It didn't take Brooke Regan long to make an impact on the Thompson Valley track team.

As a freshman last season, Regan took home a Class 4A state title in the 800 meters and anchored the Eagles' championship 3,200 relay team and third-place 1,600 team.

That's quite an impact for a freshman, but her accomplishments might not have been a big surprise to those who know her because Regan has been performing at a high level almost all her life.

She took up the violin in sixth grade and now performs at solo and ensemble festivals. She has owned a quarterhorse since grade school, which has led to her involvement in 4-H. She shows her horse, Slide, in the summer at 4-H events.

Regan also plays the piano, and maintains a 4.0 grade-point average, even while helping the Thompson Valley cross country team to the 4A state title last fall.

"There are times when I feel pretty busy," she said. "But I really think that I would drive myself nuts if I didn't have this much going on. I'm just really used to it by now. I like being busy and active."

Track definitely helps Regan fulfill that goal. She went with Thompson Valley last summer to the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., where she paced the Eagles to 13th place in the 3,200 relay.

Since the cross country season ended, she has been training in the pool, on the track and in the weight room to improve her performance.

Her goal this season is to compete in the mile at state as well as her other events. Last year she qualified for state in the mile but didn't compete.

"Three events was enough for one meet as a freshman," she said. "But I'd like to run (the mile) this year."

Regan already has drawn the attention of colleges. She has received an introductory letter from nearly every college in the country with a track program.

"If she stays healthy and continues to improve, she's a major Division I talent," said Thompson Valley track coach Matt Norton, whom Regan credits for most of her track success.

Norton says Regan's achievements on and off the track have made her a natural leader.

"The girls look up to her because she just excels in everything she does," he said.

NOTEBOOK

• It seems sacrilege not to rank Mullen No. 1 after the Mustangs have won eight of the past nine 4A team titles, but they lost two seniors who accounted for nearly half of their 87 points last year.

They do expect to have Michelle Roberts (first, long jump), Colleen Knill (second, pole vault) and Laura Palmere (fourth, 200 meters) back, and the entire cross country team that finished second in state in the fall will be competing on the track team.

Mullen will be very strong in the 1,600 and 3,200 relays. With finals and the extended basketball season conflicting with the start of track season it was unknown how many girls would be on the team.

• Don't expect Longmont to fade away this year after finishing second at state the past two seasons.

In addition to Beth Praska and Elizabeth Stover, the Trojans have another promising athlete in Sierra Arndt.

As a freshman, Arndt played on the Longmont soccer team, not competing in any track meets until regionals, where she qualified for state in the 100. She finished ninth at state in the event and filled in for an ill member of the 800 relay team.

Although she never had practiced taking a handoff, she ran the first leg and helped the Trojans finish second at state in the event. She also competed with the Longmont track team at the Simplot Games.

Arndt plans on continuing her soccer career, but Longmont coach Tim McIntire expects her to run in a few track meets this season before regionals.

Betsy Weeks also returns after finishing fifth in the 400 as a sophomore.

McIntire is cautiously optimistic about his team's chances of overcoming Mullen to win the state title.

"It has the possibilities of being a strong team again," he said. "We'll have to wait and see."

• Widefield finished fifth at the state meet, 41 points behind Mullen. The Gladiators lost Nyeisha Wright, their leading point scorer, to graduation, but they should contend again behind two throwers.

Junior shot putter Joey Warrington finished third in the event and junior Deborah Sagapoletele placed ninth in the discus. Also, junior Desarey Ballon was a regional champion in the 100 hurdles and leads the Gladiators' young and talented relay teams.

• Conifer's Jen Webers was second in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters at state behind Ralston Valley freshman sensation Kaitie Vanatta.

Webers, a senior, might be a threat in the 100 this year as well. She ran a 12.45 in the 100 this summer to qualify for nationals. That time would have placed her fifth at state last year.

• Before last season, Melody Fairchild's state record times of 4 minutes, 49.86 seconds in the 1,600 and 10:34.09 in the 3,200 were thought to be nearly untouchable. But Vanatta threatened both records at the 4A state meet. Vanatta set 4A records in both events, and her time of 10:40.66 in the 3,200 was less than 6 seconds off of Fairchild's mark. Her time in the 1,600 of 4:56.08 trailed by only 7 seconds.

Vanatta is only a sophomore, and Fairchild's marks might be in jeopardy this season.

"That's what's left for her to push for," Ralston Valley coach Jeff Gomer said.

Fairchild set both state records in 1991 when she ran for Boulder in the 5A state meet.

She also ran a record time of 10:21.37 in the 3,200 that year, but the mark was not set at the state meet.

• Jessica Brungardt of Falcon is getting closer and closer to a state title in the shot put. As a freshman she threw 30 feet, 11 1/2 inches at state (20th place). Last year as a sophomore she improved to 32-9 1/2 (12th).

Falcon coach May Ann Wilson reports Brungardt is throwing 36-1, which would have placed her in the top three at state in 2006.

• Cherokee Trail keeps growing. But the Aurora school will compete in the 4A classification for at least one more season. The Cougars finished fourth at state last year.

They lost some strong components from that team but bring back two seniors and three juniors who ran at state, and they have a promising freshman class that might contribute on varsity.

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