BOCOPREPS.COM EVENT OF THE WEEK: BOULDER COUNTY TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

When and where: Saturday, starting at 8:30a.m. at Centaurus High School

The scouting report: There are 16local track and field teams — currently holding seven of the state’s best marks in an event — registered into the 47th running of the Boulder County Championships on Saturday.

None more touted than the girls’ team at Niwot, which has won the meet every year (outside of the canceled 2020season) since 2010. And no one is more well known than its superstar distance runner, Addison Ritzenhein.

The reigning Gatorade national cross country runner of the year — just a sophomore — ran this spring’s fastest 1,600-meter run inside state lines at the Niwot Invitational last month, clocking in at 4 minutes and 44.30 seconds. Last weekend, she went even lower at sea level, finishing a personal-best 4:40.78at the 500-plus team Arcadia Invitational

in California. She told Bocopreps correspondent Charlie Strella afterward that she is still figuring out how to best attack the mile but was happy with her fifth-place finish at Arcadia.

“I haven’t really raced the mile that often and I just got into it this year,” said Ritzenhein, who finished third in the 4A 1,600while winning the 3,200at the state meet as a freshman. “It was a pretty loose race plan.”

Even without Ritzenhein, the Cougars are loaded on the girls’ side.

Junior Jade West won the 4A shot put last year and is tied for the state’s longest throw this spring (42feet, 11inches). Their 4×800 smashed the meet record at the Murray Kula Invitational last month (9:11.76), a time that is 30 seconds faster than any other relay in the state and seventh-best in the nation. On the boys’ side, Erie won the town championships last year, ending a run of three straight wins by Niwot. Jackson and Mason Cowgill — respectively committed to Washington State and the University of South Dakota for football — won the throwing events at last year’s meet for the Tigers.

Jackson won the shot put then and hasn’t lost in three tries this season, with his best throw coming last week at the Birds of Prey Invitational at Everly-montgomery Field (53 feet, 3.5 inches). Mason, meanwhile, keeps winning in discus after his 2023town gold, which includes a personal-best toss (152-4) at the Lyons Unlimited meet last month. Elsewhere, for boys, Monarch’s Tyler Rowan is the state leader in the pole vault (16-1) after winning the event at the town and 5A state championships last season. Skyline’s JJ Davis is best in the javelin (173-2) but that event isn’t slated among the town championships’ events. For girls, Peak to Peak’s

Kourtney Rathke, who is looking to three-peat in the 3A long jump and pole vault, has the state’s longest leap in the triple jump (35-10.5) and third-best mark in the PV (12-10) this season.

She could once again end up going toe-to-toe in the pole vault with Broomfield’s Lilly Nichols, the 20225A champ who has the state’s highest mark of the year (13-4). Nichols won the PV at the championships in 2023. Rathke was credited with the win in 2022despite both having leapt 12-8. And as freshmen, Nichols was second and Rathke third to Silver Creek grad Megan Kelleghan. Other 2023 Boulder County winners who could return include Broomfield’s Baylor Baessler (100) and Centaurus’ Jacoby Ennis (800) on the boys’ side. Silver Creek’s Cloe Ruth (400), Niwot’s Olivia Alessandrini (3,200) and Longmont’s Ella Pears (triple jump) for the girls.

For a full schedule of events, head to Bocopreps.com.