CRAIG – Let the post-season begin.

After a number of strong performances at Saturday’s Clint Wells Invitational meet, area track athletes are ready to tackle the challenge of this weekend’s two-day regional meet at Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction.

The Rifle boys tuned up for its assault of earning a regional title by winning their third regular season meet of the year.

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The Bears won four individual events and complied 153 1/2 team points for the boys’ meet title.

Glenwood, paced by first-place marks by Marco Salmen in the 800 and 3,200 meter runs, took fifth with 53 points.

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Rifle senior Michael Birdsley won the 200 and 400 meter dashes in times of 23.30 and 51.74 seconds, respectively.

He also anchored the Bears’ 4 x 200 meter relay team to a first-place finish.

David Suminski, a member of the 4 x 200 relay team, clocked in at 11.35 to win the 100 meters. In the high hurdles, Justin Steffan pre-qualified for the Class 4A state meet with a winning mark of 15.07.

Steffan also took second in the Intermediate Hurdles in 42.75.

Salmen, who will not run at regionals due his to participation in the National High School Mock Trials as a member of the GSHS Mock Trial team, had first-place times of 2:01.47 and 10:14.50 in the 800 and 3,200 respectively.

The Demon long-distance star pre-qualified for the state meet earlier this year in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

Glenwood’s Ryan Erickson and Matt Wilson each recorded personal bests throws in the discus.

Erickson’s 133 feet, 3 inches toss earned second place. Wilson took fourth with a best throw of 131-1.

The Rifle girls earned the team championship in their half of the meet as well.

The Bears outscored host Moffat County, 180-149, for first place with Glenwood in third with 115 points.

Long jumper Jennifer Schneider had the Bears’ lone individual winning mark of the Craig meet. Shot putter Amanda Bingham qualified for the state meet on a third-place event-best throw of 37-81⁄2.

The foursome of Amber Canard, A.J. Connelly, Brooke St. Pierre and Tara Enewold zipped Rifle to a 2:01.15 winner in the sprint relay.

Glenwood senior Jeri Polowchena recorded first-place marks in three events.

She won both hurdle events in times of 16.22 and 49.00, respectively and earned the triple jump title with the day’s best mark of 34-83⁄4.

Junior Amber Sutherland had a personal best of 38-41⁄4 for second place in the shot put and also qualified for state in the discus with a toss of 121-6.