Moffat County league champs in 9 track and field events

Another weekend, another meet for the members of the Moffat County High School track and field teams, but the last few days were a slightly bigger deal than any other event so far this season.

MCHS took nine event championships during the Western Slope Multi-Leagues Meet Friday and Saturday in Grand Junction, with the girls team placing second overall and the boys fourth among 3A schools.

“We had some really great performances over the last two days,” said MCHS coach Todd Trapp. “Season bests in the field events, individual, relays, our kids came to compete.”

Both groups saw the greatest competition from Coal Ridge, the New Castle squads winning both 3A sides, though many of the Bulldogs’ victories spoke for themselves.

The Titans and Moffat County had the most overall points of girls representing all size schools, with Kayla Pinnt and Mattie Jo Duzik each claiming two individual top honors, Pinnt in the 100- and 200-meter races and Duzik in the 800 and 1,600 runs.

Pinnt also contributed to the girls 4×400 relay victory alongside Jazzmine Piatt and Emma and Lauren Samuelson and went on to be named the best female athlete among 3A competitors.

Duzik, Allie Dilldine and Emily Womble swept the top three places in the one-mile 1,600, while Dilldine and Womble had a photo finish in the two-mile 3,200.

A timing snafu led to most of the runners getting no official time, but Womble was declared the winner.

Though a false start in the 4×200 relay led to a disqualification that hurt the girls, the 4×800 teams for both the girls — Duzik, Dilldine, Womble and Ary Shaffer — and boys — Connor Scranton, Garrett Ferguson, Diego Quezada and Riley Allen — claimed wins.

Also, among the boys, with a hop, skip and a jump, Matt Hamilton had a career best in the triple jump to take the lone field championship of the day.

The sheer number of Bulldogs who gave their all was noteworthy, Trapp said, and many brought plentiful points through second — such as Keenan Hildebrandt in the discus, Eddie Smercina in the long jump or Shandon Hadley in the 200 dash — or third place — Karmen Christopher in the triple jump, Emma Samuelson in the 200 dash, Lauren Samuelson in the 400 dash, Shaffer in the 800 run or Selena Hernandez in both the 100 and 300 hurdles — as well as numerous more who may not have taken the gold, silver or bronze but still did well.

Moffat County will attend one more regular season meet, the Tiger Invitational, in the following week. Some of the pressure is off, Trapp said, but coaches will also be ensuring that they qualify as many athletes as possible for the state level, with kids focusing on the events that will suit them the best.

“Hopefully, we’ll finish with our best meet,” Trapp said.

Contact Andy Bockelman at 970-875-1793 or abockelman@CraigDailyPress.com or follow him on Twitter @CDP_Sports.