Mancos senior Jonah Ritter looks to lead the Bluejays track and field teams this spring. Ben Bradley/ Special to The Journal
Montezuma-Cortez looks to jump back to IML summit; San Juan Basin features wide-open title race
CORTEZ – Panthers track and field is back this spring with longtime head coach Bob Archibeque leading the program. The coach has another hungry team at work with visions of a push for the top of the Intermountain League.
While the basketball season pushes a later start for some Panthers, M‑CHS and its combined six dozen athletes across the girls and boys programs have hit the ground running.
Seniors Parley Smith and Isaac Dozal have the Panthers off to a good start. Smith won the triple jump (38 feet, 8¼ inches) and took fifth in the 110 hurdles (19.77 seconds) in Durango on Saturday, while Dozal claimed ninth in the 200 meters (25.02 seconds).
In the distance events, juniors Cruz Plewe (second, 11:19) and William Blair (fourth, 11:53) posted top‑four finishes in the 3,200 meters to open their season.
On the girls side, junior Tessa Mercedes Jackson has led the team’s jumping group since arriving on campus. The multi‑time state qualifier opened her spring with a win in the high jump (5 feet, 0 inches) in Durango.
Sophomore Addison Spitzer looks to factor among the top finishers in orange‑and‑black meets this year, taking fourth in the high jump (4 feet, 8 inches). Senior Tatum Endres seeks another state appearance in the pole vault and has cleared 7 feet, 0 inches to match the best height in the Dust Off field. Junior Taylor Johnson leads the Panthers throwers, taking third in the shot put (27 feet, 5½ inches) and fourth in the discus (72 feet, 5 inches).
M‑CHS heads to Bayfield on Friday, March 13, and again two weeks later, while the Bob Archibeque Invitational highlights the middle of the season on April 10 at Panther Stadium. M‑CHS faces the IML field in Alamosa on April 24 before a run of qualifying meets leading to the state finals in mid‑May.
Ritter leads young Mancos core
Mancos senior speedster Jonah Ritter has good reason to be motivated for his final season in blue and white. Ten months ago, Ritter notched his best state finish with a lightning‑quick 11.18‑second 100‑meter dash to take the 2A bronze.
Ritter’s short‑sprint speed helped anchor strong Bluejays relays, including a state‑qualifying 4×100 relay. This year, as the senior eyes the top of the podium, head coach Brady Archer and the Jays look to continue building their lineup with young talent.
Freshman Carly Kroll, a cross‑country state qualifier this past fall, looks to continue a strong distance‑running tradition for the Jays girls program. Sophomore Laney Palmer hopes to anchor the Mancos sprinting core.
In their first outing of the season, Ritter’s second‑place run in the 200 dash (23.23 seconds) at the Durango Dust Off set the tone for the year, while senior Jacob Martin earned the silver in the shot put (38 feet, 5 inches). Palmer notched a fifth‑place run in the 100 hurdles (19.95 seconds), and Kroll took sixth in the 1,600 (6:04) to open her first high school track campaign.
Mancos heads to Bayfield on Friday, March 13, for its next action before a trip to North Fork the following weekend. The Jays return from spring break by heading to Cortez (April 10) and Durango (April 18) before their home invitational on April 28.
Bulldogs muscle ready to launch big season
Dove Creek head coach Jason Fury has a lineup that resembles a baseball pitching rotation, and for good reason. The Bulldogs typically have plenty of carryover between their boys track team and their roster on the diamond.
Junior Gavin Gill made strides in the throwing events last year and opened this season with a strong mark at the Dust Off, firing the discus 112 feet, 7 inches to establish a benchmark for a state‑qualifying pursuit. Senior Josh Kibel added another big performance, sending the shot put 38 feet, 1¼ inches to place himself among the top early 2A throws.
The girls throwers also look to shine this spring, with sophomore Ayla Coffey and senior Grace Myers giving the Bulldogs early momentum. Coffey finished fifth in the shot put (25 feet, 6¼ inches), while Myers took ninth in the discus (64 feet, 2½ inches).
Dove Creek heads to Bayfield on March 13 and has a trip to Ignacio on April 4 to headline its early‑season action.
Dolores leaning on depth in SJBL title pursuit
Much like their Colorado Highway 184 rivals, the Bears also have a returning all‑state sprinter – senior Michael Rantz – whose flexibility across the sprinting disciplines puts DHS in a good position to set up their relays for state‑qualifying opportunities. Last year, the Bears pushed their 4×400 and 4×800 relays to Jefferson County Stadium in both the girls and boys 2A championships, along with Rantz’s third‑place run in the 400 meters.
Co‑head coaches Travis Rantz and Angie Lowe lead the team as the Bears open the season with a trip to Ridgway on March 14 and will join several local meets before the SJBL meet on April 28. The state championships for all five classifications take place Thursday through Saturday, May 14-16, in Lakewood.
