Junior Evan Keppy anchors the State-Qualifying 4x800m Relay (Photo by Tim McDonald)
Eaglecrest hosted the Stutler Twilight Invitational on April 30th, 2024.
After much anticipation and work by everyone in the program, the Stutler Twilight finally happened on Tuesday, April 30th. The meet was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 27th, but the Colorado springtime weather had other plans. After being hosted since its inception in 2015 by legendary former Grandview Coach John Reyes, the Raptors were handed the keys to the prestigious meet in 2024 following Reyes’ retirement in 2023. For more information on this year's meet and its’ history, see the Milesplit Meet Preview.
41 Personal Records, 14 All-Time EHS Top Tens, and a School Record were had by the Raptors at the meet.
Girls Highlights-
Freshman Abby Sullivan helping carry her 4x800m Team to a season's best (Tim McDonald)
The 4x800m Relay team of Ellie Shaw, Leann Ochs, Abby Sullivan, and Jenna Winn ran a season’s best by 25 seconds and posted the number 7 fastest time in school history by running a 10:30.19 and taking 4th place. It was an eye-opening performance for the group as they now see that they have the speed to drop major time and make a run at qualifying for the State Meet.
Senior Leann Ochs prepares to get the baton from Ellie Shaw in the 4x800 (Tim McDonald)
Natalia Barchino Cubas ran a major personal best in the 100m hurdles (17.88), as her teammate Rachel Carlsen was just off her fastest time in the event, taking 5th place in 15.66. Underclassmen Tatum Gratrix (So), and Malanya Gaines (Fr), PR’d in the 100m dash, running 12.8 and 12.85, respectively. Junior Em O’Brien ran the fastest 300m hurdles of her career (52.19), showing true resilience and grit after having false started in the 100m hurdles earlier in the meet. O’Brien showed once again why she is viewed as one of the toughest members of the team.
Natalia Barchino Cubas on her way to a personal best in the 100m Hurdles (Tim McDonald)
The ladies came to compete in the 800m! Kaylee Burns (2:42.32), Kam Rhodes (2:45.52), and Mia Silva (2:46.17) all ran lifetime bests in the event, which as usual in the Twilight was stacked with the best in the State. Just after the 800m, the 200m runners took the track. Gratrix followed up her 100m PR with another one in the 200 (26.35), as did Amari Pickett (27.24).
Senior Rachel Carlsen in the 4x400
When it was time to “Rock the Boat” for the 4x400m Relay, the ladies were ready. Ellie Shaw stepped in for fellow team captain Jaylynn Wilson (Wilson was not happy with Coach for his caution in not letting her run the event!), and joined Zenobia Witt, Rachel Carlsen, and Malanya Gaines to finish the incredible night on the track for the Raptors, taking 5th place under the lights.
Raptors getting fired up to Rock the Boat for the 4x400 (Tim McDonald)
In the Field, Discus was where it was at for the ladies on Tuesday night. Senior Addie Schmitt continued to lead the way for the Raptors in the event, moving up the All-Time EHS list once again (#6) by tossing a 104-6 and taking 7th place. McKenna George joined Schmitt on the list (#9) in going 102-4, and also took 2nd place in the Shot Put. Senior Hannah Brinkman PR’d in both throws, going 32-5 (8th place) in the Shot and 96-2 in the Disc. Versatile Carlsen impressed in the Long Jump with a lifetime best of 16-5.5, and Naia Williams did the same in the Triple Jump, PR’ing for the first of two times on the week (32-1.5). Aubrey Fritz continued her impressive season in the Triple Jump, taking 7th place (33-8).
The Girls Athlete of the Meet was Tatum Gratrix.
Boys Highlights-
Asare to Gutierrez in the 4x800m Relay (Tim McDonald)
The boys came out firing on all cylinders from the beginning of the meet on Tuesday night. The 4x800 team of Brady Hoffman, Thierry Asare, Gabe Gutierrez, and Evan Keppy did the improbable. The four boys combined on the relay to improve their season’s best from one week prior at Hayward Field by a whopping 11 seconds. Their time of 8:08.95 was the fastest run by an Eaglecrest team in 18 years. It was also the second fastest time in school history. It placed them in the top 10 in the State, and these guys will be showing what they can do in two weeks on the track at Jeffco Stadium at the State Championships!
Keppy, Gutierrez, Asare, & Hoffman
Coaches Padilla and Patton have their hurdlers in Championship form. In the 110 Hurdles, all four Raptors entered in the event ran lifetime bests. The performances were by Sophomore Cam Bell (15.39, 3rd) Senior Wynton Zhang (15.57, 4th), Senior Jacob Dymond (16.60), and Junior Yannis Lokakao (16.67). Zhang’s time was good for #9 all-time, and Bell’s took the #7 spot. In the 100m Dash, both Cory Jackson (11.21) and Burke Withycombe (11.24) PR’d. Aeden Sullivan and Roman Yoder ran career bests in the 1600m, each clocking 5 minutes flat. Keep an eye on these two as they seek to break the 5 minute barrier!
The Boys 4x100 team didn’t miss a beat in not having Junior Noah Brown on the track. EJ Hill, Jeff Poku, Cam Chapa, and Peace Warah combined for a season’s best and EHS #2 all-time 41.91. Keep an eye on this team and the many options that the Raptors have to plug into the relay as State approaches. The sprinters also showed out in the 200m, with PR’s from both Jeff Poku (22.32, 5th) and Bode Adelake (23.59), and Peace Warah took 4th place in a time of 22.29. Poku’s time was the 7th fastest in EHS history. In the 3200m, Freshman Cody Campbell continued his streak of PR’s, running an 11:01.30.
Eric Hill Jr. starts the 4x100 (Tim McDonald)
Five all-time school marks were achieved in the field. Kael Weatherby PR’d and took the #4 spot in school history in the Discus, going 139-3 for 5th place. Parker Roche threw it 130-6 for 7th place and taking the #8 spot on the top-ten list. Weatherby also placed 6th in the Shot Put. Junior Kendell Moreland had a breakout performance in the Long Jump, leaping 21-9.5. The mark was good for 5th in the meet as well as 5th in school history. It looks like Moreland will be taking his talents to Jeffco Stadium for the State Championships. Senior Cam Chapa improved his Long Jump PR by 2 inches (21-3), taking 6th in the meet and the number 9 spot in school history. Sophomore Bryson States went 42-9.5 in the Triple Jump for 8th place, and also took the number 9 spot in EHS history.
Cam Chapa waits for the pass from Asare in the 4x400, lane 3 (Tim McDonald)
The night was concluded by the boys on the track with a major accomplishment in the 4x400m Relay. The goal was set to put together a team that would break the school record at the Stutler Twilight. We knew that it would be the perfect atmosphere to do so, under the lights and as the masses ran back and forth across the infield screaming at their teammates as they blaze around the track. After witnessing the incredible legs run by the 800 crew when they had the chance to run a 4x4 a few weeks ago, it was decided that Thierry Asare and Evan Keppy would combine with sprinters Cam Chapa and Peace Warah to make the attempt at the record. All the elements came together on Tuesday night, as we had the atmosphere, weather, and competition necessary to become the fastest in school history. The four boys each ran the quarter-mile of their lives, and accomplished what they set out to do. The new 4x400 school record is 3:22.72. We expect this to drop even further when these boys take to the track at Jeffco Stadium May 16th-18th for the State Championships.
The fastest 4x400m Relay Team in Eaglecrest history
The Boys Athlete of the Meet was Cam Chapa
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