Lakewood – Darius Reed had a bittersweet moment before the start of the 300-meter hurdles as he felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. This would be his last high school race, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted it all to end.
But then the starting gun sounded and George Washington’s Reed blew away the competition to claim his second title of the day at the Class 5A state track and field championships on Saturday at Jefferson County Stadium.
It was a fine way to end a prep career.
“When I was in the blocks, I started thinking about how this was my last race. It’s hard, but I couldn’t think about it. I just had to go,” said Reed, who also won the 110 hurdles and now will go on to UCLA.
It was a good state meet for Reed and the George Washington Patriots, and it was a good day for a handful of athletes who hoarded many of the state titles.
Reed won his two events, and teammate Talaya Owens won three – the girls 100 hurdles, 100 and 200. Rocky Mountain’s Danielle Parry won the 1,600 and 3,200, and she anchored the Lobos’ winning 3,200 relay team to claim three titles.
Despite these and other fine performances, it was Littleton’s J.T. Scheuerman who stole the show. He entered the day with more national titles (one) than state titles, but that changed in a hurry.
He won the 100 in 10.66 seconds, the 200 in 21.24 and then came from behind in the last leg of the 800 relay to beat out George Washington. But Scheuerman’s best race came in the 400, where his time of 46.23 was the fastest ever recorded by a prep runner in Colorado.
That also is the fourth-best time in the country this season.
“It’s nice to finally come out and win. I’ve never really been here, so it’s just really exciting. I’ve had some pretty lofty accomplishments, but never a state title until now,” said Scheuerman, who missed the previous state meets with injuries.
Fort Collins, behind 1,600 state titlist Noah Shannon, its relay teams and distance runners, ended Smoky Hill’s three-year reign as boys team champions. George Washington finished second, and Littleton, Smoky Hill and Highlands Ranch tied for third.
Rocky Mountain breezed to the girls team title, well ahead of Smoky Hill, George Washington, Fairview and Littleton.
In one of the day’s best relays, George Washington’s 400 team got a scorching final leg from David Williams, who beat Smoky Hill’s team at the tape by three-hundredths of a second.
“When the baton got to my hand I thought we might have to take second. But I knew I could catch him with about 15 meters to go,” Williams said.
Cherry Creek’s Eric Peterson won the triple jump, Poudre’s Caroline Veldman earned a title in the discus and Smoky Hill’s Kirk Cooper cleared 16 feet to win his second pole vault title.
With the day winding down and the clouds ready to burst, Arapahoe’s Michelle Ripple tried to set a meet record in the pole vault. Ripple cleared 12 feet and then went for 12-7¼, a half-inch taller than the meet record.
With a row of fans cheering her on, Ripple came up well short on her first two tries but had her feet over on the third attempt before falling short.
Still, she was pleased with the state title and was ready to celebrate.
“I’m going to get cheesecake. I haven’t had any sweets all track season,” Ripple said.
