May 26, 2022
LOCAL
SPORTS
Brighton Standard Blade 7
Riverdale Ridge’s Couron atop the heap Ravens’ senior captures 4A pole vault title BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
LAKEWOOD -- An hour or so before Riverdale Ridge’s Lucas Couron began his state-championship effort in the boys state 4A pole vault May 22 at a brisk Jeffco Stadium, he left. “A lot of things went right,” Couron said. “I would say when it was cold, standing in the bathroom worked pretty well. It’s hot in there, man. I stood in there for 45 minutes. That worked.” Couron’s top height was a season-best 15 feet 9 inches, beating his old standard by 2 inches. He tried three times to set a new state meet record at 16 feet 1/2 inch but came up short. “Moving up poles that I didn’t plan on getting on, but using that adrenaline for state? That worked,” Couron said. “At the end of the day, you can’t complain about a PR (personal record) at state.” Couron started vaulting last year. “I didn’t get the state record,” Couron said. “But I did get a PR at state.”
Couron won the Longs Peak League title two weeks ago. “I changed things up a little bit,” he said. “I kept practicing on those big poles I’ve been trying to get on. It was being more patient with my poles. Rather than try to move up right away, I started low. I made sure everything was smooth before I started on those higher bars.” Couron’s first height was 13 feet 3 inches. “Quinn Dukes cleared it by 2 or 3 feet. I cleared it by 3 or 4 feet,” Couron said. “I was like, ‘This one’s mine. You can have any other meet, but this one is mine.’” Couron cleared his first two heights easily, then opted to pass two of the next three heights. “After my height over the last bar., I was already in first place,” Couron said. “There was no point in wasting three jumps on another bar. It worked out well.” Couron plans to continue his pole vaulting career at Eastern Washington University in the fall in Spokane, Washington. “I was pretty sure I was going to win. I was so focused on the state meet record (16 feet) that I wasn’t focusing on whether I’d win the meet,” Couron said. “It’s always good to be sure, but knowing that you’re sure is another thing. “It was pretty nice.”
Riverdale Ridge’s Lucas Couron is atop the bar and wound up atop the heap at the PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH state 4A boys pole vault championships May 22 at Jeffco Stadium.
Brighton’s Rock soaks in state track-and-field experience BY ERIC R. FLORES SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
LAKEWOOD – Brighton High School junior David Rock, who qualified for his first state track and field meet, was ecstatic to have the experience he could get May 19. He was able to compete in the Class 5A pole vault competition, where he went out at 12 feet. “I’m just happy I made it to state in another sport than wrestling,” said Rock, who finished fifth this past year at 152 pounds. “I will look to build on this year, get more experience and put in more work to clear 14 feet.” Rock has competed in track and field all three previous seasons, but this was his first time qualifying after dealing with the struggles of COVID-19. “I’ve been working with Over The Bar to get better,” Rock said. “I love pole vaulting because it is the closest you get to flying — you get to go up to 12 feet in the air.”
Brighton’s David Rock prepares to run down the runway for an attempt in the boys pole vault at the state 5A track and field meet May 19 in PHOTO BY ERIC R. FLORES Lakewood. Rock also qualified for the state 5A wrestling tournament this season.
