Crossing the Jeffco Stadium track’s finish line roughly six-tenths of a second after Byers freshman Quincy Bowling, Ignacio junior Maci Barnes was that close to a top-five finish in the weather-cooled 800-meter run – one of three CHSAA State Track & Field Championships events for which she’d qualified. 

One of four San Juan Basin Leaguers entered in the race, held on Day 2 (Friday, May 19) of the three-day Championships, Barnes clocked a sixth-place 2 minutes, 28.66 ticks for her two-lap jaunt, as all ultimately pursued Timnath sophomore Natalie Washburn (2:19.04). Colorado Springs-based Banning Lewis Prep Academy sophomore Alexia Gonzales finished second in 2:23.25, and Fort Collins Heritage Christian Academy freshman Mikaela Kendall followed in 2:24.80. 

From the SJBL, Telluride freshman Lana Kenworthy joined Barnes as a top-ten finisher, placing ninth in 2:30.35, while THS freshman Austin Cook took 12th (2:31.65), Ouray senior Lily Berwanger 15th (2:33.98) and Mancos freshman Brooke Jabour 17th (2:40.77) out of 17 competitors. 

Barnes also finished 13th in the long jump with a 14’6” maximum. Pueblo West-based Swallows Charter Academy junior Kaitlyn Pearson placed first with a 17’6.5” best, besting runner-up Kristin Osborne, a HCA freshman, by nearly a foot. Leaping 16’6” on the fly, Limon senior Brynlyn Owens placed third. 

And in the triple jump, Barnes’ best effort carried her 29’4.5” from the takeoff board and landed her in 18th place. Junior Eboselulu Omofoma of Greeley Dayspring Christian Academy won with a 36’5” best – measuring only an inch farther than Osborne’s, but a quarter-inch short of a foot farther than that of third-place Owens. 

Thanks to her effort in the 800, Barnes – Ignacio’s sole representative, male or female – earned IHS four team points, which ultimately tied Evergreen Clear Creek (which also sent one girl to Lakewood) for 36th place in the Class 2A Girls’ standings. 

All told, DCA won the team championship 90-82 over HCA. Cedaredge (66), Timnath (59) and Wiggins (46) filled out the top five as 42 teams managed to score at least one point.