With the promise of warmer weather on the horizon, Moffat County track and field athletes are also heating up.

Bulldog girls took sixth and boys seventh during the Mickey Dunn Invitational Saturday, April 1, at Grand Junction’s Stocker Stadium.

A return to the frequently used venue saw MoCo athletes face off against primarily larger teams as the only 3A school in attendance.

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Though they didn’t place first in anything, the week-to-week comparison was one of improvement in most events.

“Relay teams and kids in individual events looks stronger,” said head coach Todd Trapp. “Now that we are on the track and throwing it will help out.”

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MCHS competed in nearly every relay in its second week after staying out of a few races at the Warrior Wild West Invite.

Both 4×200-meter relays won second place with improved times. The foursome of Quincy Lowe, Caitlyn Adams, Alexis Jones, and Sadie Smilanich were within one second of the gold at a time of 1:56.32, two seconds faster than their first go.

Boys had more of their roster back, with Zeke Cordero, Andrew Duran, Jimi Jimenez, and Evan Atkin clocking in at 1:34.9, nearly five seconds quicker.

In the 4×800, Teya Miller, Bella Vanzo, Brook Wheeler, and Josefina Kuberry were runners-up (11:50.64), while Lowe and Smilanich were joined by Kimber Hume and Lizzy LeWarne for third in the 800 sprint medley (2:02.6).

Cordero, Atkin, Owen Gifford, and Boden Reidhead took second in their first 4×400 (3:32.08) of the season, only a heartbeat — .04 seconds — away from a win.

Elsewhere, Atkin took third in the boys long jump (20 feet, 6.5 inches) and Alexis Jones the bronze in girls high jump (4-9).

Cordero was fifth in the boys 200 dash (23.29), Jimenez sixth in the 100 (11.79), and Hudson Jones sixth in triple jump (40-3.75).

For girls, Cayden King took sixth in the girls 400 (1:07.87), Miller sixth in long jump (14-5.75), and Kimber Hume seventh in 300 hurdles (55.44).

In throwing, both Taylen Hume and Alexis Herndon saw more than a foot of improvement, placing fifth and sixth, respectively, in the shot put at distances of 30-7 and 30-1.

Taylen Hume also placed eighth with an increase of more than 30 feet in the discus for a personal best of 90-8.

A strong meet for varsity athletes carried over its energy into Monday’s Delta JV Invite, in which MoCo girls took second as a group and boys fifth.

The JV Dogs saw wins in 10 events —for boys in the 400 dash (Haven Carr, 1:01.58), and for girls in the 100 dash (Camila Nunez, 13.76), 200 dash (Kimber Hume, 28.65), 1600 run (Bella Vanzo, 6:45.97), long jump (Caitlyn Adams, 13-8.5), and triple jump (Mena Tucker, 28-2.5).

Bulldog boys won the 4×800 relay, while girls swept their relay events with wins in the 4×100, 4×200 and 800 sprint medley.

“JV meets are very important in the development of those younger kids. They see it’s a step up from middle school competition,” Trapp said. “Those meets help get them ready to step into varsity spots.”

MCHS track will be back in Grand Junction this weekend for the Frank Woodburn Invite.