Frederick senior Tanner Kaufman turned in his absence from last spring’s state track and field meet for a spot atop of the class.

Spotted rather easily at Mead High School’s track this weekend, with his bleached-blond hair and a bright pink warm-up shirt, Kaufman added the latest chapter to what’s been a speedy ascent from runner to track rock star.

Out of 29 teams and three leagues — the Granite Peaks, Foothills and Mile High — he set personal-best marks in wins in the 400- and 800-meter run.

On Friday, he took the 400 with the state’s seventh-fastest time ran this season, clocking in at 48.33 seconds. Then Saturday, he logged the third-fastest 800 (1:52.81), finishing just ahead of two Niwot runners, including the event’s 4A defending champ, Rocco Culpepper.

“I just wanted to do better this season and actually be a good runner,” said Kaufman, who was named GPL’s boys track athlete of the meet. “Last year, I was almost (at the state meet), and I wanted to be there, but that’s been another factor for this year. I want to go to state, and like, try to win state this year.”

In the 800, Kaufman has shaved off more than six seconds from his best 2024 mark. And in the 400, an event he didn’t officially run last spring, he’s now just eight-tenths of a second behind the 2025 state leader, Poudre’s Gery Lockman (47:53).

It’s been the kind of growth any track enthusiast would have a tough time explaining. Including himself.

“There’s times when I feel like I’m not racing the best I can,” Kaufman said. “But then I have to think back and realize I have dropped so much time in one year.”

In the final event of the two-day meet — another win for Kaufman and Frederick in the Granite Peaks League 4×400 — the senior finished in the state’s third-fastest time at 3:21.22. Tristen Dean, Wesley Walker and Dylan Norwood set him up for the anchor leg.

Overall, Niwot swept the girls and boys team races in the Granite Peaks League.

Jade West was named the league’s girls field athlete of the meet, winning shot put and discus. She’s won a state title in shot put the past two seasons and claimed the discus crown last year.

Reese Kasper added wins in the 100 and 300 hurdles for the Cougars’ girls team, while Addy Ritzenhein won the 800 and 3,200. Their boys team was led by wins from Ryder Keeton in the 3,200, Hunter Robbie in the 1,600 and Weston Domich in the triple jump.

Elsewhere, Legacy’s Annalina Torres was named GPL’s girls track athlete of the year after winning the 400 and 200.

In the 400, Torres and Mead’s Rylee Klatt finished with Colorado’s top two times, 54.55 and 54.98. In the 200, Torres finished with its fourth-best time (24.50), one spot behind Holy Family’s Claire Tannehill’s best of the year (24.22).

With the state meet coming up fast, slated for May 15-17, Tannehill’s and Klatt’s current marks in the 100 are ranked second and third (11.78 and 11.79). In the 200, Tannehill is third, Torres fourth and Klatt sixth. Tannehill and Klatt will run in 4A at the state meet, while Torres is in 5A.

After Tannehill was outstepped by Torres in the 200 on Saturday — her fourth event in 24 hours — the Tigers junior packed her stuff up and headed out for her school’s prom.

“Prom ends at 3 a.m., so we’ll see if I stay awake,” she said with a smile. “Who knows.”

Legacy’s Devin Shea claimed GPL’s boys field athlete of the meet, winning the high and long jumps.

Dayspring Christian won Mile High’s boys team race, while Heritage Christian won in girls. Lyons finished third in both.

Golden View Classical, meanwhile, swept the Foothills team standings, followed in each by Twin Peaks and Nederland. Twin Peaks’ Christian Rodriguez was the league’s boys field athlete of the meet after he won the Foothills discus event with a career-best throw of 100 feet and 5 inches.