Looking to become the leading lady of the Jeffco Stadium shot-put ring on Day 2 of the 2018 CHSAA Class 2A State Track & Field Championships, Aliyana White couldn’t have made a grander entrance.

As Ignacio’s sole girls’ qualifier at the season-ending May 17-19 gathering, the sophomore introduced herself to 17 other entrants with a 37-foot, 1.5-inch heave right off the bat – ranking her first by 4.5 inches over Cedaredge senior Katie Hyke, her closest first-throw challenger.

Having all but guaranteed herself a spot in the final 10-competitor flight, in which each would receive three more tries on top of her three previous, White was unable to improve and ultimately finished a strong third place overall. Hyke would rise to second with a 37’7.75” on her third of six attempts, while Burlington senior Alex Bauer shot up to first via a 39’2.25” recorded on just her second throw.

The Day 1 discus competition proved much more difficult, as White finished 18th with an 86’4” best. Meeker junior Megan Shelton unleashed a winning 124’9” on her sixth and last attempt, while classmate Sydnie Main (best of 120’8”) settled for second place and Wray junior Morgan Smith (116’9”) third.

With White’s seven team points in the shot, IHS finished 29th out of 41 scoring squads. Ault-based Highland won the team title with 75.5, with Lyons (64), Oak Creek Soroco (52), Meeker (51) and Peyton (48) rounding out the top five.