Look too close at Montbello’s Chealsea Taylor, the odds-on favorite to capture the “fastest girl in Colorado” designation at this weekend’s state meet in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, and you might miss her really important events.
As if running the season’s fastest 100 and 200 times weren’t enough, Taylor already smashed the Colorado girls all-time long jump record and matched the state’s best high jump mark.
And Taylor hasn’t yet strolled the infield for the state meet, the best opportunity each season to inch into the record book.
She and a host of others will take the blocks beginning Friday at Legacy Stadium in Aurora, as Classes 5A and 4A kick off a two-day meet to decide the best sprinters, distance runners, hurdlers, leapers, jumpers, throwers and vaulters. The state meet for Classes 3A and 2A also will swarm with contestants, at Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo on Friday and Saturday.
Taylor’s record-breaking long jump, the newsiest of her marks this season, came at the Denver Public Schools Invitational on April 23. She jumped 20 feet, 5 1/2 inches, nearly a foot longer than the previous state record set by George Washington’s Caryl Smith in 1985. And Taylor’s high jump of 5-11 at the Raptor Invitational on April 2 matched the state best leap set 16 years ago by Eads’ Duff Leibl.
Taylor, bound to Alabama for college track, also has the season’s fastest girls times in the 100 (11.59 seconds) and 200 (23.86). Among those who will challenge Taylor in the sprints are Eaglecrest’s Ashley Cruder, George Washington’s Talaya Owens and KristaBelle Kiper and Wheat Ridge freshman Chantel Bernabo.
“You talk about smooth,” Wheat Ridge athletic director Nick Desimone said of Bernabo. “She has a legitimate shot as a freshman to finish top three in the 100 and 200.”
Heritage’s Maddie McKeever also will be one to watch. The distance runner set a meet record in the 3,200 at the Mullen Runner’s Roost in April. She also is the state’s top mile runner this season.
In 4A, Niwot’s Griffin Matthew could be a multiple winner. She holds the season’s best time in the 100 and is 0.03 seconds off the best 200 mark. She also improved on the former state best long jump mark with a leap of 20-0 at the Boulder County meet.
In the 100 hurdles, Mullen’s Kira Robinson ran a 13.74 at the Mount SAC Relays in Walnut, California in April, which would be the fastest time in the state this season.
Summit’s Whitney Anderson could double up on the distance events; she’s 10 seconds faster than the nearest mark in the 3,200 and is just off the 1,600 best.
Buena Vista’s Rachel Gioscia is one of 3A’s standouts. She is the favorite to defend her distance titles at 1 and 2 miles.
And in 2A, Limon should be the team to beat, with relay teams that are tough in nearly each event.
