Prep notebook: Fountain-Fort Carson hosts successful event for Special Olympics Colorado
For the first time Saturday, Fountain-Fort Carson High School played host to more than 250 swimming and track and field athletes, along with some 100 volunteers, at the Special Olympics of Colorado’s Southeast Spring Games.
“Fountain-Fort Carson was a great venue, with many staff and students there to help run the tournament,” said Michelle Pewters, the organization’s Southeast regional manager. “We are looking forward to having it there again at this time of year in 2020.”
Special Olympics celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018.
“We were honored to help this great organization hold this event to help their athletes qualify for the state championships,” Trojan swim coach Duffy Dillon said.
The Spring State Championships, which feature track and field, soccer, powerlifting, gymnastics and aquatics, are scheduled for June 7-9 in Grand Junction.
Royer leaves Rampart football after five seasons
Rob Royer, who led Rampart to a 36-19 record in five seasons with four playoff appearances, recently announced he was leaving his alma mater to take the position of offensive line coach with the Air Force Academy’s Prep School.
Royer graduated from the District 20 school in 1991 and returned as head coach and teacher prior to the 2014-15 school year. During his first season, the Rams qualified for the playoffs to break a 10-year postseason drought.
In 2016, Rampart won its first league title in 16 years.
“I can step back and be a dad and still support Rampart,” Royer said. “Looking at the prep school schedule, their games are on Saturday, so I’ll still be able to see most of the games with Rampart. We’re still going to be here. My family has always been first, and my boys and wife are the most important things in my life, not necessarily coaching high school.”
Girls’ soccer, lacrosse committees to set playoff brackets Monday
Postseason matchups for girls’ soccer and boys’ and girls’ lacrosse will be announced Monday. Those brackets are based on league automatic qualifiers and the final Ratings Percentage Index.
Soccer action gets underway Tuesday in 2A and 5A, while 3A and 4A teams play first-round games Wednesday. Among the area’s top teams include Fountain Valley (2A, No. 4); Rampart (5A, No. 4); Sand Creek (4A, No. 7); and Palmer Ridge (4A, No. 10).
Defending state champion Cheyenne Mountain and Air Academy finished No. 1 and No. 6, respectively, in the final 4A boys’ lacrosse RPI. First-round games must be completed by Wednesday. No area 5A teams finished in the top 16.
The one-class, 20-team girls’ lacrosse playoffs will complete its first round by Thursday. Pine Creek finished third, while Air Academy was ranked No. 13 in the sport’s final RPI.
Widefield names Shub as next athletic director
Jon Shub, Widefield’s assistant principal the past two years, was recently chosen as the school’s next athletic director. He’s replacing Shelli Miles, who announced her retirement following 22 years at the post and 34 overall at Widefield.
Shub spent nine seasons as coach of the Doherty boys’ soccer team and also oversaw the girls’ program for four seasons.
In 2015, he moved into an administrative role as dean of students at Cheyenne Mountain, where he remained for two years before heading to Widefield.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Northern Colorado and master’s degrees from Grand Canyon University and Argosy University-Denver.
Fountain-Fort Carson played host to more than 250 swimming and track and field athletes, along with some 100 volunteers, at the Special Olympics of Colorado’s Southeast Spring Games on Saturday, May 4, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Fountain-Fort Carson athletics)
Fountain-Fort Carson played host to more than 250 swimming and track and field athletes, along with some 100 volunteers, at the Special Olympics of Colorado’s Southeast Spring Games on Saturday, May 4, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Fountain-Fort Carson athletics)