After finishing his 100-meter final, Max Kleve waited breathlessly for the official results to show on the digital display at the end of the track. Elated to see his name in third place, he turns to look toward where his family is sitting to share his excitement. — The Holyoke Enterprise | Johnson Publications
Aidyn Shafer shot puts to a sixth-place finish. — Daniel Stoeber
Senior Aaron Sierra clears a hurdle early in his 300-meter hurdle final in which he placed eighth. — The Holyoke Enterprise | Johnson Publications
Boys place in 4 state track and field events
Three boys placed in a total of four events to mark points for the Dragon boys track team at the 2A state track and field championships at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood on June 24-26.
Sophomore Max Kleve finished third in the 100 and eighth in the 200, while senior Aaron Sierra took eighth in the 300 hurdles, and junior Aidyn Shafer placed sixth in the shot put.
Sierra was the only Dragon on the boys team with state experience of the nine who competed at this year’s event.
Coach Corey Koberstein noted that the team was inexperienced at the state meet this year, but only Sierra and Alec Sprague are graduating seniors, so the return for next year will be strong.
The boys had lots of hills and valleys in the state competition, said Koberstein, but hopefully they can overcome the disappointments and return stronger next season.
Sierra finishes with a state medal
While Sierra hit his first hurdle in the 300 event in prelims, he pushed hard to make finals. Koberstein noted that he hit a hurdle late in the race in the finals but still maintained an eighth-place finish, clocking :42.47 for a spot on the podium.
He’s had a good run in the hurdles for the Dragons, having placed third in the 300 hurdles as a sophomore. He qualified for this year’s 110 hurdles, as well.
Shafer claims 6th in shot put
Shafer’s last throw in finals was his best as his 42’6.5” shot put effort landed him in sixth place, a mere quarter of an inch ahead of the seventh-place finisher.
Kleve proves himself as a sprinter
From a junior high miler, Kleve proved himself as a solid sprinter when he nabbed third place in the 100 and eighth in the 200 in his first venture to the state track meet.
The finals of the 100 found placewinners third through fifth within 8 thousandths of a second of each other. Kleve led for a third-place finish with :11.41, while fourth and fifth clocked :11.415 and :11.418.
Kleve’s :23.59 in the finals of the 200 put him in eighth place.
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