LAKEWOOD – For the first time since 2014, the Peyton boys were on top of the state track & field podium.

With a six-second PR and a dominant showing in the 2A 4×800 relay, Joel and Nathan Schluessler, Josh Kearse and Landon Hadley won the boys’ first state championship in seven years with a winning time of 8:29.76. The girls’ team won two of titles in 2018.

Entering the state championships, top-seeded Peyton had a 15-second gap on the second-best qualifying time from Banning Lewis Prep. But studying the competition, the boys knew Ouray could give them trouble with identical open 800 times.

“We knew we had to come out and give it our all,” Joel Schluessler said.

Coach Richard Deems threw his relay team through a loop, Thursday, however, switching up the relay order to move first-leg runner Josh to anchor, and third leg Nathan to the front.

“We didn’t know what he was thinking at first, but it worked out pretty well,” Joel said.

Kearse, who said he enjoyed his new position at anchor, ran a 2:05.622 split but it was Joel who had the fastest split of the race in 2:03.351 to give Kearse a solid gap going into the final 800.

Joel is the lone senior on the 4×800 team. Nathan, Kearse and Hadley are competing in their first state championships. Nathan and Kearse, sophomores, missed their first season due to the pandemic, and Hadley is a freshman.

“It’s pretty shocking that we are even here right now,” Nathan said after stepping off the podium.

“It feels pretty good especially being a freshman,” Hadley said. “I’m excited for the future, our whole team is going to be really good.”

The relay team will hit the track again later this weekend to compete in the 4×400 relay. Though they are seeded ninth, the taste of victory might help them to another top five finish.

“I’m ready to win more,” Kearse said.

The Classical Academy boys’ in first place following Day 1

The Classical Academy boys’ 4×800 relay team had a comfortable lead for most of the way through the championship race Thursday at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood.

But second-seeded Liberty Common, who qualified with a time more than seven seconds behind TCA, wasn’t going down without a fight.

TCA held a substantial lead after the first 800 meters, but Liberty Common slowly closed the gap, getting within five meters on the final handoff.

With 200 meters to go, Brandon Bate of Liberty Common began to kick, finally catching TCA’s Chandler Wilburn in the final 50 as the two raced for a photo finish.

Bate won by a hair, crossing the line in 8:15.08. Wilburn clocked in at 8:15.11.

Though they settled for second in the relay, TCA ends Day 1 in first place in the team race with 16 points.

Mitch Anderson placed third for the Titans in the 3A shot put with a heave of 49-3.5 and Jordan Wenger snuck onto the podium with a ninth-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 20-10.5.

Alexa Oatman takes second in 4A pole vault

Lewis-Palmer’s Alexa Oatman’s state championship experience didn’t start the way she wanted.

The senior pole vaulter missed her first two attempts at 10-foot-3, six inches lower than her qualifying height.

“Honestly, it was anger more than anything,” Oatman said. “I missed those first two and I told myself if I don’t clear this, I’m going to be pissed.”

Thankfully Oatman cleared her starting height on her third attempt and decided to go big or go home.

After clearing 10-3, the field was down to Oatman and Silver Creek’s Megan Kelleghan. And with second place in the bag Oatman decided to add a full foot for her second height.

“(11-3) was what I’ve been trying for this whole season, so I figured I might as well go for it,” Oatman said.

She cleared it on her first attempt.

She pushed it another three inches as she battled with Kelleghan to push their personal records but couldn’t clear 11-6. Kelleghan went on to clear 13-4.5, setting a new Colorado state record, dethroning TCA graduate Andrea Willis, who held the record since 2016.

Oatman will continue her pole vault career at UNC Greeley.

The Peyton boys’ 4-by-800 relay team won the 2A state championship with a time of 8:29.76 on Day 1 of the state track and field championship at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood.

Lindsey Smith, The Gazette

The Peyton boys’ 4×800 relay team won the 2A state championship Thursday on Day 1 of the 2021 State Track & Field Championships at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood. (Lindsey Smith, The Gazette)

Josh Kearse crosses the finish line in the 2A boys’ 4×800 relay to lift Peyton to its first boys’ state title since 2014. (Lindsey Smith, The Gazette)

Lewis-Palmer senior Alexa Oatman placed second in the 4A pole vault with a personal-best vault of 11-06 at the 2021 State Track & Field Championships at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood. (Lindsey Smith, The Gazette)

Lewis-Palmer senior Alexa Oatman placed second in the 4A pole vault with a personal-record vault of 11-06 at the 2021 State Track & Field Championships at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood. (Lindsey Smith, The Gazette)