The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“I feel like everyone put out their best effort”
By Than Acuff
For the first time in years, the Crested Butte Titans track and field team has the numbers to spread throughout events, rather than being spread thin at meets, and they got their first test of the season at the Pantherfest Invitational in Delta on Saturday, March 18.
The Titans had 28 athletes, 10 boys and 18 girls, make the trip to Delta and once the day concluded, the girls team finished fifth with the boys placing ninth as Titans were competing all over the place throughout the meet.
“We pretty much had kids in all of the events except for four,” says coach Shari Sullivan-Marshall. “Once we get everyone back, we will always have someone in every event.”
With little training on a track available to the Titans, the coaches and athletes are using the first stretch of meets as an opportunity to get as much variety as possible and continue laying the groundwork for future success.
“It was about getting stronger and competing in a bunch of different events,” says Sullivan-Marshall. “It was basically an eight-hour practice.”
Still, amidst the “practice,” the Titans saw success as well as they littered the relays and sprints with Titans. Kelsey Clifton led the hurdlers winning her 100-meter hurdle heat to finish in fourth overall. Meanwhile the Titans spread far and wide for the relay events to get continued practice with handoffs as well as to start gathering info for setting teams in place as the season continues.
“Everybody had the opportunity to be in a relay,” says Sullivan-Marshall. “It gave us really good data for the future.”
Francesca Nesti, Lilla Laird, Poppie Pleak and Mandala Covey-Bleiberg joined forces to place second in the 800 sprint medley relay while another Titans girls team took fourth. The boys side then set the pace in the 4×800-meter relay as Giles Billick, Flint Hoyt, Kenny Bullock and Sam Bullock rallied to a third place finish with another boys team scoring points with a sixth place finish.
The relay assault continued as all three of the Titans’ 4×200 relay teams placed in the top eight to score points led by Ilo Hawley, Eva Loflin, Ainsley Stewart and Piper O’Neill in 4th place. Last but certainly not least, the 4×400-meter relays. After battling through three other relay events, the Titans carried their momentum into the final relay of the day with Piper and Katie O’Neill, Ruby Pendy and Hawley taking third place, another girls team finishing in sixth and the boys team placing sixth.
“It’s so fun to have all of those relay teams,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
Hawley saw success as an individual as well as she went on to win the 400-meters with three other Titans sprinters placing top eight, and the Titans posted numerous personal records throughout the 100-meter and 200-meter races.
“It was great to score a lot of points for the team,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
Pendy has always been a force in the distance events and she picked up where she left off last season. Despite an illness slowing her down, Pendy ran her way to a second place finish in the 1600-meter race and then ran her second fastest 800-meter time ever to finish in sixth place. Billick and Kenny posted the top Titans results in the boys 800-meters as Billick kicked his way to a fifth place with Kenny close behind in sixth.
“We’ve been working hard for three weeks and it felt good to put all of that work out there,” says Sullivan-Marshall. “I feel like everyone put out their best effort.”
The team will get additional time in the Western Colorado University Fieldhouse this week as well as the usual hallway and gym time as they prepare for their next meet at the North Fork Invitational in Hotchkiss on Saturday, March 25.
“I’m excited to get more time on a track and a majority of the roster should be there to build upon this past week,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
