State track: Roosevelt boys, girls eye 3A team titles

Roosevelt's season-long pursuit for individual and team track and field titles will come to a head this weekend.

The Rough Riders will have plenty of Weld County company when they lace their sneakers today at Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo.

All seven of Weld's Class 3A schools will be represented when the 2A and 3A State Track & Field meet kicks off at 9:30 a.m. today.

The Rough Riders will try for their first boys team title since 1994. After finishing third at state last year, Roosevelt has held down a No. 1 ranking in the Rocky Mountain News' statewide boys rankings all season long. All total, 28 athletes from the Johnstown school will compete in Pueblo.

Assisting its hopes of a state title is a plethora of potentially big point-scorers, including returning state champions junior Aaron Alarcon and senior Corey Spahn. Alarcon won a title in the 1,600 meters and Spahn took home a title in the 300 hurdles.

Alarcon will try to defend his title, and Spahn will try to win a few others. Spahn will compete in 110 high hurdles, the 400, long jump and the 1,600 relay.

In addition to returning in the 1,600, Alarcon will also compete in the 3,200. This, coming after a three-week bout with pneumonia.

The Rough Riders girls team has come on strong this season, led by junior Katie Kielian (200, 400, long jump) and junior Sara Heizer (300). Kielian's state title campaign was cut short last year when she injured her hip flexor.

Eaton has a strong girls team of its own, anchored by returning shot put champion junior Annita Alvarez.

Alvarez took first in both shot put (37 feet, 4.25 inches) and discus (115-4) at regionals last week and she'll look to do the same at state this weekend.

Valley, Platte Valley and Eaton also built plenty of momentum at last week's regional. Platte Valley recorded a first-place finish in the boys standings and the Valley and Eaton girls teams each excelled in the team standings. All three schools have a variety of state qualifiers. University also has strong numbers in boys and girls as it tries to make a splash in the team standings.

Highland senior Mat Mathiason will have a busy weekend, competing in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump and triple jump.

Weld Central senior Dana Schreibvogel (high jump, shot put) will enjoy one last high school hurrah before moving on to a collegiate hoops career at Fort Lewis College in Durango.