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Summit’s Ella Hagen claims final school record at Day 2 of the state track and field meet

Freshman Ruby Snyder ties for fourth in first state high jump competition

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Cody Jones

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Cody Jones/Summit Daily News
Summit senior Ella Hagen surges from the start line of the 4A girls 800-meter run at the second day of the state track and field meet on Friday, May 16, 2025. Hagen took eighth overall and claimed her final school record.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

Over her four years at Summit High School, senior distance runner Ella Hagen has steadily etched her way into the history books.

From winning state titles to breaking longtime school records, Hagen has become one of Summit’s most accomplished female athletes of all time.

Although she has snagged every school record from the 1600-meter run to the 5K over the last few years, one school record has seemed to escape her — the 800-meter run.

Wanting to own all the distance event school records before receiving her diploma next Saturday, Hagen got one last shot in the event at the second day of the state track and field meet on Friday, May 16.

Chasing down McKenna Ramsay’s 2015 in-state record of 2:15.53, Hagen took off from the start line of the 4A girls 800-meter final with a head full of steam.Hagen let Grand Junction Central’s Saige Siegrist set the pace of the race, sliding in and letting herself be pulled along the track.

After splitting 1:07.76 through 400 meters, Hagen further opened up her stride and began pushing down the backstretch into the wind. Moving up a place over the final lap, Hagen crossed the finish line in eighth place in a new school-record time of 2:15.42.

“It’s pretty special, it’s pretty awesome,” Hagen said. “I don’t think anyone would have expected me to be in that field, in an event I don’t have as much confidence in. I just told myself to enjoy it.”

Siegrist was the winner of the race in a time of 2:11.96.

Beyond claiming her final school record, the podium finish was also monumental for Hagen and her running career.

“That finishing speed and overall speed is something I have always been more challenged in,” Hagen said. “Being able to compete with confidence, in an event I wouldn’t have as much usually, makes me very proud and feel good for the races to come.”

Cody Jones/Summit Daily News
Josh Shriver crosses the finish line of the 4A boys 800-meter run on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

Boys 800-meter final 

Prior to Hagen setting a new school record in the girls 800, senior Josh Shriver took to the track for the 4A boys 800-meter final. 

As the second to last seed, Shriver came into the race looking to prove that he could finish highly in the two-lap mid-distance race.

Over the first 200 meters the field jockeyed for position with the pace being a little slow for such a short race. As the field hit the halfway point, Shriver tried to fight his way out of being boxed in by fellow runners, but could not find an opening.

With basically the whole field within a few strides of one another, Shriver accelerated around the track, wildly kicking to the finish line over the final 200 meters.

Surrounded by numerous other runners, Shriver was not sure where he finished among the field. Eventually the scoreboard revealed that the senior had done enough to stand atop the podium, taking seventh in 1:56.64.

“To score points you have to get on the podium,” Shriver said. “Even if it’s two points, it still does a lot for the team. No one really had me picked to be right there for it. I myself believe that I am a half decent 800-meter runner.”

Niwot’s Rocco Culpepper took first in 1:54.51 with the final spot on the podium being occupied by Niwot’s Gavin Engtrakul (1:56.93).

Shriver was pleased to make the podium, but recognizes he could do more tactically in order to finish higher.

“I feel like I’ve made some mistakes,” Shriver said. “There were some chances I could have taken that could have caused it to play out differently. … I’m excited for the mile. We will take some chances tomorrow.”

Cody Jones/Summit Daily News
Ruby Snyder dips across the finish line of the 4A girls 300-meter hurdles prelims on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

Girls 300-meter hurdles prelims 

Summit’s first event of Day 2 was the 4A girls 300-meter hurdles prelims. 

Like the 100-meter prelims yesterday, the Tigers put three athletes in the qualifying round in junior Faith Fox, freshman Ruby Snyder and freshman Avery Russer. 

Snyder was the first athlete to try to secure one of the nine final spots. Flowing with confidence after qualifying to the 100-meter hurdles final yesterday, Snyder charged around the track and effortlessly flew over the hurdles.

Snyder crossed the finish line in 45.47 seconds to set a new personal record in the event and place second in heat one. The performance automatically qualified Snyder to her second final of the meet.

“It means a lot,” Snyder said. “It shows that my hard work is paying off, and it really shows that I can compete with these high-level girls. I was rooting to qualify. I was going to push and try to, but I wasn’t really expecting it.”

As a seasoned veteran at the state meet, Fox made easy work of her heat, running 44.68 seconds to place third in heat two and automatically advance to her third final of the 2025 state meet. 

After falling at the end of her 100-meter hurdle race yesterday, Russer got redemption in the 300-meter hurdles.The talented freshman sailed over every barrier, crossing the finish in a new personal record of 46.89 seconds. Russer just missed out on advancing to the final, taking seventh in heat two. 

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Girls high jump

Around two hours after qualifying in the 300-meter hurdles, Snyder began competition in the 4A girls high jump. 

With a personal best of 5 feet, 3 inches, Snyder easily cleared the opening height of 4 feet, 9 inches. On her second jump of the competition at 4 feet, 11 inches, Snyder continued to look like a veteran, drifting up and over the bar. 

As the bar got pushed to 5 feet, 1 inch, Snyder had her first miss, making contact with the bar as she tried to get enough clearance. Snyder promptly cleaned up her approach and technique, successfully clearing the height a few moments later.

With the bar at her school-record mark of 5 feet, 3 inches, Snyder was not able to clear her first attempt of three. The freshman attempted the height a second time, but could not get enough momentum to get over.

On her final attempt, Snyder found the extra couple inches she was looking for, successfully clearing 5 feet, 3 inches. Snyder tried to better her school record to 5 feet, 5 inches, but could not get over the bar.

Snyder tied for fourth overall in her first state high jump competition.

“It feels really good,” Snyder said. “It means a lot. It is really, really cool to see these girls, to feel supported and it’s just a lot of fun.”

Snyder tied with Mountain View’s Addison Roark while Roosevelt High School’s Braelyn Bailey captured the state title (5 feet, 9 inches).

Cody Jones/Summit Daily News
Ruby Snyder sails over the bar during the 4A girls high jump competition on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

Boys and girls 4×400 prelims 

Summit closed out the day by competing in the 4A 4×400-meter relay prelims.

The Tigers had both a boys and girls team in the competition.

A boys team comprised of freshman Connor Erwin, junior Carter Niemkiewicz, sophomore Jay McDonald and senior Quinn Breigenzer were the first step foot on the track. The quartet of runners ran four impressive legs, placing sixth in heat two in a school-record time of 3:26.72.

With only the top three teams across the two heats automatically advancing, the Summit boys missed out on qualifying for the final by 0.82 seconds.

In the girls 4×400-meter relay, junior Hailey Russer ran the first leg for the team before handing the baton off to Hagen. The senior kicked hard the entire lap before giving the baton to Snyder.

In her third and final event of the day, Snyder ran strong, eventually handing the baton to Fox for the final lap. Fox displayed her leg speed on the final leg, eventually crossing the finish line for the Tigers in a total time of 4:06.65. The time was enough for the team to take seventh overall in heat 2. Summit did not advance to the final on time.

After two days of competition, the Summit girls rank seventh with 16.5 points and the Summit boys sit in 27th with four points. The state track and field meet will conclude on Saturday, May 17.

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