Photo by Will Cornelius
Sophomore Jay Michaels competing in the hurdles at a May 4 Berthoud track meet.

By Kristi Leonard
The Surveyor

Berthoud High School’s (BHS) Jay Michaelis broke the school record in the 300-meter hurdles by running 39.39 seconds at the Berthoud Last Chance meet this past Saturday. The sophomore broke the previous record of 40.21 — set by Peter Radice in 1997. Despite running an incredible time in arguably the most difficult race on the track, Michaelis did not even win the event.

Grayson Lewis of Windsor High School, running in the lane just next to Michaelis, won the race. Lewis beat Michaelis to the first hurdle and was a step ahead of him at the second hurdle — a common occurrence this season when the two have raced. However, this week Michaelis matched Lewis around the turn of the third, fourth and fifth hurdle. Michaelis nearly matched Grayson stride-for-stride over the sixth and seventh hurdle until the Windsor senior pulled away in the final 40 meters to win by twenty-two hundredths of a second.

According to Milesplit USA, an online database of track and field marks, Michaelis is now the 37th fastest sophomore in the USA for the 300-meter hurdles. When asked what helped him drop his time, Michaelis said, “I’ve done extra laps to build endurance after practice. I’ve done an extra 400 or two.”

Michaelis may have been spurred on by Brooke Nelsen who had just set a personal record in the same race a few minutes earlier. In only her second 300-meter hurdle race of the season, Nelsen ran 47.92 seconds to move into fifth place in Class 3A standing with the state meet coming up next week. “I got discouraged and didn’t think I could do it,” Nelsen revealed about why she has not run the 300-meter hurdle even though she has run the 100-meter hurdle race all season. “We’ve been working on the 300-meter hurdles and I’m in a good positive mental state,” summarized Nelsen.

“We’ve increased the distance intervals and they’re doing 400’s and 500’s,” explained hurdles coach Lori Neff. “They’re starting to taper and PR based on the work they’ve been doing,” Neff said while taking a picture with Nelsen, Michaelis and her son — freshman Jayce Newbill. Newbill also set a personal best time in the 300-meter hurdles with 44.03 seconds, 10 seconds faster than his time at the start of the season. “They take care of each other. I’m only there one or two days a week and they have to coach themselves sometimes. They’re doing great.”

This was the final week for athletes to qualify for the state meet, which starts on May 18. BHS athletes attended three different meets to try to qualify. On Tuesday, Kamron Hosier finally got a state-qualifying wind-legal time for the 200-meter dash. Nolan Simon may have qualified in the discus with a toss of 131 feet. Cayden Day will most likely just miss the state mark, but his throw of 41 feet 8 inches in the shot put is a 13 foot improvement since the first time he competed in the event. Simon and Day are seniors who came out for track for the first time in their high school careers.

Gracie Flores got a few reps in the shot put before next week’s state meet where she is ranked sixth. Izabelle Froien is closing in on her goal of throwing over 120 feet. The senior threw 119’ at the St. Vrain Invite. Freshman Audrey Gravestock threw 100 feet 10 inches to catapult herself into the state qualifying standings. For context, Gravestock started the season throwing just 66 feet. Sydney Slauson ran 5:17.09 in the 1600-meter run. Her time moves her into state-qualifying status as well.

Berthoud boys who will most likely be competing at state next weekend include: Kamron Hosier (100, 200, 4×100 relay, 4×200 relay), Tate Bothun (800, 1600, 3200, 4×800 relay), Aiden Malherbe (800, 4×800, 4×400 relay), Scott Clark (1600, 3200, 4×800), Afton Cooper (3200, 4×800), Ben Clopper (4×400), Jay Michaelis (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4×100, 4×200), Bowen Kasperbauer (4×100), Alex Pygott (4×100, 4×200, 4×400), Jayce Newbill (4×200, 4×400), Evan Torres (4×400), Trevor Moore (discus) and Nolan Simon (discus).

On the girls side it is: Jaycee Williams (800, 1600, 4×400, 4×800), Paige Farnam (200, 400, long jump, 4×400), Sydney Slauson (800, 1600, 4×800, 4×400), Brooke Nelsen (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4×100, 4×200), Izabelle Froien (discus), Gracie

Flores (discus, shot put), Audrey Gravestock (discus), Ellie Harper (sprint medley relay, 4×100, 4×200, 4×400), Maddie Kenner (sprint medley relay, 4×100, 4×200), Adriana DeGesualdo (sprint medley relay, 4×100, 4×200), Marie Cabrera (4×800), Myla Abillar (sprint medley relay, 4×400, 4×200), Gabby Staley (sprint medley relay, 4×100), Sydney Hardy (4×100) and Shaylee Spears (sprint medley relay, 4×200).