Champ, reloaded - Longmont Times Call

PREP TRACK AND FIELD STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Champ, reloaded

Niwot’s Culpepper adds to legacy, while Frederick’s Kaufman getting his started

Niwot’s Quinn Sullivan, left, and Rocco Culpepper take off from the start of the Class 4A boys 800-meter run during the CHSAA state championships Friday at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood. PHOTOS BY MATTHEW JONAS — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Frederick’s Tanner Kaufman runs in the Class 5A boys 800-meter run during Friday’s portion of the CHSAA state championships.

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By Brent W. New

bwnew@prairiemountainmedia.com

LAKEWOOD >> Niwot junior Rocco Culpepper, the son of Olympians and a multiple-time state champion runner himself, is widely known at the state track and field meet. Frederick’s Tanner Kaufman, on the other hand, is making quite the first impression.

On the second day of the three-day championships Friday, Culpepper won the Class 4A 800-meter run for a second straight year at Jefferson County Stadium, holding off teammate Quinn Sullivan down the stretch. Then, in Kaufman’s turn in 5A, the senior went for silver in the first state track final of his career. Updating his personal-best time to 1 minute and 52.50 seconds, only 5A winner Ben Lee of ThunderRidge posted a better mark (1:51.42) than Kaufman at the meet.

“I just have plans to keep getting better and better,” said Kaufman, who went from never qualifying for the state meet to one of its best competitors this spring. From here on out, he said, “every year, I just want to be great.”

Culpepper’s great. But most in the local running community already knew that.The junior continues to prove dominant at the state track meet, where he already has multiple state titles in hand for a third straight year.

His skater, jet-black hair slapping across his face throughout the 4A 800, Culpepper moved from third to first in the final lap to defend his title in 1:54.51. It came after Thursday’s win in the 4×800 where he, along with Quinn Sullivan, Cole Mazurana and Gavin Engtrakul, comfortably held off the field in 7:51.53.

Altogether, the junior has seven track titles, and he could make a bid Saturday for his first four-title state meet (the maximum number of events an athlete can participate in) as he touts the top 4A times ahead of the 1,600 and 4×400 finals.

Last year, Culpepper won three state titles — the 800, 4×800 and 1,600 — and the year before, as a freshman, he won two — 4×400 and 4×800.

“When you go into a race and you have me, Quinn, Cole, Gavin, it’s just fun out there and we can relax,” Culpepper said of his teammates. “We know that no matter the result we can be proud and happy.”

Kaufman, meanwhile, his bleach-blond surfer hair from earlier this month, now short and pink, has the 400, 1,600 and 4×400 left on the final day. He came into the weekend with the sixth-best time in the 5A 400 and is the 16th seed in the mile. His 4×400 has the third-fastest time in the state and class.

However things finish Saturday for Kaufman, his story is already a wild success. Never qualifying for state before and only six months from being cleared to run from a stress fracture in his ankle (which he believes was caused by poor footwear), his speedy rise from good to great on the track has already created new opportunities, including a commitment with Colorado State last week.

“I used to do dumb stuff like run with my shoes off or run in Vans in P.E. I’m like, ‘I’m not going to get injured,” Kaufman said, cracking a smile. “Now I realize I need to take everything 100% seriously. Now I have good shoes. And going into college, CSU said they would give me good shoes so I won’t get injured again.”