Sienna Gomez and Angela Hindes hurdle over Shane Mensing and Jackson Dalleck. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)
Girls golf ready to tee off
Juniors Tomlin and Pederson to lead young core
Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor
Legendary golfer Bobby Jones is credited with comparing his sport to the game of life. Sometimes good shots end up in awful lies, other times terrible hooks and slices end up on the green. But ultimately, in the game of golf, it’s not about competing against others, but against the course, the conditions and yourself. These are the lessons the GHS golf team is aiming to learn from with a young roster this spring.
“I’ve learned that golf is such a mental game,” said junior captain Aiden Tomlin. “You can’t get into your head, because it will only stress you out. I always tell myself to only focus on myself, not what other girls are doing, not to overthink things and to have fun.”
The Cowboys bid farewell to multi-year captain Allie Schwartz last year. But before her departure, the former senior led the team at the state tournament in Loveland. Despite slick greens and difficult conditions, the tournament provided valuable experience to the two returning captains this season, Tomlin and Faith Pederson.
Though only juniors, Pederson and Tomlin put
together top performances last spring. Tomlin has already competed at the state level twice. She will use her experience, and team-leading scores to mentor an aspiring group of underclassmen, and hopefully, earn a spot on a collegiate roster one day.
“We really want to welcome everybody, even if you don’t have experience coming onto the team,” Tomlin said. “Having the muster to go out for golf is awe-inspiring in itself, so we’re all really inclusive and encouraging.”
Alongside the junior captains, Norah Abila returns to the links after an impressive showing her freshman year. The sophomore came narrowly close to breaking triple-digits last spring, and gained first-hand experience playing alongside veterans Schwartz and Tomlin.
With weather conditions cooperating this spring, the girls will return to the practice facility at Dos Rios Golf Club earlier than expected, and compete in the opening tournament on March 31 in Grand Junction.
But the warm temperatures aren’t the only morale boost. Last season, the girls’ home tournament was cancelled due to a heavy snowpack and the Blue Mesa middle bridge closure. The Dos Rios tournament will return on May 5, with tee times set for 9:30 a.m. It will be the Cowboys’ only home event of the season before the regional and state tournaments in May.
2025 GIRLS GOLF ROSTER
Juniors:
Aiden Tomlin
Faith Pederson
Anastasia Harvey
Kaylee Vincent
Sophomores:
Reese Japuntich
Althea Stansbery
Kaya Burnett
Abby Hulick
Natalia Sabino
Mia Rodriguez
Norah Abila
Abby Willett (CB)
Katie Maltby (CB)
Lily O’Connell
Freshmen:
Jaz Besecker
Adelaida Romero
Delaney Diamond
Addison Claus
Josie Vollendorf
Isabella Danni (CB)
Dalilah McDermott
Lily
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)
byAlex
(Photo
McCrindle)
Chasing records and leading from the front
GHS track and field gears up for spring
Alex
McCrindle Times Sports Editor
After a multi-year rebuild, the GHS track and field team boasts a stout group of seniors hungry to finish on the podium this season. Fourth-year leaders Angela Hindes, Sienna Gomez, Jemma Petrie and Jackson Dalleck are ready to lead the growing program toward state championship glory.
Head Coach Stacey Mickelson said the team's balance between an experienced senior class, and a large squad of underclassmen makes an ideal recipe for program growth.
“This is a really important season for this group … It will be great for the younger kids to see how we run things, and for our seniors to show them how to be successful going forward,” Mickelson said.
Last season, star distance runner Madelyn Stice notched a seventh-place finish in the 1600meter, and 10th in the 3200. Petrie placed right behind her in the 3200, taking 12th overall. Jumpers Gomez and Lee Brunsting also finished high in the triple jump, finishing 12th and 17th.
Hindes achieved the top placement for the Cowboys in the high jump with a height of 5-feet, 1-inch. The senior has since signed a letter of intent to jump at Houston Christian University next fall, but still has high school goals to check off before making the collegiate leap.
“My goal since my freshman year is to break the school record in the long jump,” Hindes said. “I want to keep pushing myself, and have been hitting the gym trying to get up there.”
Unfortunately, Stice will sit out the majority of the season with a lingering foot injury. Whether she will compete this spring is yet to be determined. But still, Stice signed on to run with Colorado State University, and will work to recover before the fall collegiate season.
Without Stice, the Cowboy distance athletes will turn to cross country breakout star Jackson Dalleck to finish high on the leaderboards. The senior exploded during the cross country season this fall, and finished eighth at state. Now, Dalleck will hope to catch lightning in a bottle again, and return to the podium on the track.
The Cowboys shined straight out of the gates this month. Hindes took first in the high jump at the Banana Belt Classic in Pueblo on March 15, while Gomez finished second in the
2025 TRACK AND FIELD SCHEDULE
Date
March 8
March 15
March 29
5
April 18
April 25
May 2
3
May 9
15
16
17
long jump, and Petrie notched fourth in the 1600-meter. The fast and furious season will conclude May 15-18 at the state meet in Denver.
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)
PROUDLY SUPPORTING ATHLETES IN THE GUNNISON VALLEY
(Photo by Mariel Wiley)
GHS baseball aims for new heights
Stacked senior class eager for playoff run
Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor
This spring, the GHS baseball team is determined to break its nearly decade-long duck and make it past the first round of the playoffs. But whether or not the Cowboys reach their goal, Head Coach Tom Percival has set his standards clear.
“We try to get better every day,” Percival said. “We can’t control what the end result will be. But we can control what we do in the classroom and in the weight room. Our seniors will leave a legacy that way — because everybody wants to go to the state championship, but that won’t happen until we do the little things.”
Last season, scrappy seniors Hunter Vincent and Mason Williams led the Cowboys to a 12-11 overall record. The year ended with a first-round defeat to powerhouse Forge Christian. Despite the early-postseason exit, GHS put together strong showings against Roaring Fork in a 6-5 win, and went toe-totoe with an impressive Coal Ridge side.
This year, GHS turns to a burly group of upperclassmen. Cleanup hitter Grady Buckhanan, and battle-tested pitcher Talon Kibler will headline the senior class seven players strong. Fourth-year catchers Marshall Spann and Rylee Berry will lead the defense from behind the plate, and importantly, the Cowboys boast a deep pitching rotation. Senior Kellan Yoder returns to the mound, alongside junior Cesar Marmolejo and junior football quarterback Ethan Pierce.
“My goal this season is to create a family-like bond on this team, that everyone wants to be around,” Kibler said. “It has been hostile in the past, and we just want to come together and enjoy every moment together.”
Unlike previous years, the Cowboys enjoyed a longer preseason on the GHS baseball field because of the light snow coverage. Instead of catching fly balls in the parking lot, or hitting in batting cages, the boys have practiced ground balls on their diamond, and live pitches from the mound. The preseason made for an improved morale, Percival said, and also seemed to kickstart early performances.
Buckhanan opened the regular season batting five-for-five in an away win against Rye on March 8. In Percival’s memory,
Ethan Pierce
Talon Kibler
Ryder Vincent
Marshall Spann
Grady Buckhanan
Holden Vickers
Rylee Berry
Cody Casebolt
Kellan Yoder
Landon Miller
Jack Stone
Parker Vick
Nolan Frymore
Cesar Marmolejo
Kahne Chippini
Jorge Perez
Deegan Bennett
it was the first opening season game without any defensive errors. GHS capitalized three days later with a hard-fought win over Cedaredge, and traveled to a warm-weather tournament in Arizona over spring break. Scores were not available by press time. The Cowboys will open their home campaign against Basalt on April 12.
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)
(Photo by Mariel Wiley)
2025 BASEBALL ROSTER
A new era for Titans lacrosse
Postseason or bust for rising seniors
Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor
The Crested Butte Titans varsity lacrosse program is only three years old, but this season, an exciting senior class aims to take it to new heights.
Despite an up-and-down 2024 season, where the Titans earned a 6-9 overall record, and finished fourth in the 4A Mountain League, Head Coach Carter Brock believes this year’s leaders could set a new standard for Crested Butte lax.
“We showed a lot of resilience, and there is a lot to look forward to in this upcoming season,” Brock said last season. “But it will be our junior and sophomore core that will gain
experience and grow the program.”
This spring, the same junior core suits up as senior leaders. Led by Fraser Birnie, Rowan Dishmon and Colten Huisman, the Titans are bonded by a single goal: to make the playoffs for the first time as a varsity program. But first, the boys must traverse a tricky league schedule and face the Grand Junction Tigers, and a Telluride Miners team that finished 10-0 in the league last season.
Now boasting three years of varsity experience, the Titans are confident their chemistry on the field will propel them forward.
“We have a strong brotherhood, compared to past seasons,” Dishmon said. “We want to build a culture of lacrosse in the valley. We’re working on our fundamentals and stick skills, and we have a lot of new guys, which is great for the future of the program.”
The Titans prepared for the 2025 season with a frosty scrimmage in the snow against the Western Colorado University club lacrosse team last month. The biting wind and seasoned opposition made for a strong showing in the first game against Eagle Valley on March 8. Birnie led the Titan attack with four goals, junior Dawson Eastep added a hattrick and Luke Walton beat the goalie twice in the 9-8 win.
The Titans fell in back-toback games against league rivals Fruita Monument and Montrose on March 13 and 15, and hosted Telluride at home on March 20. Scores were not available by press time. The losses moved the boys to a 1-2 start to the year, and 0-2 in the league.
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)
(Photo by Mariel Wiley)