Coal Ridge junior Effie Fletcher has been terrorizing her Western Slope running competition for years on end, and didn’t let off the gas pedal during the Anna Banana 2025. 

Fletcher took home the gold during the meet, hosted by Fruita Monument High School at the Snooks Bottom Open Space park Sept 20.  

The junior ran the 5k in 18:41.6 — 1:36.5 faster than any other girl throughout the meet. Her time met the U.S. first team standard according to MileSplit. 

“I didn’t really expect a whole lot from the race,” Fletcher said. “When we were walking the course, it seemed like it would be a good training day, and being able to pull away from the others that much really surprised me.

“I don’t want to be just good, I want to be great. That mentality keeps me pushing and not settle for anything less,” she added.

Coal Ridge’s girls cross country team ended up finishing ranked ninth in the Anna Banana 2025. Both the Glenwood Demons boys and girls teams ended up ranked eighth.  

Volleyball

Editor’s note: Results from Rifle at Moffat County, Delta at Glenwood Springs and Cedaredge at Grand Valley were not available by the Post Independent print deadline.

The No. 5 ranked Glenwood Springs Demons have been one of the hottest teams on the court this fall. The Demons (8-1, 2-0) opened 3-0 before dropping their only match to Mullen on Aug. 23. Since then, they’ve won five straight and looked to extend the streak Tuesday night against Delta.

Glenwood will be tested again Sept. 30 when it travels to undefeated Battle Mountain (5-0, 4-0).

Coal Ridge has also found its rhythm. After a 3-3 start, the Titans (7-3, 3-1) have rattled off four consecutive wins. They travel to Grand Valley (4-7) on Thursday.

Rifle (1-6) continued to search for traction on the road Tuesday at Moffat County.

Grand Valley, after enduring a five-match losing streak, has turned things around. The Cardinals have won three of their past four and entered Tuesday’s matchup with Cedaredge at 4-7 overall, 1-1 in league play.

Soccer

Editor’s note: Final scores from Aspen at Rifle and Grand Valley at Colorado Rocky Mountain School were not available by the Post Independent print deadline.

After a strong start to the 2025 season, the Coal Ridge Titans hit a small speedbump during a road trip to the Front Range earlier this month.

Following two straight losses, the Titans bounced back with a pair of wins over tough Western Slope opponents. They edged Delta 1-0 at home, then traveled to Gunnison and blanked the Cowboys 5-0.

Now 4-2-1 overall and 1-0 in 3A Western Slope League play, the Titans return home for a rivalry matchup against Rifle on Thursday night.

The Roaring Fork Rams dropped their opener 2-0 at Crested Butte, but have been rolling ever since. They reeled off five straight wins before tying Timnath 0-0 in a 120-minute home match.

At 4-1-1 overall and 2-0 in league play, the Rams host Grand Junction Central on Wednesday night.

After a long layoff since Sept. 11, Glenwood Springs will be back on the field Wednesday at Battle Mountain. The Huskies are 5-1-2 and undefeated in league play, while the Demons (2-4, 0-2) are still chasing their first league win.

Rifle, meanwhile, opened 3-2 but has since dropped two straight — falling to Roaring Fork 6-2 and Fruita Monument 1-0. The Bears hosted Aspen on Tuesday before heading to Coal Ridge on Thursday.

Grand Valley also steadied after a tough start. The Cardinals (2-2-2, 2-0) lead the 2A Western Slope North and traveled to Carbondale on Tuesday to face Colorado Rocky Mountain School.

Softball

Editor’s note: Results from Rifle at Eagle Valley were not available by the Post Independent print deadline.

The Rifle Bears’ softball team has been one of the area’s most explosive squads this fall. At 10-4 overall, Rifle hasn’t lost since Sept. 5 and entered Tuesday’s game at Eagle Valley riding a five-game win streak.

During that stretch, the Bears have piled up 73 runs, including a 23-1 win over Battle Mountain and an 18-5 win over Meeker. Senior Rylan Petree leads all of Class 4A in stolen bases with 19, while teammate Brynn Axelson ranks third with 18.

Rifle returns home Friday for a doubleheader against Durango.

Football

Rifle and Grand Valley are both still hunting for their first win of the season. The Bears (0-5) host University (2-1) on Friday, while the Cardinals (0-4) welcome Resurrection Christian (1-2).

Coal Ridge, by contrast, has caught fire. Since dropping its opener, the Titans (3-1) have scored more than 40 points in three straight wins. They host Wheat Ridge (0-3) on Thursday night.

Glenwood Springs (2-2) has been idle since a 13-7 Homecoming win over Basalt on Sept. 13. The Demons travel to the Front Range on Saturday morning to face George Washington as they look to move above .500 for the first time this year.