Aurora – Don’t bother telling Ashley Cruder high school sports are all about enjoyment.
Eaglecrest’s diminutive sprinter didn’t place first in the 200 meters Saturday at the Last Chance Meet at Legacy Stadium – George Washington’s Talaya Owens took top honors – but she did manage to qualify for the Class 5A state meet with a time of 24.87 seconds.
Cruder, who finished second in the 100 and 200 meters at state last year, was more bothered by the race itself than by her second-place finish.
“That was not fun,” the 4-foot-10 junior sprinter said as she trudged off the track, noting her preference for shorter events. “It burns when you run (in the 200).”
Owens, who was injured during last year’s state meet, outpaced Cruder by .4 of a second in the 100. The Patriots senior said competing against Cruder helped her achieve her best time – and noted the two may face off again later this year.
“She’s my competition at state (later this year),” Owens said of Cruder, who finished first in the 100. Owens also took first in the 100 hurdles to qualify for state.
In all, a breezy afternoon affected several performances at the 14-team meet (no team scores were kept). Smoky Hill pole vaulter Kirk Cooper, a senior who cleared a personal-best and meet record of 16 feet, 3/4 inches at the Runners Roost event at Mullen two weeks ago, led all vaulters with a 15-foot performance. Cooper failed to match his earlier feat because of a sudden breeze on his final attempt.
“The wind was blowing right in my face” on the approach, said Cooper, the lone 5A state qualifier Saturday. Cody Youngblood of Platte Canyon qualified for the 3A state meet with a vault of 12-6.
A headwind also slowed J.T. Scheuerman, a Littleton senior and one of the nation’s fastest sprinters. Scheuerman nonetheless finished first in the 100 and 200, dominating his heat in the latter race to finish ahead of the field by five strides.
“It’s tough to run out front,” said the well-traveled runner, who led nearly wire-to-wire. “It’s always nice to have somebody to push you.”
Triple jumper Travis Smith turned in one of the afternoon’s biggest surprises, earning a spot in the state meet by sailing 44-7. It bested Smith’s previous record by an astounding 2 feet and was good enough for first place.
In the girls pole vault, Arapahoe’s Michelle Ripple continued to build on her momentum this spring, clearing 11-6 for a school record. While the senior, who stands just less than 5-2, had cleared that height before in Junior Olympics competition, the vault was her best effort at a sanctioned event.
