It is a good thing that record books aren’t chiseled into stone anymore, because if that were the case, Rifle High School would have quite a bit of work for a local stonemason. 

The Rifle Bears have an up-and-coming young track and field team that may not be sending as large of a contingent to the CHSAA State Championship Meet as fellow Western Slope schools, but had an equally, if not more, exciting season on the synthetic rubber track. 

Juniors Yadier Loya, Rylan Petree, and senior Triniti Johnson etched their names into the history of their school, all in completely different facets of the sport — Loya did it by throwing the discus 161.00′, Johnson did it by pole vaulting 9′ 10″, and Petree did it by running the 400 meter dash in 57.80 seconds, two full seconds faster than the previous record. 

“The coolest part about all of this was to see how proud I made my coaches, parents, grandparents,” Petree said. “I’ve been working to break this record since I was a freshman. FInally doing it feels like a relief to know I can reach the goals I set for myself no matter how big they are.”

The three Bears track stars have been gunning for these records since they first put on the blue and gold, and their coach has been there supporting their high goals every step of the way. 

“It’s hard to explain how proud of these kids I am,” Rifle Bears head coach Christopher Bomba said. “They have made track a priority in their lives since they were freshman, and to see them get to this point is special.” 

It is the second time since 2018 that the school has had to update the Pole Vault and 400 meter dash, but the discus record had stood strong for 25 years until Loya finally breached through. 

“I honestly didn’t even think my first throw was near the record,” Loya laughed. “I was waiting for the mark thinking it would be around 140′ but hearing (161′) made me drop to the ground with joy. The funny thing was that I came second in the competition, losing to one of my good friends by 2 feet. But I didn’t care about that, I was just happy about the record.” 

Loya, who started running track in eighth grade without participating in discus, broke the quarter-century old record by over seven feet at Coal Ridge High School on April 18. His coach couldn’t help but be excited for what Loya will look like during his senior campaign. 

“With Yadi being a junior, I am just excited for what his throws will look like next year when he is bigger, stronger, and refreshed,” Bomba said. 

Bomba, who has been the Bears track coach for over 15 years, has seen generations of athletes pass through the door of Rifle High School, and said seeing the records change hands is one of his favorite parts about the job. He was coaching when the 400 meter dash and pole vault records were set in 2018, and now seven years later he is seeing the standard being set even higher. 

“It’s such a fun and cool experience to be a part of,” he said. “Having kids come in and show such dedication and passion is one thing, but then to see kids come in seven years later, show the same amount of passion and break these records is special.”

Petree said she joined the track team only because she was looking for a spring sport. As a freshman, she was choosing between track and golf, but after she nearly broke the 400 meter dash school record during her first year competing, she was hooked. 

“On the first day of practice I was very nervous about what I was getting myself into, but after the first meet I fell in love with the sport,” Petree explained. ” I really enjoy getting to help my teammates grow as athletes. It is really cool to not only see yourself excel but also the people around you.”

The previous school record had been bulletin board material for Petree since she was a freshman. She said that becoming the one that future generations will be gunning for is something that she has been chasing for years. 

“It means a lot to me to know the next athletes will be pushing themselves to be their best, and to break my record. Being the one to beat for the next generations is really cool,” she said. 

Johnson got her name into the history books in one of her last performances as a member of the Rifle Bears track and field team. The former distance runner turned jumper said she made a deal with her father. 

“At the beginning of the season my dad asked me what my goals were for the upcoming season. I told him that I was going to break the record and I always keep my word to my dad,” she joked. 

The senior looks proudly at her accomplishment with a small sense of nostalgia. She said she hopes she can be a point of motivation for those who come next. 

“The coolest part about beating the record is being able to look back on how hard I worked to get to this point of my career,” Johnson said. “I hope to make future pole vaulters work just as hard as I did, if not, harder. It makes me happy to know athletes in the future will have goals like I did.”

The three of them will travel together to the CHSAA 3A state tournament on Thursday, May 15 at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood, hoping to prove to the state they are the best high school runners, jumpers, and throwers in all of Colorado. 

“As a coach I enjoy watching our kids compete because they always run, jump and throw with a chip on their shoulders which makes them a great group to watch,” Bomba said. “Our young team will be fun to watch in the coming years seeing we are only graduating a handful of seniors.”