The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
More action in Grand Junction
By Than Acuff
After what can best be described as burly conditions at a meet in Grand Junction a week prior, the Crested Butte Titans track and field team returned to Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction to find more pleasant weather for the Phil Wertman Invitational meet on Friday, April 12.
“In six days, the temperature doubled from the 40s to the 80s,” says coach Shari Sullivan-Marshall. “After we acclimated to the shock of the temperature, it was a great day on the track.”
Fifteen Titans made the trip to Grand Junction and continued their personal record (PR) and season best time efforts with the Titans placing top 10 in nine events against several bigger programs.
The boys distance runners provided the lion share of top 10 results starting with Jake Pendy who ran a PR time in the 800 meters to place third with Giles Billick not far behind in fifth place.
Billick then teamed up with James Brady, Max Sullivan and Sam Bullock to set a new season best time for the team in the 4×800-meter relay and place sixth.
“There were some smoking hot splits run by this team and we are psyched to break that nine-minute barrier after April break,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
Cody Pleak ran his PR in the 3200-meters to finish sixth while Flint Hoyt ran to a 10th place finish.
But it wasn’t just distance runners posting top results for the Titans as they saw some success from the girls sprinters, the boys hurdlers as well as the field events.
Mike D’Apolito placed third in the 110-meter hurdles, the girls sprint medley team of Sage Johnson, Emerson Kaufmann, Eva Loflin and Josie Feier placed ninth and D’Apolito, Ethan Kaufmann, Cole Wimett and Brady overcame a handoff miscue in the 4×200-meter relay to place 10th. Loflin also posted a ninth-place result in the long jump.
The Titans finished the day with 13 PRs and four season best times and now are tasked with staying loose and maintaining fitness over the April break. They return to action on Thursday, April 25 when they head to a meet in Olathe.
