News Summary

The Durango high school track and field teams showcased their exceptional talents at the rescheduled Durango Dust Off event, achieving numerous personal bests and victories. Notable performances included wins in sprinting, hurdles, and field events, with the girls’ and boys’ teams both demonstrating impressive skills and teamwork. The Demons look forward to future competitions, aiming for strong finishes in the upcoming season.

Durango High School Track and Field Teams Shine at Rescheduled Durango Dust Off Event

The vibrant city of Durango has been buzzing with excitement after the local high school track and field teams showed just how talented they are at the rescheduled Durango Dust Off event. This much-anticipated season opener faced a delay due to some tricky weather conditions, but when the sun finally peeked through, the athletes were more than ready to sprint, jump, and throw their way to glory!

A Stellar Start for the Demons

The Durango Demons made quite the splash against strong local competitors including Bayfield, Montezuma-Cortez, Dolores, and Mancos. The head coach lovingly praised the teams for their impressive performances, noting that many athletes were not only winning but also achieving personal records or matching their previous best times. Talk about kicking off the season on a high note!

Racing to Victory

Among the standout performances, Juliana McKown lit up the track by capturing victories in both the girls’ 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash with times of 13.23 seconds and 28.07 seconds respectively. Her teammate, Maeve Daley, also took home first place in the 400 meters, finishing with a strong time of 1:04.72.

We can’t help but cheer for Sofia Voss, making a triumphant return after some tough times with multiple calf surgeries. She crossed the finish line first in the girls’ 800 meters at an impressive 2:27.88, while Lacy Ruggiero opened her season with a fantastic win in the 1600 meters, crossing the finish line in 5:25.02.

Hurdles and Relays Galore

In the hurdles department, Aileen McManus shined bright, winning the girls’ 100 hurdles with a time of 17.69 seconds, as well as soaring into first place in the triple jump at a distance of 33 feet 7.50 inches. Right on her heels, teammate Evie Morris snatched first place in the girls’ 300 hurdles with a speedy 49.97 seconds.

The girls’ relay teams continued their winning streak, highlighted by the 4×100 relay team that managed to secure first place with a time of 53.73 seconds. The talented quartet consisted of Kynzle Boren, Hailey Tripp, Abigail Gordon, and Samantha Riddell, demonstrating excellent teamwork and speed.

Field Events Bringing Home Wins

In the field events, Violet Mazenko threw her way to victory in the shot put with a distance of 31 feet 2.50 inches, while Oshi Reider excelled in the discus throw with a remarkable throw of 106 feet 3 inches.

Shining Stars on the Boys’ Side

The boys’ team also put on an astonishing show, with Luke Swenk securing wins in the 800 meters, 1600 meters, and 3200 meters with times of 2:10.58, 4:46.71, and 10:22.43 respectively. In the hurdles, Xavier Sutherlin was unbeatable, winning both the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles.

When it comes to relays, the boys’ teams didn’t hold back, winning the 4×100, 4×200, 4×400, and 4×800 races, showcasing an impressive display of speed and coordination.

Impressive Feats and Future Competitions

Highlighting the field events, Mason Miller soared to victory in the high jump with a height of 6 feet. Not far behind, Grant Gordon emerged victorious in the pole vault, while Will Zahradnik captivated the crowd with a long jump of 21 feet 3.75 inches. This incredible performance puts him close to state qualifying!

As for the shot put, Mauricio Gonzalez tossed a solid 39 feet 7 inches, and Oliver Clark secured the discus throw with a throw of 116 feet 3 inches, each demonstrating undeniable talent and hard work.

Looking Ahead

With this exhilarating start to the season, the Demons are set to compete again at the Bayfield Invitational this Friday. Coach Bertrand is thrilled about the team’s potential, especially noting strong depth in the boys’ team, and is optimistic about their chances of snagging a top-10 finish at state. The future looks bright for these young athletes!

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