Carson boys’ track and field wins Class 5A Academic state title
Carson High pole vaulter Kai Miller clears 15 feet at the Class 5A state track and field meet at Reed High School on Friday. Miller won the state title to cap his Senator career.
Photo by Carter Eckl.
Though there was a little bit of a head wind, Carson High’s Kai Miller didn’t have too much of an issue clearing the height needed for a Class 5A pole vault state title. The Colorado School of Mines signee has two stadium records to his name this season and finishes the year with a gold medal around his neck. “It feels good. I’m at a loss for words. It’s just an accumulation of all the hard work I’ve put in this season,” said Miller after getting his first-place medal. Miller only needed to clear 15 feet to win the state title, but went on to clear 15-6 before attempting 16 feet. Though he didn’t make it over the 16-foot bar, Miller couldn’t have been more thrilled to conclude the season on a high note. “Obviously, it wasn’t the greatest conditions for me today,” said Miller. “I PR’d in the hurdles and won the pole vault. … That’s all I can really ask for.” For Miller, his first miss didn’t come until the bar was set at 16 feet. At 15 feet, he made contact with the bar, but it stayed put, allowing Miller to continue on without too much to fret over. In the 110-meter hurdles, Miller was fourth in 14.93 and running against a head wind as well. His teammate, Nick Batien, had a quality performance at the state meet as well, taking fourth place in the 400 and third place in the 800. The senior PR’d in both events, finishing in 50.68 and 1:57.71. “It felt really good to compete and bring my time down. … That’s all I could ask for,” said Batien. “It’s exciting for a good day of performance, but it’s sad that it’s my last meet in high school. It’s mixed emotions.”
(Carson High’s Nick Batien competes in the 800-meter run Saturday at the Class 5A state track and final meet. Batien was third, setting a personal record. / Carter Eckl)
Batien said running with his teammates and capping his career with two PR’s was an ideal way to conclude his last competition in the Carson blue and white uniform. The senior also ran the opening leg of the Senators’ 4x800 relay, which took sixth in 8:29.97. Alongside Batien was fellow senior Hunter Matthies, and a pair of freshmen in Tristan Rutledge and Sawyer Macy. Elsewhere in the field events, Zane Ferguson put together two top performances in the shot put and discus. With a mark of 144 feet, 2 inches, Ferguson took third in the discus. In the shot put, Ferguson’s best toss of 46–4 gave him sixth place. The boys team left the state track meet with 38 team points, giving the Senators the ninth most as a collective unit. To conclude the day Saturday, the Senator boys team was named the Class 5A academic state champions.
(The Carson High boys track and field state qualifiers pose with the plaque for earning the Class 5A Academic State Championship with a team GPA over 3.9. / Carter Eckl)
Senator girls grab 14 team points In the 110-meter hurdles, freshman Anne Davis took eighth in 18.42 while sophomore Kaylynn Bloomfield was seventh in the 300-meter hurdles. In the 100-meter dash, senior Natalyn Wakeling was eighth in 13.20. Carson’s 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams were both fifth as Wakeling ran in both events as well. For the girls 4x200, Ava Brehm, Addy Morgan, Annalisa Torres-Morales and Wakeling ran a 1:47.29, which was their second best time of the season. The 4x4 grouping of Wakeling, Brehm, McKenna Budd and Morgan crossed the line in 4:09.08, which was eight-hundreths of a second off the PR the foursome set last week at regionals.
