The Coronado track team’s pride and joy, the Coronado Cougar Classic, was host to a strong performance by the men’s track team this past Friday. The team scored four first-place finishes over the course of the meet, which helped propel the team to a second place finish in the meet.

The day held several strong performances by the by the men’s distance team, most notably by senior Conor Strizich. Strizich ran a blistering fast leg on the winning 4×800 relay before running a near personal best in the open 800, in which he placed fifth. Likewise, junior Ben Swanson also played an important role on the 4×400 and 4×800 relays.

Senior Justin Dwinell also helped out in the running events with his performances in the sprint events. After qualifying for the 100 finals with an 11.11, he placed third in the event with an 11.29. He also won the 200 after emerging from the preliminary round with the fourth best time. In the coming weeks, his trajectory is set towards the state championships, where he placed ninth in the 100 last year. However, competition is especially tight in the sprint events this year, and to secure his position in the top eighteen in 5A, Justin will likely need to cut off time from both events, as he sits in the sixteenth spot for the 100 and the seventeenth for the 200.

The Cougars were also aided in the team standing by substantial points from the jumps events. Isaiah Outler, 11, placed sixth in high jump and long jump, and senior Kaddin Standley also raked in some points with his fifth-place finish in triple jump.

However, the greatest contributor for the Cougars at their home meet was Charles Broomfield, a thrower applauded for his goal-based mindset and meticulousness. He picked up his sixth and seventh wins of the season with his discus throw of 154-9 and shot put of 49-8. Broomfield is the Cougars’ will be the Cougars’ greatest contender at state this year, as he is currently ranked first in 5A in discus, and second in 5A for shot put.

The Cougars certainly stepped up while the coaches were focused on running the meet smoothly, a sentiment head coach Mr. Kane echoed that even “with the coaches preoccupied with the meet, the team managed themselves well,” and continued, saying that the performance was “a testament to the [leadership of the upperclassmen].”

In the coming weeks, the Cougars are directing their sights towards the Colorado Springs Metro League title and qualifying individuals and relays for the state championship, which will take plays in just in just two weekends time.