Thomas Jefferson Track and Field continues to compete at a high level.
TJ Track continues to perform at an elite level late into the season. photo by Kevin Fleming
On April 11th, the TJ track and field team traveled to the US Air Force Academy Outdoor Track to compete in the Glenn Peterson Invitational. TJ was among 22 of the best schools in the state, all competing for the number one spot, and more importantly, bragging rights. “The Glenn Peterson Invite is a really fun meet,” said Morgan Bertram. “There will be a lot of schools there and the track is a fun blue color,” she added.
“The Glenn Peterson Invite is an excellent training chance for our team to compete with many schools,” said coach Woody Bonner. “There will be lots of chances to look at the other teams, and hopefully improve ourselves.”
TJ performed admirably at the Invite, coming in 12th place with 59.0 total team points.
| Place | Team | Score |
| 1 | Widefield | 178.0 |
| 2 | Falcon | 169.5 |
| 3 | Liberty | 166.0 |
| 4 | Doherty | 158.5 |
| 5 | Lewis-Palmer | 140.0 |
| 6 | Sand Creek | 132.0 |
| 7 | Rampart | 107.0 |
| 8 | Air Academy | 84.0 |
| 9 | Canon City | 70.0 |
| 10 | Colorado Springs Chrisitian | 67.0 |
| 11 | Castle View | 65.0 |
| 12 | Thomas Jefferson | 59.0 |
| 13 | Rocky Ford | 49.0 |
| 14 | Wasson | 46.0 |
| 15 | Cripple Creek-Victor | 42.0 |
| 16 | Lutheran-Parker | 39.0 |
| 17 | Miami-Yoder | 31.0 |
| 18 | Prairie View | 29.0 |
| 19 | Pikes Peak | 26.0 |
| 20 | Fountain Valley | 20.0 |
| 21 | Nederland | 15.0 |
| 22 | South Park | 6.00 |
Notable Performances include:
| Athlete | Place | Event |
| Jared Lewis* | 3 | 100 Meter Dash |
| Matt Averyhart | 10 | 100 Meter Dash |
| Efrem Woldu | 7 | 200 Meter Dash |
| Efrem Woldu | 7 | 400 Meter Dash |
| Jalil DeBose | 6 | 110 Meter Hurdles |
| Girls Relay Team | 8 | 4×200 Meter Relay |
| Girls Relay Team | 5 | 800 Sprint Medley |
| Boys Relay Team | 2 | 4×200 Meter Relay |
| Boys Relay Team | 5 | 4×400 Meter Relay |
| Boys Relay Team | 8 | 4×800 Meter Relay |
*Jared Lewis ran his fastest time of the season.
Bonner was very pleased with how the team members conducted themselves. “Our sportsmanship was excellent, and the boys are competing at their highest level all year,” Bonner said. “With a little more time, the girls will also be competing at the state level,” he added.
The TJ Field team also had some highlights in performances, clinching some high ranked positions with Efrem Woldu stealing 1st place in the long jump and Kyllan Snow coming in 2nd place for his impressive discus throw.
Up next for the continuously improving team is another DPS Invitational on Saturday, April 18th (weather permitting), followed by the Liberty Bell Invitational on April 25th.
