for Forrest,” says Puckett.
Other Titans got lost among the throngs of heavy hitters at the meet but Puckett was focused more on their personal gains rather than where they placed.
“Time-wise, our runners ran great,” says Puckett.
In addition, Puckett is seeing a level of dedication that she has not seen in the past.
“At this point, the kids that are here want to be here and are working hard,” says Puckett. “The unit, as a team, is working and the level of dedication and positive attitude has really come up.”
Their biggest test of the teams’ dedication will come in the next two weeks. Puckett is juggling workouts with illnesses this week and then they have the following week off for April break.
“We’ll hit it hard when we come back and we’ll be able to tell who stayed up with their fitness over the break and who didn’t,” says Puckett. “Hopefully they work out, rest and come back rejuvenated.”
Their next meet will be in the Gunnison Valley as they head to Western State College and Mountaineer Bowl for the Gunnison Invitational on Saturday, April 23.