Dane Eike, Emma Stutzman claim state titles in Class 5A 3200 run

LAKEWOOD— Dane Eike needed a minute. The Valor Christian junior had fallen onto the wet grass in the center of the track at Jeffco Stadium, breathing heavily with his head aching and legs trembling.

Eike had just used all the energy in his body to win the Class 5A boys 3,200-meter run at the CHSAA state track and field meet here Friday morning. After falling short of the title last year, Eike won with a time of 9 minutes 13.27 seconds, just enough to beat out Mountain Vista’s Benjamin Anderson (9:13. 48) and Tyler Downs (9:14.34), who finished second and third respectively.

“I’ve been waiting for (this) win for so long,” Eike said. “When I dropped to the ground, I (said) ‘Thank God.’”

Eike had to persevere through unpleasant conditions to claim gold. As rain trickled down he had to battle puddles of water scattered across the track. Earlier in the race, water splashed in Eike’s face after ninth-place finisher Christian Groendyk ran past him. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is crazy,’” he said.

At lap four, Eike was in front while Downs, who helped Mountain Vista set the state record in the 3,200-meter relay on Thursday, was sitting in sixth. When the final lap came around, Downs had crept up third, leading to a tight finish between him, Anderson and Eike.

Eike could sense his triumph at the 300-meter mark. When he made a turn and started speeding towards the finish line, Eike told himself there was no way he was losing.

“In my head, I’ve already won this because (Anderson) was not in my peripheral (view),” Eike said. “I just had to make it to the line.”

Stutzman wins 5A girls 3,200-meter run

Pomona’s Emma Stutzman and Air Academy’s Bethany Michalak were running side-by-side as they approached the final lap of the 5A girls 3,200 final. Two of the fastest runners in the event couldn’t create much separation but once they turned the corner with the finish line in plain sight, Stutzman made her move. The senior placed fourth in the 3,200-meter last year and finished second in 2021. On Friday, she was determined to change the narrative.

Stutzman, a Northern Arizona commit, picked up her speed and in a blink of an eye she had the separation needed to beat Michalak for the state title. Stutzman won with a time of 10:12.68. Michalak, a junior, finished second in 10:16.04, while Valor Christian senior and Wake Forest commit Brooke Wilson took third at 10:28.49. Wilson beat Stutzman in a memorable 5A cross country final in the fall that saw the Valor senior set a meet record, but Friday belonged to Stutzman.

After she crossed the finish line, Stutzman unleashed a loud, joyous scream. She proceeded to walk toward the fence to hug one of her coaches. Her pre-race nerves had disappeared. The years of falling just short were officially in the past. She was the champ.

“Right before the race, I was like ‘This is it,’” said Stutzman. “It’s a huge relief to say it’s done.”

Stutzman said her plan throughout the race was to stay calm and maintain the same pace as the other runners until she made a closing kick.

“I wanted it more than everyone else,” she said. “I’m very proud of my kick in the end and trusting that I (could) pull away.”

1A boys high jump: DeBeque junior Scottie Vines stole the show. In the Class 1A boys high jump, Vines cleared 6 feet, 10 inches to place first while breaking the 1A meet record. The previous record holder, Jade Cass, reached 6 feet, 8 inches in 2019.

Vines’ impressive performance came after he reached 7 feet at the Cardinal Invitational earlier this month.

5A boys 800-meter run: Valor Christian senior Drew Costelow rose to the occasion. Costelow won the 5A boys 800-meter run final in 1:52.17, beating out Denver East’s Corbin Hobert (1:53.49) and Cherokee Trail’s Beck Gutjahr (1:54.03). Costelow has won two consecutive titles in the 5A boys 800-meter run and four overall after sweeping the distance races in last year’s meet.

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