Today, we come to 3A Boys. If you’ve been Rip Van Winkling through the first month of the season, you may not know how intensely competitive things have become in 3A Boys. I’ll try to illustrate that for you in this article.
First, however, we should note that the MaxPreps rankings have a problem at 3A Boys. Therein, you’ll find several Sheridan (Wyoming) results posted as Sheridan (Colorado) results. Sheridan (Wyoming) came down for the Broomfield Shootout and put up some big numbers. That much is true, but those big numbers don’t impact 3A Boys. I have no idea when the fix for that situation will arrive. It’s already hung around longer than I expected it to.
This is also a good point to insert a disclaimer. Most of you are well aware that I have a more-than-casual rooting interest in the fortunes of one team in the 3A Boys field. I’ll do my best to strive for objectivity here. I apologize now, however, for using that team in the cover photo for this article. The only other accessible cover photo options I have involve a team that has already been featured prominently in a cover photo this season.
All that to say, I welcome cover photo contributions. You can DM me on Twitter if you have one you’d like to share.
To the disappointment, I’m guessing, of many, I will feature only five teams in this article. We’re almost midway through the season at this point and five times have separated themselves from the field. Other teams will come into the conversation now and then as performances of their top athletes could have a lot of impact on how the various top teams score at state, but there are only five teams viably in the hunt at this point. That could change, of course, but change would mean the addition of data we do not currently have available.
If you backed me into a corner and asked me to name a favorite at this point, I’d lean toward Holy Family. It’s not a hard lean, but the Tigers have earned it. So, let’s begin by discussing what Holy Family brings to the table—both the pros and the cons of that.
In a word, Holy Family brings speed to the table. If you allow me more than one word, I’ll go to raw, blazing speed. In Grayson Arnold, Pierce Kunz, Chase McNaughton, and Dominic Neely, the Tigers have three of the top ten in the 3A 100 and three of the top 13 in the 3A 200. Arnold tops the charts at both 100 and 200 meters. That’s a lot of guys on the top floor.
As a sidebar, and for you to ponder over for a while, 3A currently has the three highest-ranked boys in the state, in all classifications, in the 100 meter dash. I’m not sure how that happened, but it is the case. If you’re wondering who that cast of characters is, it’s Arnold, Chrisly Kelly-Cannon, and Devyn Lauer.
Back to the main point, we expect Holy Family to put some serious points on the board in the sprints and sprint relays.
Grayson Arnold also owns the #3 3A time in the 400 at the moment. Whether he carries that forward into state is a good question—we’ll take a look at the legitimacy of that question in just a moment.
Not surprisingly, Holy Family also brings some loaded relays to the field. The Tigers have the top-ranked 4×100 in the entire state at 42.05. They are also ranked #1 in 3A in the 4×200 and #2 in 3A in the 4×400.
The stable of sprinters goes, realistically, five or six deep—depending a little on the event—at Holy Family. That means they can pursue some individual events at state and still retain very high quality in their relays. There are decisions to be made, and those decisions will have consequences, but this is not a team whose relays are dangling by a slender thread. It is their sprint depth that makes Holy Family so dangerous this year.
If Holy Family chooses to knock a 4×100 and 4×200 out of the park at state, then Arnold probably runs the 100, 200, 4×100, and 4×200 at state. That would, of course, cede some points in the 400 and 4×400.
And you could play this game all day long with the other guys down the line. Holy Family can’t have it all at state, but they can have a lot if they distribute the talent evenly enough, can stay clear of injuries, and can carry the baton cleanly through all the exchanges of two rounds at state.
Sprints are the main game in town at Holy Family, but not the only game. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed some development in the distance events as well.
Holy Family has recently moved up to a #3 ranking in the 4×800. That’s deeply meaningful where the pursuit of a team state title is concerned. Parker Nelson is nipping at the possibility of points in the 800. Any points HF can snare in the 800 and 1600 are a big bonus at state, as the Tigers don’t yet have anything on the scoring radar screen at state.
The Classical Academy is another team worthy of serious consideration where the 3A state title chase is concerned. The Titans have some sprint representation, but they are much more of an across-the-board kind of team than Holy Family is this year.
AJ Braeger looks like points in the 200 and 400. That leaves room for him to tote the baton on two relays if the Titans decide to four-event Braeger. Braeger, by the way, is a soccer player who decided to go out for track his senior year. Good thing for TCA that he did!
Aaron Johnson could possibly figure in a state sprint event or two—his season is coming along nicely—but will definitely figure on sprint relays.
The sprint relays will be critical for the Titans. Currently, TCA sits at #5 in the 4×100, #2 in the 4×200, and #5 in the 4×400. If the Titans mean to make a serious state title run, they more or less need to hold those points. Ideally, they would improve on those points a little.
Moving to distance events, we encounter the biggest question facing TCA, and the rest of 3A, this spring. Matthew Edwards, the state cross country champion, has missed the last two weeks of competition. Edwards’ status makes a lot of difference to whatever state title hopes the Titans are harboring.
A healthy Edwards might easily win the 1600 and 3200, though the current rankings don’t show that. The Titans are far from reduced to shooting blanks if Edwards is out, but they do take a hit.
For the time being, Chandler Wilburn is nicely placed in the 800 and 3200 rankings. You have to figure the 1600 is a ranking waiting on opportunity. But, Wilburn also figures as a key piece of the 4×800. It’s unlikely the Titans decide to four-event Wilburn. Will Moore and Casey Golden represent potential distance points and assuredly take places on the 4×800 for the Titans as well.
So far, we’re not seeing state meet points in the hurdles for TCA.
Moving to the field events, a lot of the TCA hopes rest on the shoulders of sophomore jumper Jordan Wenger. TCA needs all the points, which is plenty, Wenger can deliver in the long, triple, and high jumps. As you all know, jumps can be rather fickle at state, so it’s very difficult to project how many points Wenger could be holding.
TCA has a small army of pole vaulters, but none are—as yet—threatening to score points at state.
Blake Van Tongeren, on the other hand, has been climbing the shot put ladder as fast as anyone in the state. As of last weekend, Van Tongeren has reached 43-0 and ranks #7 in 3A. He’s beginning to creep within sniffing range of points in the discus as well.
Next up in the order of discussion is Lutheran. This will be Lutheran’s final round at the 3A dance. The Lions move to 4A next year.
After what can best be described as a disappearing act at state last year, the Lions are steadily reassembling the pieces and look to be a legitimate threat at regaining a state title this year.
The brothers Ciccio are a big part of that puzzle. Joe specializes in the 100 and 200; Trey specializes in the hurdles. Together with Jonah Beard and Beckham Argosino, they also log a lot of relay duty.
But, Lutheran doesn’t go as deep in the sprint pool as Holy Family. That means every individual event decision Lutheran makes for state has profound implications for their relays. And relays are a big part of Lutheran’s hopes. Lutheran ranks #2 in the 4×100, #1 in the 4×400, and #1 in the 4×800 (more on that in a moment). Inexplicably, Lutheran doesn’t have a 4×200 in scoring position right now.
If Lutheran foregoes the 4×200, then they can four-event their key pieces and stick with everything they’ve loaded thus far. They’re obviously dangerous if they do that.
Lutheran’s top-ranked 4×800 implies we’re about to see a Lion or two in state scoring position at 800 meters as well. Watch for that shoe to drop.
The other area of strength for the Lions is the throws. There are no clear and undisputed leaders in either of the throwing events (with the possible exception of North Fork’s Markem Buzzell in the discus) in 3A this year. In terms of a state title, that means there is potential for large shifts of points from what the rankings project. In terms of teams in the state title hunt, Lutheran is the greatest potential beneficiary of any such shifts. The Lions are well-placed, though far from dominant, as things stand now, but could conceivably move to a very nice position if things go just right.
Casey Luttrell, Bode Blohm, Keaton Reiman, and Josh Ayers are each well-positioned at this time to bring home points from the state meet in the throws.
Finally, there are jumps. Traditionally, the jumps have been a point of strength for the Lions, but—so far, at least—pickings have been slim for Lutheran in the jumps this year. Sam McCloud is sitting on the edge of points in the long jump, but that’s as far as it goes.
Holy Family, The Classical Academy, and Lutheran, then, are your big three. Behind them, however, sit two more teams you don’t want to go to sleep on.
For Liberty Common, the story is mostly one of long sprints and relays. As the maxim goes, you can never have too many good 400 types on a track team.
Currently, LC has the best 400 type in all of 3A in Brandon Bate. Bate has enough native speed he should be able to go to 200 meters, but LC has not yet dabbled in that direction. They have, however, sent Bate to 800 meters with nice success. Close behind Bate is McLean Majeski. Majeski currently holds the #2 400 ranking.
Though lacking in any high-profile short sprinters, Liberty Common has fared extremely well in the 4×100 and 4×200. They are currently ranked #4 and #3 in those two events. With no high-profile short sprinters on the board, you can safely assume that the Eagles will bring those two relays to state fully loaded.
Liberty Common figures for at least a smattering of points in the hurdles and jumps. In the hurdles, it’s Merek Ranstrom in both events. In the jumps, it’s Thomas Weseloh in the high and Justin Bate in the pole vault, if you can humor me long enough to think of the pole vault as a jump.
For Liberty Common, it’s going to require more bodies on the front line or a perfect storm at state.
The same holds true for Resurrection Christian.
The big piece of the puzzle for Resurrection is hurdler Tre Garcia. In addition to being top-ranked in 3A in both hurdle events, he’s probably one of the three or four best hurdlers in the state right now. Mishaps happen all the time in the hurdles, but Garcia should be your favorite in both events at state. Garcia also holds a #10 ranking in the 100, but it’s pretty easy to envision him giving that one up at state, and especially so given the time proximity of that event with the 110 hurdles.
Jack Vandelist comes back from a big meet last year at state with a #6 ranking at 400 meters. Jackson Fagerlin sits on the cusp of points at 1600 and 3200 meters.
Resurrection’s best relay is the 4×400, though the 4×800 should figure for points as well. Cody Michaelson is a strong candidate for high jump points, even after allowing for the fact that the high jump is notoriously unpredictable when state rolls around.
The Cougars absolutely need Tre Garcia to hold top placing in the 110 and 300 hurdles to have a shot at a state title. Beyond that, the characters they have who currently project for points will need, on balance, to solidly improve on their rankings. There is no room to bleed points if Resurrection is to repeat as state champions.
Much of the eventual outcome at state will hinge on how things go in the sprints. Devyn Lauer and Chrisly Kelly-Cannon have enormous potential to disrupt the outcomes at state for, especially, Lutheran and Holy Family. On the other hand, if Trey Ciccio can move up to first in the 110 hurdles, that’s a big swing in the other direction for Lutheran.
We will definitely see some athletes exploring new events between now and the state meet. Most of those explorations will likely end up as one-and-dones, but there’s always the possibility that one or more of those turns into something special. In a team title race as close as this one, that could make a substantial difference. But, we don’t know what those are yet.
What we do know is that this should be a lot of fun for the next six weeks.
