Titans track makes strides in Hotchkiss Invitational meet

Girls’ team takes fourth overall

The Titans track team got a better sense of how they stack up against schools their size on Saturday, March 24, making the team’s first trip to the Hotchkiss Invitational in the program’s history.
“There were 17 schools there and a lot of those schools are 1A and 2A schools,” explains coach Laura Puckett. “The meet was a good fit. It was really rewarding. The kids were able to place really high and still have competition to push them.”
As a result, the Titans put up some impressive numbers that day, including a strong overall team score for the girls.
“The girls’ team placed fourth overall, which we’re really proud of,” says Puckett. “That was due to strong performances across the board.”
Puckett and her coaching staff were forced to tweak their plan for events leading up to the meet, with a host of Titans feeling the effects of the start of the track season. Nevertheless, Puckett believes the change paid off in the long run.
“We had some shin splints and some turned ankles so some kids didn’t run in as many events,” says Puckett. “But, that meant they were well rested for the events they did run in.”
Senior captain Skylar Kraatz is getting closer every week to tearing the tape at the finish line in her event, posting her fastest time this season to take third in the 400-meter dash in Hotchkiss.
Sophomore Monika Olesen is nipping at the heels of her peers as well in her sprint events.
“Monika is just always really solid in the 100 and 200,” says Puckett.
Junior Amber Scott continues to battle a bug that set in during the first few weeks of the track season but made quick work of the competition in the two-mile race. Scott took off from the start and left the field in the dust to take the win and set the fastest two-mile time in the state among 2A schools this season.
Sophomore Shannon Costello adds fuel to the girls’ distance fire this season, taking third place in the mile.
The girls’ relay teams are climbing the ranks as well, from the sprint relays to the distance relays. The girls’ 4×100 and 4×200 relays placed sixth, the 4×400 took third and the 4×800 relay team finished second.
Senior captain Matt Galley had another stellar showing in the 800-meters, placing second and the boys’ team got a boost this past weekend with the addition of sophomores Parwit Durgan and Forrest Smith. Durgan adds some speed in the middle distance events, while Smith is right in step with his effort from last year in the 800-meters and mile.
Smith finished fifth in the 800-meters posted a time of 5:02:26 in the mile to take fourth place.
“He’s starting right where he left off last year,” says Puckett. “And he’s much more poised this year.”
Sophomore Kyle Boyle and freshman Jack Duryea joined Galley and Smith to place third in the 4×800-meter relay.
New to the team this year is a host of athletes willing to step into the world of field events, i.e. discus, shot put, high jump and long jump. While their results were not earth shattering, they will continue to gain strength over the season and could help propel both the girls’ and boys’ teams up a couple spots in the overall team scores.
“Our field events are not historically strong,” says Puckett. “That’s part of our focus this year and we had somebody in almost every event in Hotchkiss and they did really well.”
The Titans will head to Center on Saturday, March 31 for a showdown with their league opponents and get a look at the track that will host the league championships later this season.
“We’re going to suss out the league competition,” says Puckett.