State Track and Field Day 2: Denver East’s Rosie Mucharsky hits “Beast Mode”; University’s Whyrick sweeps 3A throwing events

LAKEWOOD — In order for Denver East sophomore Rosie Mucharsky to hit “Beast Mode” during the Class 5A 800-meter run with a loaded field Friday at JeffCo Stadium, she knew she had to empty the tank.

She did just that as the sophomore stunned the field with a winning time of 2 minutes, 9.57 seconds. “Beat Mode” was Mucharsky’s motto this year and she wore a bracelet as a reminder of how last year’s team captains — her sister, Ellison, and Annabel Flippini — drove her. She said the win exemplified the work ethic she put in to get to the top of the podium.

“I ran this last year and didn’t do how I wanted to, but I trained really hard and coming back I had a lot of great runners to train with and inspire me,” Mucharsky said. “… (My sister and her friend) were always like ‘Beast Mode,’ you just gotta go and try your hardest.”

Mucharsky reflected on how East’s program has rebounded amid an emotional few months that saw gun-violence touch the campus twice, leading to the deaths of two students.

“So many bad things have happened and a lot of people see East as not as good,” she said. “But, we’re stronger than ever. … I love my school so much and everyone there.”

Mucharsky will also compete in the 1,600-meter run Saturday.

University’s Whyrick sweeps 3A throws: There will be at least two sweeps in the throwing section of the field events.

Elbert’s Zadie Mackey won the 1A girls discus (136 feet, 9 inches) and shot put (39-3.5), while University junior Johnny Whyrick followed up Thursday’s 3A shot put crown with another title Friday morning, the 3A discus throw. Whyrick’s winning mark in the discus went 149 feet, five inches and Lamar’s Brocc Brodecky finished second with a 144-6.

In Thursday’s shot put finals, he easily beat out the field with his best toss of the afternoon — 52-10.5. It bested the field by over four feet as Troy Mataia was second at 48-6.25.

Niwot’s Schulz repeats in 4A 800 meters: Half the field in the 4A girls 800 hailed from Niwot, so the odds of a Cougar crossing the finish line first felt inevitable. In the end, it was the runner most expected: Senior Madison Shults of Niwot. The Stanford-bound runner won wire-to-wire in front of the pack in 2:08.90. Seven of the nine Cougars wound up on the podium.

“It’s incredible, I love the team atmosphere here,” said Shults, who also won the 4A 800 in 2022. “It’s just so nice to know I have all of my friends around me rather than competitors. And even though we are competing, I just know that my best friends are with me throughout this entire journey and that is what definitely helps me run faster times. I know that my teammates are counting on me to do what I do, and I’m counting on them to do the same.”

Shults will attempt to defender her 400-meter dash title Saturday.

Rathke goes for two … again: For the second year in a row, Peak to Peak’s Kourtney Rathke is going home with a pair of golds after claiming the 3A pole vault and long jump titles on the same day. The junior broke her own 3A meet record in the vault by an inch, clearing 13 feet, and won the long jump with a leap of 18-2.

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