From Roaring Fork Rams girls lacrosse to Coal Ridge track and field to Glenwood Springs boys swimming, Garfield County athletes represented the area well during the 2026 spring sports season, earning recognition on  Colorado High School Athletic Association All-State rosters. 

Track and Field

The Coal Ridge track and field program is becoming one of the most feared on the Western Slope. 

Just one year after the girls team finished 10 points shy of the state championship, the boys team brought home the program’s first state banner in May. Although the girls weren’t able to climb the podium in back-to-back years, they still finished as a top-five program in Class 3A

“We’re so proud of all of our programs producing top-end athletes,” head Titans Track and Field coach Ben Kirk said. “As a school, we promote multisport athletes and athleticism. I think those things are seen when kids from across all sports, ages and genders are being acknowledged at the state level.”

In total, the Coal Ridge Titans had six representatives on CHSAA’s 2025-26 Class 3A All-State rosters, including the 3A Boys Co-Athlete of the Year, senior Aiden Huey, and the 3A Coach of the Year, Ben Kirk. 

“Aiden Huey being named 3A Track Athlete of the Year is amazing because he’s just the third Titan to receive that recognition,” Kirk said. “It’s much more impressive than Coach of the Year. It shows 4 years of intense work and dedication to a sport paired with God-given talent to achieve that level of success.”

Huey earned first-team honors in the 110-meter hurdles and the triple jump. He was joined on the first team by junior Marcus Munoz in the long jump and triple jump, senior Kai Osterle in the 300-meter hurdles, sophomore Clayton Terrell in the triple jump, junior Lexi Thurmon in the 400-meter hurdles, and junior Kina Will in the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles. 

The Titans also had plenty of representation on the second team. The girls’ 4×800-meter relay team was represented by freshman Adealyn Nunn, junior Effie Fletcher, junior Hailey Whitman and senior Faye Goodman. Girls 4×200 relay partners Allison Smythe and senior Jordan Terrell were also named to the second team, along with three members of the boys 4×100 relay team: sophomore Edward Roberts and seniors Evan Dujka and Giovanni Parker. 

“Being named Coach of the Year is humbling because I know how hard every coaching staff across the state works to make their kids successful,” Kirk said. “I am surrounded by unbelievable athletes and assistant coaches. When you surround yourself with great people, it gets noticed.

Other Garfield County representatives. 

4A: First Team: Rifle senior Rylan Petree (400 meter). Second team: Rifle senior Yadier Loya (discus). 

3A: Honorable Mentions: Coal Ridge junior Jayden Emery (shot put)

2A: Second team: Grand Valley senior Daniel Gronewoller (high jump), Grand Valley junior Kylene Mascioli (300 meter hurdles). 

Swimming

If Garfield County were participating in a triathlon, the 2026 prep talent would have the area covered. The Glenwood Springs Demons boys swim team, a perennial threat at the state championship meet, finished third in Class 4A in 2026. 

The team wasn’t chock-full of seniors and relied on its underclassmen throughout the season, as shown through the All-State roster. Six Glenwood Demon swimmers were rewarded for their seasons — three of which were underclassmen. The Demons also represented well on the first-team roster with five representatives.

“We had some really good senior leadership this year, and that’s going to help these younger kids next year,” longtime Glenwood Swim head coach Steve Vanderhoof said. “You hate to see those kids go, but it’s also exciting because we should be just as fast, and the foundation they laid is only going to make this young group better.”

The 2026 Demons swim team was led by the 4A Swimmer of the Year, Vail-based senior Breck Boyd, who earned first-team honors in the 100-yard backstroke, the 200-yard freestyle relay, the 200-yard medley relay, and the 50-yard freestyle. Boyd will continue his swimming career at the University of California, Santa Barbara in the fall. 

Boyd was joined on the first team by his younger brother, sophomore Tyson Boyd, in the200-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay; senior Brian Molloy in the 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay; sophomore Andrew Molloy in the 200-yard medley relay; and sophomore Tennyson Sipes in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Freshman Andrew Gieszl was named an honorable mention in the 100-yard backstroke.

Vanderhoof, who is deeply involved in the youth swim scene in western Colorado, has been coaching the Boyd’s since they were little, and said it was immensely rewarding to see them reach their potential. 

“I remember coaching Breck and his little brother when they were seven and eight years old,” he said. “To watch those kids grow from little eight-year-olds into six-foot-two, strong, fast swimmers has been quite a journey. Seeing Breck become Swimmer of the Year is incredibly rewarding.”

Lacrosse

The growth of youth lacrosse in Garfield County is inspiring, and the 2026 Roaring Fork Rams Girls Lacrosse team gave the younger generation something to visualize and strive for. 

The only girls lacrosse program in the county featured a special group during the 2026 season, resulting in a No. 3 seed and home-field advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs. For the first time in program history, the girls hosted the quarterfinal matchup in May before falling to Cheyenne Mountain in a heartbreaker. 

“It has been quite memorable coaching these seniors for so long, and it culminated in a great final year for them,” Rams head coach Dahl Miller said. “It was an honor to watch them mature and grow into amazing young women and talented lacrosse players.”

The team was led by senior attacker Jordyn Miller and senior goalie Alivya Malcom — both of whom were rewarded with recognition on the CHSAA 4A Girls Lacrosse All-State roster. Malcolm finished the season with a .668 save percentage, ranking top 5 in the nation, while Miller racked up 86 points in her senior year, the 8th most in Colorado. 

Senior defender Ava Montemayor and junior Draw Specialist Marin Weaver were named honorable mentions. 

“Alivya stepped into some big shoes as goalie and made her own mold; being named to her first All-State team was well deserved. Jordyn continued to be a powerhouse on the field. It’s her second All-State, third All-Conference, and she was the 2026 Conference player of the year, all while mentoring our younger athletes, which we are super excited about in the upcoming years,” Miller said. “It was a wonderful season, and I want to thank our sponsors, donors, parents, and the best coaching staff — Ashley Travis, Jessica Owings, and Terry Claasen.”

Garfield County boys lacrosse representatives included Glenwood Springs junior goalie Desmond Chacos and Glenwood Springs senior midfielder Ossie Hilgeford, who were named to the Class 4A second team. Glenwood Springs senior attacker James Genung earned honorable mention.

Girls soccer 

Although the Western Slope didn’t have as competitive girls’ soccer programs in the spring of 2026, that doesn’t diminish the talent individual programs nurtured. 

The Glenwood Springs Demons varsity girls soccer team took a massive step forward from last year’s 3-12 finish. The 2026 Demons finished 8-7-1, enough to squeak themselves into the 4A CHSAA State Playoffs as the No 30 seed. They fell to No. 3 Air Academy 5-0 in the first round. Roaring Fork, Coal Ridge, and Rifle all finished with win percentages south of .500. 

Even without Garfield County representation in the 2026 girls soccer state playoffs, the All-State honorable mentions were littered with Western Slope players. 

Glenwood Springs seniors Alice Cleaver and Sophia Sherick and junior Genna Taylor earned honorable mention, along with Roaring Fork senior Maya Lindbloom and junior Bianca Braun, Coal Ridge senior Abby Cloninger, Rifle senior Makayla Krelovich and Grand Valley junior Lexi DeMaio.

Baseball

What some baseball programs consider to be a successful season, the Coal Ridge Titans view as a step back. After taking home their first state title a year ago, the Titans had a strong 16-9 season but finished third in the 3A Western Slope League and missed the state playoffs. 

Senior shortstop and pitcher Julian Perez and junior catcher and pitcher Maddox Olivas were named honorable mentions in the 3A CHSAA Baseball All-State roster. Rifle senior outfielder and pitcher Remington DeCrow was also named honorable mention.