Ben Meyer is slated to appear in the elite heats of the 100 and 200 meter dashes on Saturday at Great Southwest. Photo by Alan Versaw.
It will be a somewhat thinner year for Colorado participation at Great Southwest, but certainly not a weekend top-devoid of quality Colorado entries. The multi events are already underway, but the big day of the usual slate of track and field events is coming up on Saturday.
If you're from Loveland, you may already be aware of many of the Colorado entries, but if you're from another part of the state that awareness may not be in place. As we scan down the list of Colorado entries, there's a recurring theme of Loveland and Thompson Valley entries.
That would include names like Taylor Buschy, Kaylee Packham, Josh Mielke, Stefanie Tuder, and Sam Baca.
How tough is the competition at Great Southwest? You can like at it like this: Kaylee Packham is the #3 seed in the second-fastest heat of the 100 hurdles. Josh Mielke made an outside lane of the top heats of both the 110 and 300 hurdles.
Seeding wasn't any more favorable for Colorado's sprinters. Sierra Williams is slated for the elite heat of the 200, but missed the elite heat of the 100. MaryBeth Sant flip-flops that scenario, making the elite heat of the 100, but slipping to the second heat of the 200. Zainab Sanni will find herself in the unfamiliar position of being the last seed of the elite heat of the 100. On the boys' side of the sprints, Fairview's Ben Meyer just slipped into the elite heats of both the 100 and 200.
The fields are so strong partly because Great Southwest has begun reaching beyond the usual confines of "southwest" for entries. In addition to the usual states of Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Missouri, and Utah, meet management has been able to pull in significant groups of entries from Florida and Illinois. Meets like this survive in whatever ways they can, and GSW has strengthened its heartbeat by reaching beyond the bounds of the region for elite athletes.
The strategy works well except in distance events. Few distance runners, and especially few from lower elevation, want to come to Albuquerque (elevation 5000 feet) to run a post-season meet. In fact, the Colorado contingent has mostly skipped this event as well. Colorado's sole representative at 1500 and 3000 meters is Tabor Scholl.
That suggests we may see more Colorado entries popping up at events like the Midwest Distance Gala and New Balance Outdoor Nationals over the coming month.
Tony Carodine will be taking a shot at the GSW long jump and triple jump titles, but he will have company in his quest. Two of the triple jump entries (both from Texas) have recorded marks over 50 feet. Perhaps that is the little extra bit of impetus Carodine needs to push his own credentials past 50.
Braden Hitchcock, Danielle Williams, and Mackenzie Comstock will be joining Carodine as high-profile Colorado names at the long and triple jump pits. Danielle Williams has the distinction of being Colorado's only top seed in any event at the Great Southwest.
Colorado entries in the multi events (already underway) include Addy Neibauer in the female decathlon, Dillon Manzanares, Austin Ebbers, and Samuel Bilderbeck in the male decathlton, and Christine Emory, Sara Bishop, Deyja Enriquez, and Kelsey Traxinger in the heptathlon.