Championship week arrives for CHSAA spring sports
A Colorado high school sports year that began in the first week of August has finally reached the home stretch in the last full week of June — and what a closing kick it should be.
After four seasons, one “pause” and two sets of football championships, the 202021 CHSAA sports year concludes with 29 team championships up for grabs across seven sports starting Monday.
And in the case of six sports, it will mark the first time in two years teams will compete for state titles in each. CHSAA will also hold its first boys volleyball state tournament.
A rundown of the madness that will be championship week:
Baseball
Championships will be decided in all five classifications, with the 3A and 4A semifinals and finals played at Runyon Baseball Complex in Pueblo on Friday and Saturday, and the 5A semifinals and finals set for Thursday and Friday at Keli Macgregor Field at All-star Park in Lakewood.
4A semifinals (Friday): No. 2 Cheyenne Mountain (17-2) vs. No. 4 Holy Family (18-2), 10 a.m.; No. 3 Ponderosa (18-2) vs. No. 8 D’evelyn (14-5), 12:30 p.m.
5A semifinals (Thursday): No. 8 Fairview (16-4) vs. No. 4 Mountain Vista (16-4), 9:30 p.m.; No. 6 Valor Christian (16-4) vs. No. 2 Fort Collins (16-5), 1:30 p.m.
Girls soccer
The semifinals are set in Class 2A-5A, with the penultimate games scheduled for Wednesday throughout the state followed by all four championship games being played in succession Saturday at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs. The 2A championship is at 9 a.m.; 3A, 6 p.m.; 4A, noon; and 5A, 3 p.m.
4A semif inals (Wednesday at Frederick High):
No. 1 Northridge (12-0) vs. No. 12 Holy Family (9-2), TBA; No. 2 The Classical Academy (10-0-2) vs. No. 2 Evergreen (12-0), TBA
5A semifinals (Wednesday at Englewood High):
No. 1 Valor Christian (110-1) vs. No. 4 Rock Canyon (11-1), 7:30 p.m.; No. 3 Cherry Creek (11-1) vs. No. 2 Broomfield (11-0-1), 5 p.m.
Girls golf
Tournaments are set for Monday and Tuesday at three separate venues for 3A (Elmwood Golf Course, Pueblo), 4A (Common Ground Golf Course, Aurora) and 5A (City Park Golf Course, Denver). The twoday, 36-hole stroke play events will decide individual and team champions.
Lacrosse
The girls lacrosse semifinals are Monday night in 4A and 5A, while the boys championships are already set for Tuesday night at Englewood High. In 4A boys, No. 1 Cheyenne Mountain (11-1) faces No. 2 Evergreen (11-1) at 5 p.m., and the 5A final is between No. 4 Mountain Vista (9-2) and No. 2 Valor Christian (11-1) at 7:30 p.m. The girls conclude their tournaments at the same site and times Wednesday night.
Boys swimming and diving
The 4A and 5A meets are scheduled on successive days at the Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center in Thornton, with 5A swimmers and divers competing in a one-day meet Thursday followed by the 4A event Friday.
Track and field
All five classifications will compete over three days at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood, starting at 8 a.m. Thursday. There will be state titles at stake all three days, with the meet culminating with a flurry of championship races and events Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:40 p.m.
Boys volleyball
The first CHSAA boys volleyball tournament will be played Friday and Saturday at Rock Canyon High in Highlands Ranch. The quarterfinal matchups for Friday: No. 1 Douglas County (15-0) vs. No. 8 Regis Jesuit (9-6), No. 4 James Irwin (14-1) vs. No. 5 Eaglecrest (12-3), No. 2 Legend (13-2) vs. No. 7 Cherokee Trail (8-7), No. 3 Valor Christian (13-2) vs. No. 6 Cherry Creek (10-5).