Demons had many memorable individual performances with team success
Durango High School players make some noise from the dugout while playing Grand Junction Central on April 11 at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Herald file)
Jerry McBride
Durango High School had a historic spring athletic season with every team advancing to the state playoffs. Now it’s time to look at some of those individuals’ best efforts of the season.
Each team will be awarded a top performance and a second-best performance based on the statistics available and the significance of the games.
Track and field: Xavier Sutherlin’s performance at the state championships
Durango’s Xavier Sutherlin goes up and over during the boys 110-meter hurdles at the 2025 DHS Ron Keller Invitational. (Herald file)
Xavier Sutherlin had a lot on the line heading into the 4A state track and field championships on May 20.
He had a fantastic high school career up to that point, but he had one last chance to show he was one of the state’s best hurdlers. As a senior, Sutherlin was only days away from graduating high school and then he would be off to Western Colorado University to compete in hurdles in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Sutherlin made his mark at the state championships by finishing third in the 4A 110-meter hurdles in 14.58 seconds. It was the highest finish of any Durango track and field athlete at state this year and the highest of Sutherlin’s hurdling career.
Although Sutherlin wasn’t as focused on the 300 hurdles, the Demon star still finished ninth at state in that race in 40.71 after coming into the event seeded 13th. His 300 hurdles finish earned him his second podium at state (the top nine finishers in each event earn podium honors).
Third at the state will be tough for any Demon track and field athlete to beat next year.
Runner-up: Lacy Ruggiero’s performance at the state championships
Other than Sutherlin, sophomore Lacy Ruggiero was the only other track and field athlete to earn two podiums at state. She ran a personal best 5:01.43 in the 4A 1,600 to take seventh after entering as the 14th seed.
Ruggiero was also a part of the 4×800 relay squad that finished ninth in 4A.
Many high school track and field athletes dream of having two state podiums in their high school career and Ruggiero already accomplished that halfway through hers. She’ll be one to watch during her junior season as she’ll have her training partner, rising freshman Zia Fadil, to push her at the front.
Girls golf: Jayden Craig’s performance at regionals
Durango High School junior Jayden Craig poses with the individual medal and the team title from the 4A Region 4 Regional girls golf tournament at the Olde Course at Loveland on May 2. Craig won the individual title by three strokes and Durango won the team title by 17 strokes. (Herald file)
Junior Jayden Craig didn’t have her lowest round of the season at regionals for Durango, but it may have been her most important round for the team.
Craig battled tough greens at the Olde Course at Loveland on May 2 in the Girls 4A Region 4 Regional and came away victorious with a score of 11-over par to be the tournament’s individual medalist and help lead the Demons to the regional victory. Craig ended her round with a birdie, seven pars, eight bogeys and two double bogeys.
Golf is a mental game and it was impressive for Craig to meet the moment and help deliver the program its first regional title in head coach Kirk Rawles’ tenure.
Craig will be relied upon next year as a senior with the departures of seniors Ellie White and Raimee Brant.
Runner-up: Dylan Livingston’s performance at Montrose Red Hawk Tournament – Cobble Creek
Sophomore Dylan Livingston showed her potential at the Montrose Red Hawk Tournament- Cobble Creek Tournament at the Links at Cobble Creek in Montrose on April 7.
Livingston finished third in the tournament at 5-over par or 77. She finished with two birdies, nine pars and seven bogeys.
The rising junior did go lower than what Craig did at regionals, but not all golf courses are equal. The Links at Cobble Creek was an easier course and the tournament wasn’t for a regional championship.
Regardless, Livingston’s performance on April 7 showcased her power off the tee and soft hands around the green. It could be a preview of what’s to come next season.
Girls soccer: Ellis Campbell’s performance against Mountain View
Ellis Campbell of Durango High School strikes the ball for a goal on May 7 while playing Mountain View High School at DHS in the first round of playoffs. (Jerry McBride/Herald file)
Jerry McBride
The Durango girls soccer team had to bounce back in the first round of the 4A state playoffs this year and sophomore Ellis Campbell was a big reason why it did.
In 2024, the No. 4-seeded Demons were upset in the first round by No. 29 Dakota Ridge. This season was a chance to bounce back after that devastating loss and the No. 5 seed Demons accomplished that with an 8-0 win over No. 28 Mountain View in the first round of the 4A state playoffs on May 7.
Campbell led the charge with three goals in the middle of the game to give the Demons an insurmountable cushion. It was an important hump for the team to get over and allowed the Demons to get one more win at home in the next round before losing to Lutheran on the road in the state quarterfinals.
Runner-up: Bella Saren’s performance against Grand Junction Central
Senior Bella Saren had a fantastic outing against Grand Junction Central on May 1 on Dirks Field at Fort Lewis College. She finished with four goals in the Demons’ 10-0 rout of the Warriors.
Grand Junction Central was awful this season, finishing 1-14 overall and 0-10 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League. However, Saren scored her four goals in only 25 minutes of action. That’s an impressive feat in a varsity game, regardless of competition.
Baseball: Austin Romero’s performance against Lewis-Palmer
Austin Romero of Durango High School puts the ball in play while playing Grand Junction Central on April 11 at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Herald file)
Jerry McBride
The 2025 Durango High School baseball team was powered by its juniors and May 17’s regional final game against Lewis-Palmer was no different.
Lewis-Palmer was a big favorite as the No. 3 seed in 4A and as the host of the 4A Region 3 Regional. However, led by Romero, the No. 19 seed Demons upset Lewis-Palmer 13-8 to win the regional and advance to the state tournament.
Romero was on fire at the plate, going 4-5, including a home run, scoring three runs and finishing with two RBIs. Romero couldn’t have picked a better day to have one of his best days at the plate and the Demons needed it; they were down 7-1 after the first inning.
Runner-up: Dylan Burns’ performance against Summit
The Demons and Romero wouldn’t have had the chance to stun Lewis-Palmer if it weren’t for Durango and Burns’ performance against Summit earlier that day.
No. 14 Summit and the Demons battled back and forth all game before Durango scored three runs in the ninth inning for a 15-12 victory. Burns led the way at the plate, going 5-6 with five runs and an RBI.
A fantastic playoff run and a lot of enthusiasm for next year might not have happened if it wasn’t for Burns.
Girls lacrosse: Indie Eaton’s performance against Telluride
Durango sophomore Indie Eaton is hoisted by senior Ellie Casias (18) as teammates–including senior Eliciana Martinez (15)–arrive to celebrate Eaton’s game-winning, second-overtime goal against Telluride on March 31. (Herald file)
The Durango High School girls lacrosse team had many close games this spring and the Demons’ game against Telluride on March 31 may have been the Demons’ most consequential.
Durango beat Telluride 14-13 in double overtime. This win was a huge reason Durango won its first league title in program history, since the Demons and the Miners both finished league play with a 6-2 record.
Sophomore Indie Eaton was fantastic and had four goals for the Demons, including the game winner in double overtime. Her final goal of the game changed Durango’s season.
Runner-up: Silvie Bosmans’ performance against St. Mary’s Academy
The Demons dominated St. Mary’s Academy in the first round of the 4A state playoffs and Bosmans had a significant role in the victory.
The senior finished with a team-high eight points on five goals and three assists to lead Durango to a 20-4 victory. She also dominated draw control to keep the scoring and possession going.
Durango’s seniors won their last home game behind Bosmans’ strong performance.
Boys lacrosse: Alex Gnehm’s performance against Montrose
Alex Gnehm of Durango High School deflects a Montrose High School shot at the goal on April 26 at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
It was a fantastic turnaround season for the Durango High School boys lacrosse team under first-year head coach Valeria Skarbek. The Demons tripled their wins from the previous year and made it to the state playoffs for the first time this decade.
The Demons’ playoff chances weren’t looking great when they were 2-7 overall heading into a league game at Montrose on April 24. But behind senior goalie Alex Gnehm, the Demons snapped a five-game losing streak and won 12-10.
Gnehm was a brick wall in goal, stopping a season-high 33 shots. Gnehm’s performance and Durango’s win got the Demons on the right track as they won their next three games (including a forfeit).
Runner-up: JT Munger’s performance against Summit
Senior JT Munger was the straw that stirred the drink for Durango’s offense and had many memorable performances. His performance against Summit might’ve been the most important of the season and his career.
The Demons were 5-7 overall and on the edge of a state playoff birth before their game at Summit on May 2. Munger then delivered one of his best performances of the season, leading the Demons to a 14-6 victory and sealing a state playoff birth.
Munger tied a season-high with 10 points. He finished with three goals and a season-high seven assists. Munger had put up a lot of points in losses in his career, but showed one last time that he could put up points in a winning effort.
Girls tennis: Natalie Christensen’s performance at state
Natalie Christensen of Durango High School, playing in No. 2 singles, takes on Grand Junction on April 11 at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Herald file)
Jerry McBride
The Durango High School girls tennis team didn’t bring home any hardware from the 4A individual state championships, but sophomore Natalie Christensen showed she could compete with some of the best players in 4A.
Christensen, playing in No. 2 singles, beat Anna Fedoruk from Palmer, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round. Christensen then lost in the quarterfinals to eventual No. 2 singles state champion Rose Katen from Cheyenne Mountain, 6-4, 6-0. Christensen pushed Katen the hardest she’d been pushed, according to Cheyenne Mountain coaches.
Runner-up: Annabeth Hanson and Mary Jane Ramos’ performance at regionals
The doubles duo of sophomore Annabeth Hanson and senior Mary Jane Ramos impressed at regionals by winning the regional championship in No. 4 doubles.
It was even more impressive how dominant Hanson and Ramos were at the regional; they beat Montrose’s Annabelle Sanburg and Katelyn King 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals and Grand Junction’s Kendra Tooker and Eliza Bell in the finals, 6-3, 6-2.
We’ve got Thursday night football to kick off Week 1 around the Garden State as JSZ brings you three games from the gridiron. Princeton and Allentown meet in a Mercer County thriller, Demarest looks to start strong against Bergen Tech plus Washington Township tries to reach 2-0 against Pennsauken in the WJFL. Check back as the highlights are posted throughout the night!
Down 6-0, senior Ellinton Hinds who already had an interception on the first drive of the game, made one of the best catches in all of New Jersey high school football so far this season to keep Princeton (2-0) undefeated in 2025. Hinds had two leaping catches from QB Quinton deFaria, who threw for 109 yards and a TD. The Tigers beat Allentown (0-2) for the first time since 2005 and look to keep their win streak alive with a Week 2 matchup against Ewing.
JSZ’s Tyler Mroz has the highlights + reaction from Allentown:
Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Princeton and Allentown is brought to you by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.
The Minutemen took care of business in their home opener by racing out to a 35-0 halftime lead and cruising the rest of the way. Colin Beeler scored a pair of touchdowns to lead a bruising rushing attack in the victory. Paris Pratt hauled in a touchdown and added a fumble return touchdown for Washington Township (2-0). Pennsauken (1-1) will look to bounce back next Thursday against Highland.
JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Sewell:
Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Washington Township is made possible by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
With lead running back Reed Kauderer unavailable for the majority of the game, the Norsemen needed their other playmakers to step up. They ultimately answered the bell. Quarterback Joseph Yun accounted for three total touchdowns as Demarest (1-0) begins their 2025 season with a bang. Daejuan Joseph caught a pair of touchdown passes in the win. Bergen Tech (0-1) will now turn their focus to a game against Ferris next week.
JSZ’s Sean Dugan has the highlights from Little Ferry:
Five games dotted the high school football schedule Thursday night.
In Class AA, Butte stormed past Billings Skyview 33-13 on the road while Missoula Sentinel knocked off No. 3 Great Falls CMR 6-0. A big showdown in 8-Man lived up to its billing as No. 3 Fort Benton beat No. 2 Belt 24-22.
Check out the highlights and details below:
CLASS AA
Missoula Sentinel 6, No. 3 Great Falls CMR 0
After a scoreless first half, Sentinel struck with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Rudy Hess to Kyler Haslam. That ended up being the game’s only score, as the Spartans’ defense kept Great Falls CMR off the scoreboard entirely.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Missoula Sentinel knocks off No. 3 Great Falls CMR in defensive slugfest
Sentinel held CMR to six first downs, and 0-for-9 showing on third down and 132 total offensive yards. The Spartans’ Jake Boggust recovered a fumble on a promising CMR drive in the fourth quarter that helped preserve the shutout.
Butte 33, Billings Skyview 13
Hudson Luedtke caught three touchdown passes from Brooks Vincent to lead Butte to a road victory. Peyton Johnson had a scoring run and Jaeger Hansen returned an interception for a TD as the Bulldogs built a sizable first-half lead.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Butte picks up convincing win at Billings Skyview
The Falcons got their points on two touchdown passes from Jaxon Zagata to Jackson Carter.
At halftime, Skyview celebrated the 30th anniversary of its 1995 state title team. That year, the Falcons went 11-1 under coach Rob Lebsock and won the Class AA championship with a 27-20 victory over Bozeman.
MTN Sports
The 1995 state champion Billings Skyview Falcons are honored at Daylis Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Billings.
8-MAN
No. 3 Fort Benton 24, No. 2 Belt 22
Truman Giese’s fourth-quarter touchdown and two-point conversion gave Fort Benton the lead and two defensive takeaways in the final minutes helped maintain it as Fort Benton knocked off Belt in a ranked matchup.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
No. 3 Fort Benton knocks off No. 2 Belt in 8-Man showdown
Blake Waldner set an early tone for the Huskies with a 29-yard touchdown run, but Giese scored from 3 yards out to help tie it 8-8 in the second quarter.
Slater Lords had a long catch and run for a touchdown, putting Belt up 16-8, but a Giese-to-David Olson TD pass tied the game again. In the third, Waldner turned a Huskies interception into another touchdown run as Belt grabbed a 22-16 advantage. But it didn’t hold up.
Australian Sam Groth has the honour of having the fastest recorded tennis serve of all time.
The 6ft 4 Australian set the record during an ATP Open Challenger match in Busan, South Korea, in 2012 against Belarusian tennis player Uladzimir Ignatik.
Groths serve clocks in at a staggering 263.4kph (163.7mph).
Frenchman Albano Olivetti holds the record for the second-fastest serve ever recorded. The French tennis pro also remains the second person to break the 160mph serve speed barrier.
Olivetti’s serve came in 2012 at the challenger level during the Internazionali Trofeo Lame Perrel–Faip.
Albano Olivetti holds the second-fastest record serve on the tour.
It would be hard not to include the American giant John Isner in this list. The 6ft 10 American is known best for his monster serves, which are delivered consistently throughout.
His monstrous serve is thanks in part to his stature. Isner clocks in as the third-tallest tennis player on the ATP behind the Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic and American young gun Reilly Opelka (both 6ft 11 inches). Ivo Karlovic currently holds the record for the fourth fastest recorded tennis serve.
Isner currently holds the third fastest serve in tennis. The Americans serve, clocking in at 253 kph (157.2 mph) during a 2016 Davis Cup tie against Bernard Tomic.
John Isner also holds the record for playing the longest match in Grand Slam history against Nicolas Mahut. During Wimbledon 2010, Isner beat Mahut in 5 sets: 6–4, 3–6, 6–7, 7–6, 70–68. The match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.
Isner’s serve is the fastest recorded serve in tennis, recognised by the ATP.
Spaniard Georgina Garcia Perez holds the record for the fastest recorded tennis serve by a woman.
Perez clocked a serve of 200kph (136.7 mph) during the Hungarian Ladies Open in 2018.
Georgina Garcia Perez holds the record for the fastest serve by a female.
Why is it nearly impossible to hit a 160 mph tennis serve?
A considered calculation of stature, technique, coaching, mechanics and good old practice is said to make the perfect concoction for a fast serve.
A direct correlation has been proven between the height of a player and power during a serve. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the top servers of the game are all giants by nature.
The trajectory of a serve remains ever important. Players who are 6ft 7 or above have the ability to hit the ball with a downward trajectory, whereas those who are under that height are unable to do so.
Modern technology has also greatly aided in the incremental increase of server power over time. The changeover from wooden rackets to today’s modern racket is a huge factor in determining serve power. Advancements in string technology and racket materials also play a huge part in determining a fast serve.
Other mitigating factors include court conditions. Faster serves are much more likely to happen on a hard court and during hotter temperatures, where there is less resistance to air density, translating to faster speeds.
When you compare the fastest tennis serve with other sports, you can see how fast it is.
Fastest Football shot – 114 mph by David Hirst in 1996 Fastest Baseball pitch – 105.1 mph by Aroldis Chapman in 2010 Fastest Cricket Bowling speed – 100.2 mph by Shoaib Akhtar in 2003
What is the average tennis serve speed?
The average tennis serve speed differs between both men and women, as well as between pros and amateurs. Data shows us that for professional male tennis players, the average tennis serve speed is approximately 114 mph (on their first serve) and 93 mph (on their second serve).
For women, the average tennis serve speed clocks in at 98 mph (on their first serve) and 82 mph (on their second serve).
This data was recorded between 2002-2013, so bear in mind the average speeds have likely increased by a few miles per hour in the modern era, as racquet technology and athletes continue to evolve and adapt within the sport.
Check out Wired’s video, which covers the topic more in-depth.
It’s the second edition of Blue Federal Credit Union‘s Fort Collins-area Athlete of the Week for the 2025-26 high school sports season.
And this week’s honor is hitting the local tennis courts with a top singles player.
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Poudre boys tennis player Owen Addington took top honors in the Fort Collins area for the week of Aug. 25-30 after a couple of dominant sweeps.
Playing on the No. 1 singles line, the Impalas senior dropped just six games in four sets across two match wins over Windsor and Northglenn’s top players.
He beat Windsor’s Joseph Bisceglia (6-2, 6-3) and followed that up with a 6-0, 6-1 over Northglenn’s Emrah Mehidic.
Poudre’s Owen Addington bends down to hit a shot during a city rivalry boys tennis dual on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 at Fort Collins High School in Fort Collins, Colo.
Addington, also a basketball player and tennis team captain, has helped Poudre get off to a 3-1 start this season that also included a team tournament title at the Thompson Valley Invitational.
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The senior and third-year varsity player is the first tennis player to earn Blue FCU Athlete of the Week honors in the award’s third school year. He joins Rocky Mountain’s Bode Nesbitt as the first winners in the 2025-26 prep sports season.
Poudre fans pushed Addington atop the polls, giving him the victory with 51.5% of the fan vote.
That propelled him past these other four outstanding Athlete of the Week nominees:
Brooke Pravlik, PSD flag football (runner-up at 36.7%)
Taylor Morgan, Wellington softball
Judd Nikkel, Fossil Ridge boys golf
Nora Ebel, Rocky Mountain girls cross country
The Blue Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Week series features five nominees on Mondays, with voting at Coloradoan.com until 11:59 p.m. every Wednesday.
Fans can nominate their favorite athletes (deadline: 11:59 p.m. every Sunday), and the Coloradoan Sports staff will ultimately select the nominees each week.
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If you have nominations for a future Athlete of the Week, please send them via email to ChrisAbshire@coloradoan.com for consideration.
View the full results:
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.
BB&N senior Sam Kelley (right) announced he will play football at Brown. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
With sincere apologies to all the games played Thursday, here at Globe Schools it feels a lot like Christmas Eve, with a full slate of high school football arriving under the tree Friday evening.
Over the last two weeks we talked to nearly 200 football coaches and wrote more than 30,000 words previewing every team in Eastern Mass. There’s still time for a cram session!
Team-by-team previews for every Eastern Mass. program
Trevor Hass wrote about Whittier football coach Kevin Bradley, who is continuing to coach the team while battling tongue cancer. Read coach Bradley’s inspirational story.
The first three football games of the season were played Thursday night, with Pentucket topping Northeast (26-22), Waltham holding off Belmont (24-12), and Brookline beating Lexington (27-10).
1. Milestones
▪ Two golf teams made history, as Canton set a new low home score at Blue Hill Country Club, scoring a 138 as a team to best Mansfield by 15 strokes thanks to 1-under-par 33s from senior Joey Ryan and freshman Chase Thomas.
▪ Rockport set a record for most points on its home course, Rockport Country Club, posting a 168-151 win over Hamilton-Wenham behind a 38-point showing from Sam Kesterson, who shot a 1-under-par 34 with three birdies.
▪ St. John Paul II field hockey coach Leah Pierce got her first win with the program, beating Bishop Stang, 3-0. Ariana Liakos got her first win helming the Pembroke girls’ volleyball, beating Falmouth, 3-1. And Acton-Boxborough girls’ soccer coach Manny Lopes notched his first victory, 4-0, over Algonquin.
▪ On the pitch, No. 18 Medfield boys’ soccer shocked No. 10 Oliver Ames, the defending Division 2 state champions, with a 2-0 win powered by goals from Max Tillmann and Sebastian Cole.
Keene State freshman Kayla DiPasquale, a Marshfield High graduate, was named Little East Conference women’s soccer Rookie of the Week after scoring her first two collegiate goals in a 4-2 win over Rivier.
4. Commitment central
BB&N senior captain Sam Kelley, a 6-foot-2-inch, 228-pound two-way athlete from Natick, announced he will play football at Brown.
