Spring Sports Preview 2024

Cowboy distance runners Jemma Petrie, Spencer Hays and Madelyn Stice. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)

Titans lacrosse leans into senior leadership

New coach propels varsity program forward

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

In its second year as a varsity program, the Crested Butte Titans lacrosse team has its sights on a bigger and brighter season. Last season, the Titans exceeded all expectations and went toe-to-toe with the top teams in the league. Still, the season ended with a 5-9 overall record, and has left the senior players hungry for more.

This season, former Assistant Coach Carter Brock was promoted to head coach. He has been coaching with West Elk Lacrosse since 2020, and is now in his second year with the Titans. Now he is looking to take the young program to new heights.

“Our head coach last year was exactly what we needed to start the varsity program,” said senior Jack Pierson. “Now, Coach Brock has what we need to pick up the pace, and strengthen this team to the next level.”

Brock will rely on senior leaders Jack Pierson and Gavin Fischer to guide the 31-player roster. Pierson, a GHS senior attacker entering his fourth year with the Titans, trained with the Western Colorado University club team this winter. Co-captain Fischer is the Titans’ starting goalie, and will play a large role in leaving behind a legacy for the budding program.

“I’m hoping to bring more leadership this year,” Fischer said. “We’re getting a lot of young talent into the team this year — some new defenders, a strong back-up goalie and players that will bring a lot to the team. I want to teach the younger guys and help them grow.”

The Titans’ had a rocky start to the season. Despite a promising 3-3 draw against Summit in the opening scrimmage on March 7, the boys slid against

Seniors:

William Lane

Cy Davis

Riley Davis

Weston Miller

Jack Pierson

Gavin Fischer

Ty Pulliam

Trey Smolen

Jack Barnes

Juniors:

Luca Meyer

Fraser Birnie

Colten Huisman

Greg Blaco

Tanner Maltby

Jordan Silva

Rowan Dishmon

Sophomores:

Hayden Moran

Dawson Eastep

Luke Walton

AJ Hegeman Vinny

Zach

Merrick

Freshmen:

Aspen, Grand Junction and Fruita Monument to start the year 0-3. Crested Butte bounced back to local rivals Montrose, winning 9-4 on March 16. The boys will work to dial in their system ahead of the key league matchup to Telluride on March 22 at home. Scores were not available by press time.

“This team has learned to fight hard through games,” Brock said. “We showed a lot of resilience last year, and there is a lot to look forward to in this upcoming season. I’m expect-

ing our senior class to step up as leaders. But it will be our junior and sophomore core that will gain experience and grow the program.”

(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)

(Photo by Mariel Wiley)

2024

Baseball capitalizes on winning culture

Cowboys hope to turn heads this year

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

When it comes to gritty teams, this group of Cowboys can win games on resilience alone. Coming off an electric end to the 2023 season, the GHS boys baseball team is ready to bring its fighting spirit back to the diamond.

“We have a lot of experience back, and I think our guys can compete with anyone,” said Head Coach Tom Perceival. “The boys put in a lot of work this summer, and are coming off successful football, wrestling and hockey seasons. It all contributes to us taking a big step this season.”

Last year, the boys wrestled through a difficult start to the season, winning only two games out of their opening nine. As the weather warmed, so did the Cowboys. Slowly, the wheels started turning and the boys added more wins to the record. GHS motored into the playoffs, and went neck-andneck with a 22-6, powerhouse Montezuma-Cortez team. Only a sixth inning, two-out, two-run homer snatched the upset away from the Cowboys, and the team was eliminated 7-4.

This season, GHS is led by three-sport athlete Hunter

Vincent, senior slugger Mason Williams and junior pitcher Talon Kibler. Many of the players were a part of the high-flying Cowboy football team that went deep into the playoffs this fall. Now, they hope to bring the same energy into baseball season.

Postseason glory won’t come easy, however. The Cowboys are up against the challenging 3A Western Slope Conference, with teams like Delta and Coal Ridge that had strong seasons last year. Still, optimism is high inside the GHS locker room.

“This team has a good chance of doing something special this year,” Vincent said. “Similar to our football season, I think we can get past the first round of the playoffs and reach that state tournament.”

As with most spring sports, practice begins when the field defrosts. The Cowboys opened the season with an away, 10-4 victory against Monte Vista on March 8. The team then traveled to Delta and fell to Cedaredge and Pagosa Springs on March 15-16.

GHS will open its league campaign against Olathe away on March 29, and return to the high school field when the Gunnison weather complies.

(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)

Seniors:

Gifford Jauregui

Rigiberto Mincer

John Parker

Hunter Vincent

Mason Williams

Juniors:

Rylee Berry

Grady Buckhanan

Kahne Chippiani

Talon Kibler

Oliver Parker

Jacob Riser

Marshall Spann

Sam Sunderlin

Holden Vickers

Kellan Yoder

Sophomores:

Evan Bjornstad

Colin Bloomer

Jake Ebbott

Cesar Marmolejo

Landon Miller

Vinny Nicolli

Ethan Pierce

Ryder Vincent

Freshman:

Deegan Bennett

Ian Busby

Carbon Kruthapt

Joan Martinez

George Perez

Jack Stone

Parker Vick

Hector Vasquez

(Photo by Mariel Wiley)

Girls golf returns to the links

Schwartz hopes to lead young team back to state

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

Golf is a fickle game. Success comes with consistency, patience and a whole lot of composure. It is difficult to achieve any of these on a tight schedule — and that is exactly what the young Cowboys girls golf team is up against this spring. Just a few short weeks after hitting a golf ball outside for the first time this season, the girls will play a competitive round in Delta on March 28.

Head Coach Kevin Mickelson said the goal each season is to improve little by little.

“Our goals are always the same,” Mickelson said. “We want to grow the game, and we are going to get better, every single week, one tournament at a time.”

This season, the team lost 2023 state qualifier Aiden Tomlin, who traded her golf shoes for track spikes. However, 2022 state qualifier and senior Allie Schwartz, who competes in mountain biking and hockey throughout the year, will return

to the course and attempt to make the state tournament again.

“Allie has a perfect temperament for golf,” Mickelson said. “She always prepares and works for the best, but she takes what comes because she understands how difficult the game of golf can be. That’s why she’s had so much success.”

Shwartz will lead a team of 15 underclassmen, some with very little golf experience.

“I’m hoping to grow this year as a leader and player, improve my swing and keep getting better,” Schwartz said.

Until the Dos Rios Golf Course opens, the girls will continue to practice indoors. They have spent the last weeks putting on hard surfaces, hitting wiffle balls into nets and chipping on the fields outside GHS.

This spring’s fast and furious golf schedule will take the girls all over Colorado. The season will open at the challenging Devil’s Thumb Golf Course in Delta on March 28, and play in Grand Junction, Alamosa, Vail and the Front Range. The state tournament will take place at the Olde Course in Berthoud on April 20 and 21.

(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)

2024 GIRLS GOLF ROSTER 2024

Seniors:

Allie Schwartz

Stephanie Harvey

Sophomores:

Annie Harvey

Kamryn Noble

Joey Madrid

Macy Trezise

Faith Pederson

Freshmen:

Kaya Burnett

Natalia Sabino

Reese Japuntich

Maja Bryja

Abby Hulick

Emily Eckert

Jorah Abila

Althea Stansbery

(Photo by Mariel Wiley)

Track and field rises together

Junior girls and senior boys can reach new heights this spring

Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor

The GHS track and field team is in its second year of a rebuild. A stacked team of junior girls and senior boys have their eyes on state qualification and record times. Led by all-star distance runners Madelyn Stice, Jemma Petrie and Spencer Hays, and sprinters Bodin Bichon and Sienna Gomez, the Cowboys may turn some heads this spring.

This year, the squad boasts 45 athletes, with 12 freshmen who will strap on high school spikes for the first time. Head Coach Stacey Mickelson hopes the young energy will lead the program toward podium finishes for years to come.

Last spring, the boys team missed out on state, but 10 girls qualified and put up impres -

sive times in Lakewood. Stice finished fifth in the 3200-meter run, and achieved a personal best time in the 800-meter run — earning her 14th place with a time of 2:27.92. The 4x800meter relay team, composed of Stice, Petrie, Catalina Schwab and Izabella Hartzell placed eighth in 10:19.92.

Also at state, the 200-meter sprint relay of Gomez, Eden Williams, Caroline Sudderth and Aubrey Welfelt competed, but did not place. Individually, Gomez took eighth in the triple jump, and Angela Hindes finished seventh in the high jump.

“Hopefully, this year some of the boys can rise to the occasion and make it into the top eight teams to qualify for state, and our girls start to achieve some of their bigger goals,” Mickelson said.

On the girls side, it is anyone’s guess how far the runners can go. Juniors Stice and Petrie have podium finishes at the top of their goals.

2024 TRACK AND FIELD SCHEDULE

Seniors:

Bodin Bichon

Rowen Downum

Luke Ebbott

Spencer Hays

Vojta Jirka

Julian Ryter

Izabella Hartzell

Justine Mowery

Megan Vanderveer

Josephine Wishard

Juniors:

Jackson Dalleck

Garret Maclennon

Shane Mensing

Arno Mortensen

Tyler Richter

Lee Brunsting

Kathryn Frey

Nicholine Friedrichsen

Sienna Gomez

Angela Hindes

Amara Lock

For seniors Hays and Bichon, leaving a legacy will be their motivation for the spring season.

“I want to make it to state

“I definitely want to PR in all of my events, and keep placing higher at state, but I also want to be a role model for the younger athletes,” Stice said. “A lot of people ask me for running coaching. I want to have a positive impact, run with them and help them succeed.”

and see the hard work pay off,” Hays said. “I’m also excited to see the 4x800-meter relay team shed time, and to encourage the younger guys to stick with the sport, push through the hard workouts and watch the results come.”

The track and field teams were forced into a semi-indoor preseason due to winter weather and a practice schedule at Western Colorado University’s facilities. In recent weeks, the distance runners have been running miles across town, while the sprinters lapped hills to train for the upcoming meets.

The Cowboys’ first meet took place on March 23 in Hotchkiss. The teams will head to Grand Junction on March 30 for its second competition of the season. Results were not available by press time.

(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)

Jemma Petrie

Catalina Schwab

Madelyn Stice

Eden Williams

Sophomores:

Cooper Boardman

Cruz Dominguez

Penn Sleightholam

Rose Kowal

Lily O’Connell

Caroline Sudderth

Aiden Tomlin

Aubrey Welfelt

Freshmen:

Lawson Forman

Cooper Mickelson

Luke Vader

Karter Williams

Caleb Woodward

Bella Gomez

Jade Hanna

Kayden McDonough

Lucy Orgill

Maya Petrie

McKenzie Singer

Merci Williams

(Photo by Mariel Wiley)