Essay: The Iceman Cometh Out

No one with a heart so heavy should be that fast. After winning the 100-meter hurdles, Gabriella Cunningham, still in the clear, got about nine strides past the finish line, cocked her head and shrugged, the way Michael Jordan did during the 1992 NBA Finals. Dad would’ve loved that. “My dad taught me so much more than I could ever imagine,” the Grandview track star and Class 5A state champ in the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles, said Saturday at Jeffco Stadium after her second medal of the day.

LAKEWOOD — Chris Faust needs another tattoo. The Cherokee Trail boys repeated as the Class 5A track state champions on Saturday at Jeffco Stadium, blowing away the field with 111 points, nearly double the tally of second-place Mountain Vista. For that feat, Faust will add some more ink, as he gets a tattoo for each of the Cougars’ state titles.

LAKEWOOD — Niwot’s girls track dynasty is chugging along at an infinite pace. The Cougars cruised to another Class 4A title on Saturday, the team’s eighth championship since 2013 and fifth straight. As has been the case in recent years, Niwot’s triumph was never in question. The ultra-loaded Cougars finished with 158 points for a 98-point margin of victory over runner-up Windsor. Niwot’s Reese Kasper bears down on the finish line just before winning the Class 4A girls 1,600-meter relay during the final day of the CHSAA state track and field championships at Jeffco Stadium on Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Lakewood.

LAKEWOOD — When it comes to girls distance running, Colorado is the queen of the country. As evidence of the Centennial State’s standing in the sport, just look at the results from the 2023 Nike Cross Nationals last November, when four locals finished in the Top 10. Niwot’s Addison Ritzenhein was first, Air Academy’s Bethany Michalak second, Liberty Common’s Isabel Allori fourth and Summit’s Ella Hagen tenth, while a trio of local squads topped the team standings in Niwot, Air Academy and Mountain Vista. “It was like Colorado beating the whole country, basically,” Allori said with a laugh.

Scottie Vines and his family have a West Coast road trip planned next month that figures to be a lot more exciting than most summer vacations. Having breezed to his third Class 1A high jump title on a windy Saturday at Jeffco Stadium with a jump of seven feet — 10 inches higher than second place in 1A, three inches higher than the next best jump across all classifications — the De Beque phenom is headed to Eugene, Ore., “Track Town, USA.” There he will compete in the U.

Aaron Gordon remains a beautiful contradiction. He is a vibe off the court, but a dog on it. He is chill, but leaves defenders running hot. He brings all eyes to him when he walks into a room, but humility defines him. As the Nuggets face the Timberwolves in Game 7, the focus on Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray is on sharp display.