Family Dinner!
Our beginning of season Family Dinner at Soleil's House!
No team summary for this season.
STATES - MEET INFO
Updated on 06/10/2022
Cross Country
STATES – Colorado Springs
?Friday, 10/28/17
¦ The 2A STATE Competition will be held Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs.
¦ The team will leave Telluride High School at 10:00am on FRIDAY, 10/27/17. We will stay overnight in Colorado Springs at Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton.
¦ On Saturday, Soleil will be our first runner at 10:00am and the boys will run at 11:20am
¦ Weather forecast is mostly sunny with a high of 59 and a low of 33.
Winds 5-10mph. It will be cold in the morning, be sure to bring sweats.
¦ It is a long day – bring water, sports drink, and snacks for the meet. The athletes will also need money for lunch/dinner Friday, breakfast for Saturday (or they can eat what the hotel offers) and money for lunch/snacks Saturday. We will stop for snacks on the way home Saturday, but not for dinner.
¦ All individual awards will be presented after each race and all team awards will be presented following the last race of their classification.
The team will depart the meet around 12:00-12:30pm. We expect to be back around 7:30pm-8:00pm. We will have the students call from Montrose to make a plan for pick up.
¦ If athletes are planning on driving home with parents I need to know in advance.
¦ Please contact me with any questions.
o Erin Thompson 970-708-7746 ethompson@telluride.k12.co.us
Telluride runners chasing state honors again Jaden Evans, Soleil Gaylord set pace for Miners
Updated on 06/10/2022 | DALE STRODE
The Telluride High School runners are on a new mission with a new coach.
The Miners’ cross country teams also are off to a fast start in the 2017 quest for regional and state honors.
Soleil Gaylord and Jaden Evans are setting that fast pace for Telluride with each of the runners collecting top early season results.
Gaylord, a senior who has been on the podium at the State Cross Country Championships for three consecutive years, won her division at the prestigious Liberty Bell Invitational in Littleton on Sept. 8. The Liberty Bell meet is a large Front Range cross country meet that includes several top high schools from Wyoming.
A four-time state champion on the track, Gaylord ran the 5K Liberty Bell race in 19 minutes and 6 seconds, finishing well ahead of second-place Anna Ponzi of Colorado Academy (19:13).
Alyssa Wells of Holy Family finished third.
“We wanted … to give her (Gaylord) the experience of running against a bigger field,” said first-year Telluride head coach Erin Thompson. “She’s … going to run in college; she needs that.”
Thompson, a former runner in the Miners’ cross country program, took over this season after the retirement of longtime coach Keith Hampton.
“I’m so excited for the program,” said Thompson, the Telluride alum who attended Fort Lewis College and returned to teach sixth-grade social studies. “I’ve stepped into an amazing group.”
She said the Telluride runners returned from the summer with solid mileage under their belts.
“We came back with a strong base. They know … what’s ahead,” said Thompson, who on Sept. 8 was in Grand Junction, where the Miners competed in the annual Tiger Invitational at Canyon View Park.
She watched as Evans, a Telluride junior, ran to a second-place finish on the figure-8 course around the sprawling park complex on Grand Junction’s north side.
He settled into an early lead group with four other runners — all from larger high schools.
Evans, in the third and final mile, pulled into second place after Grand Junction Central’s David Cardenas stepped away to take the solo lead.
Cardenas won in 16:11.0; Evans finished second in 16:45.6.
Tyman Smart of Central was third with Gunnison’s Colton Stice fourth.
Greeley Central won the boys team title at the Tiger Invitational with Gunnison second and Central third.
Gunnison won the girls division. North Sevier High School of Salina, Utah, finished second among the girls with Summit third.
“The humidity was rough. It was very, very hot,” Evans said after his mid-afternoon finish at the Grand Junction meet — the temperature was 90 degrees.
“And you think it’s a pretty fast course here, but it tricks you. There’s grass; there’s mud; there’s concrete; it definitely works your muscles.”
Evans, who also had a second-place finish in the season-opening Pre-State Cross Country Meet in Colorado Springs two weeks ago, said he used the Grand Junction event for race training.
“I wasn’t approaching this race with a time because it is such an unusual course,” he said of the Canyon View Park layout. “My goal was just to compete with other runners. I was always keeping a gap of no more than 3 meters. I just wanted to learn how to compete against other runners.”
The lead group obliged with runners from Central, Gunnison and Greeley Central along with Evans.
“At the end of the second mile, I tried to pick it up … I’ve been working on trying to finish strong,” said Evans, the son of Julie and Ian Evans.
He credited a regular summer running regimen for his results thus far this season.
Evans is joined on the Telluride boys team by Meshach Gomberg, Spencer Keating and Adrian Scheibler.
The Telluride girls team includes Gaylord, Lydia Hagan, Isabelle Bennett, Delaney Spires and Lucy Van Sant.
The Miners competed Saturday (Sept. 16) in the Gunnison Invitational. Those results will be reported soon; the Daily Planet’s press time for Sunday’s paper was 5 p.m. Friday.
Next week, the Miners will run in the annual cross country meet at Ridgway State Park.
They are scheduled to race in Delta on Sept. 29 and in Aspen on Oct. 7.
After the Montrose Relays on Oct. 14, the Miners will compete in the Class 2A Regional Championships at Confluence Park in Delta on Oct. 20.
The annual State Cross Country Championships will be held Oct. 28 in Colorado Springs.
REGIONALS
Updated on 06/10/2022
Cross Country
REGIONALS – Confluence Park - Delta
?Friday, 10/20/17
¦ Regionals will be held at Confluence Park (As you approach McDonalds on Hwy 50 turn west onto Gunnison Dr. The Lion’s Club Pavilion is located on the right.
The races will start and end at the Pavilion.)
¦ The team will leave Telluride High School at 9:00am on Friday, 10/20/17. Students will be released from classes at 8:55am.
¦ The High School Boys will kick off the meet at 12:00pm and the High School Girls will follow at 12:30pm. Awards will follow shortly after the Girls race.
¦ Weather forecast is cloudy with a high of 77 and a low of 39. Winds could get up to 22mph and there is a 20% chance of precipitation. It could be chilly so be sure to bring sweats. If you are planning on wearing leggings or a shirt under your uniform it must be solid black!
¦ It is a quick day today – bring water, sports drinks, and snacks. We will do a City Market stop on the way back.
¦ The team will depart the meet around 1:30pm. We expect to be back around 3:30-4:00pm. We will have the students call when we are leaving Montrose to make a plan for pick up.
¦ Please contact me with any questions.
o Erin Thompson 970-708-7746 ethompson@telluride.k12.co.us
3 Races and 3 Podiums... A Big Weekend for Telluride XC
Updated on 06/10/2022 | Coach Thompson
This weekend the Telluride Cross Country team had runners participating in three different races. Soleil Gaylord headed to Littleton for the Liberty Bell Invitational where she took 1st place for the Girls Division 4. Adrian Scheibler and Spencer Keating competed in their first Imogene Pass Run. Spencer Keating landed 1st place for males in his age group with a time of 3 hours and 6 minutes. We also had Jaden Evans, Meshach Gomberg, and Delaney Spires competing at the Tiger Invitational in Grand Junction. Jaden Evans took 2nd place with a time of 16:44. Also, a HUGE Thank you to my 4 runners that volunteered their time at the Tomboy Aid Station for Imogene. Overall, it was an amazing weekend for our team! - Coach Thompson
Chris Severy Invitational in Aspen
Updated on 06/10/2022
Cross Country
Chris Severy Invitational – Aspen
?Saturday, 10/07/17
¦ The Chris Severy Invitational will be held at the Aspen HS XC Course.
¦ The team will leave Telluride High School at 7:45am on Friday, 10/06/17.
We will be stopping in Delta to cheer on Soleil as she competes at Pantherfest and we will walk the course where Regionals will be held.
¦ We will be staying the night at the Stonebride Inn in Snowmass.
¦ On Saturday, The Middle School Girls will kick off the meet at 9:00am and the Middle School Boys will follow at 9:15am. Our JV Girls will run at 9:30, Varsity Girls at 10:45 and Varsity Boys at 11:30. After awards we will start our journey home.
¦ Weather forecast is sunny with a high of 63 and a low of 35. Winds up to 12mph. It could be chilly in the morning so be sure to bring sweats. If you are planning on wearing leggings or a shirt under your uniform it must be solid black!
¦ For race day – bring water, sports drinks, and snacks.
Make sure to bring money!
On Friday, we will do a city market stop for lunch and will be going out for dinner. On Saturday, we will eat breakfast at the hotel and do a City Market stop for lunch on the way home.
¦ The team will depart the meet around 12:30pm. We expect to be back around 5:30pm-6:00pm. We will have the students call when we are leaving Montrose to make a plan for pick up.
¦ Please contact me with any questions.
o Erin Thompson 970-708-7746 ethompson@telluride.k12.co.us
Jaden Evans takes 2nd at Stampede in Colorado Springs!
Updated on 06/10/2022
Jaden Evans got 2nd place in the boys 2A race at the Stampede Meet for PreState!
Ridgway Ramble
Updated on 06/10/2022
Cross Country
Ridgway – Ridgway Ramble
?Friday, 9/22/17
¦ The Ridgway Ramble will be held at Ridgway State Park, Dutch Charlie entrance (Look for the U.S. flag on US HWY 550, five miles north of Ridgway) If you plan on joining us, know that there is a $7 parking fee per car.
¦ The team will leave Telluride High School at 12:15pm on Friday, 9/22/17. We will be pulling away at 12:15pm, so please try to have your child here by 12:00pm. If you are planning on being picked up Down Valley please be there at 12:30pm.
¦ The Middle School Girls will kick off the meet at 2:30pm and the Middle School Boys will follow at 3:30pm. Then our High School JV Girls will race at 3:30pm and our Varsity Boys will race at 5:30pm.
Awards will be handed out at 6:15pm and then we will start our journey home.
¦ Weather forecast is partly cloudy with a high of 65 and a low of 43. Winds up to 18mph. It could be chilly so be sure to wear sweats. If you are planning on wearing leggings or a shirt under your uniform it must be solid black!
¦ It is a long day – bring water, sports drinks, snacks, and lunch for the meet. We are not planning on any food stops.
¦ The team will depart the meet around 6:30pm. We expect to be back around 7:30pm-8:00pm. We will have the students call when we are leaving the course to make a plan for pick up. We can drop them off at Placerville.
¦ Please contact me with any questions.
o Erin Thompson 970-708-7746 ethompson@telluride.k12.co.us
Check out the Girls XC Preview from CHASANOW
Updated on 06/10/2022 | Brock Laue
The last of Telluride’s historic mines closed in 1978, but the Miners have struck gold again.
With a cross country program founded in 2008, Telluride High has already won three state championships as a team in Class 2A. After just two seasons in the books, a contingent of Ty Williams (first), Colten Rogers (sixth) and Nathan Loomis (eighth) sealed Telluride's initial title. The girls have taken home the ultimate prize the past two seasons.
Keith Hampton and his wife, Alicia, started the program with humble beginnings. Erin Thompson joined the first team as a senior, not entirely sure what she was getting herself into.
“It was silly, because when I started I was really not much of a runner,” said Thompson, now in her first season as the cross country coach. “I had done track a little bit, but cross country was something new and very intimidating to me. I just fell in love with it.”
Keith Hampton retired from coaching this summer after putting the finishing touches on an exceptional career—the Lady Miners took home the 2A state runner-up trophy in track and field despite not even having a home track. When he took the reins in 2006, Telluride was coming off a conference meet the previous season in which they failed to score a single point.
My, how times have changed.
“They’ve been wonderful,” senior Soleil Gaylord said of Keith and Alicia Hampton. “We were really lucky to have them as coaches. They’ve led us to success. We also have a really cohesive, high morale team. Every day we come to practice ready to do our best and we push each other and are all positive with each other.”
Thompson, who will be joined by Lauren Ross and Lesley Terry on the staff, was the middle school track coach last season. She is thrilled at how far Telluride running has come.
“When we started we barely had enough girls and boys to even create a team and we were by no means fast,” she said with a laugh. “It was really a beginner group. The athletes we have running now are amazing.
“I’m just blown away by the heights they’ve reached. I never could’ve imagined our little cross country team in Telluride reaching the status they have.”
In a town well over 8,000 feet of elevation, the Miners have soared with a few individual state champions over the years as well. On the boys side, Ty Williams (2009-2011) was one of five males in state history to win at least three cross country titles. Keith Hampton’s daughter, Rachel, corralled a championship of her own in 2012 as a senior.
(Courtesy of Telluride HS)
Gaylord could follow in their footsteps. The senior has earned seventh, third and fifth place showings at the state meet. A fall crown has proved elusive for her as an individual thus far, which is just about the only item missing in her trophy case.
The long-striding senior has competed at the World Mountain Running Championships for the U.S. Junior team twice, and even claimed the junior event at the 2017 Snowshoe National Championships (Bend, Ore.) and World Championships (Saranac Lake, N.Y.). She’s also a two-time defending state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs.
“My heart is — more so than track and cross country even — in mountain running,” she said. “I’ve done it my whole life.”
All the training Gaylord does in the off-seasons should put her on the right foot in 2017. She is planning to continue her career with a collegiate program, but before she moves on the hope is that the Telluride girls can make it three in a row.
It won’t be easy, not when sidekick Maya Ordonez is missing from the lineup this fall. The junior placed seventh at the state cross country meet the past two seasons, but will be off to Spain in an exchange program for a year.
Nonetheless, Telluride has established a culture that brews success.
Only three runners, rather than five like the other classifications, count towards the point tally at the 2A state meet and Gaylord is confident returning state qualifier Isabelle Bennett and others can step up to replace Ordonez and Alyssa Pack, who graduated. St. Mary’s, Paonia and Lyons look to be serious classification contenders.
As for the highest division, two running legends in Brie Oakley of Grandview and Lauren Gregory of Fort Collins have graduated. Nonetheless, 5A remains a gauntlet with Broomfield (7th) and Mountain Vista (13th) returning lineups that are nearly intact from teams that placed well at the Nike National Championships last December in Portland, Oregon.
Broomfield, the two-time defending champions, nipped the Golden Eagles by seven points at state in 2016. They will be laden with seniors, while Mountain Vista has a youthful group bursting with talent. The Front Range League has conquered nine 5A championships in a row (Broomfield, Fort Collins, Monarch).
In 4A, Battle Mountain has everyone back and is favored to win their second straight team title. The Huskies’ Elizabeth Constien (runner-up) and Naomi Harding (third) are among a handful of harriers with individual championship hopes. Durango, Air Academy and Palmer Ridge are among the challengers.
Peak to Peak has perhaps one of the best one-two punches of any small school in America in juniors Quinn McConnell (one track title, one cross title) and Anna Shults (three track titles). It would be quite a feat to stop the Pumas from defending their 3A crown, but The Classical Academy and Steamboat Springs should feature excellent lineups as well.
Girls Cross Country preview
Important dates
- Regular season begins: Aug. 24
- Regional meets: Oct. 19-20
State championships:
- 5A/4A/3A/2A: Oct. 28, Norris Penrose Event Center, Colorado Springs, CO
- 5A: Broomfield
- 4A: Battle Mountain
- 3A: Peak to Peak
- 2A: Telluride
Returning all-state runners:
- 5A:
- First Team: Jenna Fitzsimmons, Mountain Vista, So.; Ivy Gonzales, Broomfield, Sr.; Madison Mooney, Broomfield, Sr.; Caroline Robbins, Grandview, Sr.; Brynn Siles, Legacy, So.
- Second Team: Caroline Eck, Mountain Vista, Jr.; Megan Koch, Highlands Ranch, Sr.; Sarah O’Sullivan, Mountain Vista, So.; Michelle Renner, Dakota Ridge, Sr.
- Honorable Mention: Carley Bennett, Lakewood, Jr.; Isabella Bowland, Fairview, Sr.; Claudia Burgess, Boulder, Sr.; Isalina Colsman, Regis Jesuit, So.; Civianna Gallegos, Arvada West, Sr.; Hailey Leader, Monarch, Sr.; Emily Mitchem, Broomfield, Sr.; Katelyn Mitchem, Broomfield, Sr.; Shannon Osoba, Rock Canyon, Jr.; Zoe Simmons, Mountain Vista, Jr.; Laura Thompson, Broomfield, Sr.
- 4A:
- First Team: Tiya Chamberlin, Wheat Ridge, Jr.; Elizabeth Constien, Battle Mountain, Sr.; Naomi Harding, Battle Mountain, Jr.; Addi Iken, Littleton, Sr.; Kasey Klocek, Green Mountain, So.; Kenadi Krueger, Thompson Valley, So.
- Second Team: Joslin Blair, Eagle Valley, So.; Madeleine Bonneau, Palmer Ridge, Sr.; Madeleine Burns, Durango, So.; Riley Geldean, Centaurus, So.; Rachel Goodrich, Golden, So.; Keely Jones, Valor Christian, Jr.; Sophia Maeda, Mead, Sr.
- Honorable Mention: Anna Busath, Palmer Ridge, So.; Katie Cole, Palmer Ridge, Jr.; Avery Doan, Eagle Valley, Jr.; Morgan Hykes, Windsor, Jr.; Madi Kenyon, Roosevelt, Jr.; Alex Raichart, Battle Mountain, Sr.; Lauren Zoe Baker, Silver Creek, Sr.
- 3A:
- First Team: Winter Boese, Steamboat Springs, Jr.; Hannah Ellis, Frontier Academy, Sr.; Quinn McConnell, Peak to Peak, Jr.; Hannah McReavy, St. Mary’s, Sr.; Anna Shults, Peak to Peak, Jr.
- Second Team: Tiana Bradfield, Peak to Peak, Jr.; Ruby Brown, Salida, So.; McKenzie Elliott, The Classical Academy, Sr.; Katie Flaherty, The Classical Academy, Jr.; Tara Sowards, Alamosa, Sr.; Chantae Steele, The Classical Academy, Jr.
- Honorable Mention: Maggi Congdon, Steamboat Springs, So.; Sadie Cotton, Steamboat Springs, Sr.; Lilly Lavier, Alamosa, So.; Ashten Loeks, Elizabeth, Jr.; Kika Napierkowski, Holy Family, Sr.; Anna Ponzio, Colorado Academy, Sr.; Elle Triem, Peak to Peak, Jr.
- 2A:
- First Team: Soleil Gaylord, Telluride, Sr.; Sydney Petersen, Crested Butte, Sr.; Chloe Veilleux, Soroco, Jr.
- Second Team: Kayla Carter, Custer County, Jr.; Helen Cross, Nederland, So. Sarah Davidson, Nederland, Sr.; Courtney Jenson, Wiggins, Sr.; Emma Schaefer, Shining Mountain Waldorf, Jr.
- Honorable Mention: Caroline Benney, Lake County, Sr.; Bria Johnson, The Vanguard School, So.; Kaylee Kearse, Peyton, Sr.; Samantha O’Brien, Clear Creek, Sr.; Maria O’Neal, Crested Butte, Sr.; CeAnn Udovich, Lyons, Sr.
Gunnison – Mountaineer Cowboy Invitational - Saturday 9/16 -TIME CHANGE!!!
Updated on 06/10/2022
Cross Country
Gunnison – Mountaineer Cowboy Invitational
?Saturday, 9/16/17
¦ The Mountaineer Invitational will be held at Gunnison Middle School on the Van Tuyl trail system
¦ The team will leave Telluride High School at 5:00am on Saturday, 9/16/17. We will be pulling away at 5:00, so please try to have your child here by 4:45am. The kids will be able to sleep on the bus!
¦ The Middle School Boys will kick off the meet at 9:00am and the Middle School Girls will follow directly after at 9:30am. We will then have the opportunity to watch the College teams run. At 11:15 the High School Boys will run and the High School Girls will follow at 11:45. Awards will be handed out at 12:30pm and then we will start our journey home.
¦ Weather forecast is mostly sunny with a high of 69 and a low of 38. Winds 5-10mph. It will be chilly on the way there in the morning so be sure to wear sweats. If you are planning on wearing leggings or a shirt under your uniform it must be solid black!
¦ It is a long day – bring water, sports drinks, snacks, and lunch for the meet. We are not planning on stopping for lunch since we will have so many kids with us.
¦ The team will depart the meet around 1:00pm. We expect to be back around 4:00pm-4:30pm. We will have the students call from Montrose to make a plan for pick up.
¦ Please contact me with any questions.
o Erin Thompson 970-708-7746 ethompson@telluride.k12.co.us
Tiger Invitation Information
Updated on 06/10/2022
Cross Country
Grand Junction – Tiger Invitational
?Friday, 9/08/17
¦ The Tiger Invitational will be held at Canyon View Park in Grand Junction.
¦ The team will leave Telluride High School at 10:15am on Friday, 9/08/17. Students will be dismissed from class at 10:00am.
¦ The girls will kick off the meet at 3:00pm and the boys will follow directly after at 3:30pm. Awards will be handed out at 5:00pm and then we will start our journey home.
¦ Weather forecast is partly cloudy with a high of 89 and a low of 61. Winds 5-10mph. It will be chilly on the way home, be sure to bring sweats.
¦ It is a long day – bring water, sports drink, and snacks for the meet. The athletes will also need to pack/or bring money for a City Market stop on the way there for lunch and on the way back for dinner.
¦ The team will depart the meet around 5:30pm. We expect to be back around 9:00pm-9:30pm. We will have the students call from Montrose to make a plan for pick up.
¦ Please contact me with any questions.
o Erin Thompson 970-708-7746 ethompson@telluride.k12.co.us
Soleil Gaylord - National Finalist for Wendy's High School Heisman
Updated on 06/10/2022 | Chris Murray
When you see someone dedicated to excellence, on and off the field, that kind of perseverance deserves recognition. That’s why Soleil Gaylord,, a high school senior from Telluride High School, has been selected as one of ten National Finalists for the 2017 Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholarship, a program that honors exceptional high school students who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics and through community service.
Soleil is one of ten National Finalists, five senior males and five senior females, who will receive an invitation to the Wendy’s Heisman Weekend, including the National Awards Banquet in New York City, a gold medal, a $100 Wendy’s gift card and a $5,000 college scholarship. The National Winners – Announced in New York on Friday, December 8 – will receive a $500 gift card and $10,000 college scholarship. Congratulations Soleil and good luck!