Eagle Valley Boys Track Team Dominates Mickey Dunn Invitational

The sun beats down on the track at Grand Junction's Mickey Dunn Invitational — 21 teams gathered, but one stands out. Eagle Valley boys track team dominates with 137 points, a wide margin over the competition.

Tiago Horruitiner leads the charge, winning the high jump at 6 feet, 5 inches and taking the long jump crown at 22-1. Last week, he posted the top long jump mark in the state — a school-record 23-08.75. Holden Kron joins him, going over 20 feet in the long jump and winning the triple jump at 41-3.25. Dylan Blair takes the 3,200-meter run in 9:23.4, eight seconds ahead of the pack. Jason Flaherty captures the 400-meter dash in a personal best 50.07, a significant improvement from last year's 51.45.

Lilly Brueck wins three events for the girls' team, which finishes fifth. Brueck takes the 200-meter dash, and both the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles. Her times: 26.35, 16.45, and 46.48.

Battle Mountain competes at the Roosevelt Power Meet in Johnstown. Reese McCommons places sixth in the 400-meter dash, with a time of 1:01.86. Ruthie DeMino takes sixth in the 3,200-meter run, finishing in 11:50.28. The Huskies' girls 4×800-meter relay team places fifth, with a time of 10:19.60.

Both teams will face off on April 4, when they'll gather for their next competition.

In other news, Battle Mountain baseball defeats Meeker 12-11 in extra innings. They follow up with a 13-13 tie against the Cowboys. The Huskies split their weekend games, losing to Olathe 11-7 and beating Gunnison 11-10. Kai Tipton goes 3-for-4, with a double and triple, and three runs scored in the win over Gunnison. Jack Reed strikes out eight in four innings, allowing one earned run.

Eagle Valley baseball improves to 6-2, sweeping a double-header against Weld Central. Xander DeHerrera and Anthony Ehlert hit home runs in the first game. Colter Blakey leads the offense in the second game, going 3-for-4. Hudson Rozga strikes out six on the mound. The Devils host Battle Mountain on Friday at 3 p.m.

Vail Mountain School girls soccer improves to 2-1, beating Basalt 5-0. Yeimi Castillo and Thea Armistead score goals, guiding Battle Mountain to a 2-1 win over Palisade. The Huskies improve to 6-2 on the year and 3-0 in league play. Eagle Valley girls soccer falls to Delta 3-1, dropping to 3-5.

Make no mistake, these athletes will be ones to watch as the season progresses. The short version: Western Slope teams are making their mark. Worth watching: how they perform in upcoming competitions. Read that again: 137 points for the Eagle Valley boys track team; a significant lead.

The community will be waiting to see how these teams stack up against each other. Folks around here know that competition brings out the best in athletes. People in the valley will be keeping an eye on Tiago Horruitiner and Lilly Brueck as they continue to break records.

As the season heats up, locals will be looking for more wins from their favorite teams. Neighbors will be cheering on the Huskies and Devils as they face off on the field and track. The question is: what will happen when they meet in their next head-to-head matchup?