The Glenwood Springs Demons boys swim team won 11 of 12 events and swept the top-3 positions in four of the events to score a dominating team win at the Southwest Conference Championships on Friday.

Glenwood, which combines swimmers from six different area high schools this season, won the conference championship with 288 points. The combined Grand Junction/Central/Palisade/Fruita Monument team was second with 91 points, and Montrose was third with 78.

Individual wins for the Demons swimmers were recorded by Max Bradbury in the 50 free (23.32) and 100 breast (1:00.48), Ross Bradbury in the 100 free (51.25), Shea Card in the 100 back (51.58) and 200 IM (1:58.08), Quinn MacPherson in the 500 free (5:05.17), and Charlie Kiddoo in the 100 fly (53.02) and 200 free (1:48.43).

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Also standing atop the championship podium were the Demons’ three relay teams, the 200 free (1:34.90), 200 medley (1:38.65) and 400 free (3:20.93).

The only event that didn’t have a Glenwood competitor was 1-meter diving, which was won by Gabe Woodland of Montrose.

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Glenwood Springs will now send a strong contingent of swimmers to the 4A State Championships Friday in Thornton.

Area track athletes compete at Tiger Invite

Several area boys and girls track and field athletes improved their state qualifying marks at the Thursday-Friday Tiger Invitational in Grand Junction.

The meet served as the final opportunity for 4A Glenwood Springs and 3A Coal Ridge, Roaring Fork, Basalt and Rifle to establish a top-18 ranking to qualify ahead of this week’s State Track and Field Championships in Lakewood.

For the Glenwood Springs girls, junior Ella Johnson and sophomore Sophia Connerton-Nevin moved into the 13th and 18th qualifying spots in the 1600 meters.

Johnson ran 5:11.62 to place second at the Tiger meet, while Connerton-Nevin ran 5:15.30 to place fifth.

Senior Sophia Vigil also lowered her time in the 100-meter hurdles, running a 16.96 to place second and move into the 17th qualifying position.

The Lady Demons’ 4×200 relay team also improved its ranking, running a 1:49.57 and placing second to move into the 16th qualifying spot.

Other area athletes improving their qualifying mark at the Tiger Invite included, for the girls (qualifying mark and state ranking):

Roaring Fork Lily Nieslanik, 1st long jump (17-1, 5th). Coal Ridge Phoebe Young, 1st pole vault (11-5, 5th); Mikayla Cheney, 1st 400 meters (58.73, 7th), 3rd 1600 meters (5:05, 3rd); Taylor Wiescamp, 1st shot put, (39-2.5, 3rd); 4×200 relay, 1st (1:46.51, 3rd); 4×400 relay, 1st (4:05.17, 3rd). Rifle Abigaile Pinkerton-Sparkman, 4th pole vault (8-2, 12th). Basalt Katelyn Maley, 1st 800 meters, (2:15.53, 1st); Ava Lane, 2nd 3200 meters (11:39.76, 11th); Katie Bohannan, 3rd pole vault (8-8, 8th); 800 medley relay, 2nd (1:52.49, 4th);

And, for the boys:

Coal Ridge Shayne Sandblom, 2nd pole vault (11-8, 4th); 1st 4×200 relay (1:33.84, 11th), 1st 4×400 relay (3:33.60, 7th). Rifle Kade Bishop, 1st long jump (20-1.75, 16th); Patrick Whitt, 3rd pole vault (10-2, 12th).

Senior Reporter/Managing Editor John Stroud can be reached at 970-384-9160 or jstroud@postindependent.com.