FARMER'S KORNER - This is a special season for the Summit High School track and field team.

SHS typically sends one or two athletes to the 4A state meet, but this weekend, seven Tigers are scheduled to compete in six events at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood.

"This is a new feeling," senior Katie Sodergren said during Tuesday's practice at Farmer's Korner. "We've never had this many athletes go to state before - it's a really exciting environment."

The Tigers' talented multi-sport athlete competed at state in triple jump as a sophomore, but fell short a year ago.

"I missed it by like a quarter of an inch," she said. "It was a real tough break."

Sodergren, who holds the school record for triple jump (33 feet, 5.5 inches), has also qualified for the long jump and the 800-meter run. She has traditionally competed in the 800, but just started long jumping a few weeks ago.

"One day she wanted to try the long jump," recalled Tigers coach Kristy McClain. "And I was like, 'Yeah, we can do that,' and lo and behold, she won (the event at a Buena Vista meet on April 25)."

Sodergren will be joined in Lakewood by Sharayah Dosset (discuss), Julia Bishop (1,600 run) and the 4x800 boys relay team of Chris Rice, Zach Armstrong, Brian Joyce and Nick Adolph.

Dosset is a senior and Bishop is a freshman.

"My goal is to get 5 minutes, 30 seconds," said Bishop, who took third at last weekend's regionals with a personal-best time of 5:41.



Boys relay team has nothing to lose

Rice, Armstrong, Joyce, Adolph and alternate Will Radigan, non of whom have ever competed at the track and field state meet, seem to be entering this weekend's contest with a we've-got-nothing-to-lose mentality.

"We are actually seeded last (out of nearly 20 teams)," Rice said. "So right now the goal is to get a few teams behind us and then try to hold on."

"We're not trying to live up to any expectations," said Joyce, a varsity soccer player and skier, who came out for his rookie track season as a senior. "Maybe to just go out there and surprise someone."

The Tigers relay team, which took third at regionals to claim the final qualifying spot, plans to make a slight adjustment in its running order.

Whereas the typical order has been Rice, Adolph, Armstrong, then Joyce, the lineup for the state meet is slated to be Rice, Armstrong, Joyce then Adolph.

"We're seeded pretty far back," Joyce said. "So we might as well try something new, I think is the mindset."

Summit, which was deprived of hosting a home meet all season, will do its best to remain loose and relaxed at the season-ending state meet.

"We told them all along, 'Let's try to qualify for state - let's get there,'" McClain said. "And now it's purely, 'Let's just see what happens.' We're trying not to put a lot of pressure on them."



Adam Boffey can be contacted at (970) 668-4634, or at aboffey@summitdaily.com.