Durango's Steve Thyfault made the podium in snow shoveling, as part of his efforts to get the Durango track ready to run on.

"We started in on the snow over Presidents Day weekend," Thyfault said. "Matt Leeder Construction helped us out with a snowblower, and a front-end snowblower for the track. I didn't shovel any snow (Thursday), but I did just about every day until (Thursday)."

Thanks to the spring temperatures, a task that looked impossible just a week ago didn't seem quite so daunting earlier this week.

"Last week we were wondering if we were going to be able to do this," said DHS head track coach Mark Dutro. "It was amazing how much melted off over the weekend. We got back from a meet on the road, and suddenly it looked like we could pull it off."

For members of several teams at the meet, including Pagosa Springs, Mancos and Dolores, there was more snow-free track and field at Durango than they've seen in months.

"This is a great meet for this time of year," Dutro said. "For us, it's like a competitive practice, but for some of these guys, it's the first chance they've had so far to get some track time in."

That was the case for Pagosa.

"We still have a good 8 inches of snow on the track," said Pagosa coach Connie O'Donnell. "We've been practicing handoffs outside in the parking lot, and our hurdles have been set up in the gym. We ran in Aztec last weekend, and it was the first time we've actually been on the track."

The Bayfield boys and girls have four lanes on their home track cleared all the way around and some clear pit space for the high jump and pole vault. But that's due more to the efforts of coach Vernon Kimball and his staff than to Mother Nature.

"I'll tell you, a quarter-mile behind a snowblower is a really, really long way," said Kimball, who like Thyfault has gained a whole new appreciation for what it takes to turn a facility into one more suited for track and field than cross country skiing.

"This time of the year, we're loading (the athletes) up a little in terms of conditioning, because of the slow start. But we're also taking the whole week off next week for spring break."

That's fine for a few of Kimball's Wolverines, going by their performances on Thursday.

Derek Laue won the boys 3200 in 10:51.80, and Jesse Krueger won the 800 going away in 2:07.48, with Laue trailing in third.

Despite the fact that the shot put and discus pit wasn't even clear just three days ago, Durango's Will Hunsaker felt right at home. The Demon won the shot put with a heave of 49 feet, 8 inches, and then uncorked a beauty in the discus to win that event as well.

"That was a heck of a throw," Hunsaker's coach Robin Oliger said of Hunsaker's 150-foot, four-and-one-quarter-inch effort. "It was good to see him do that this early in the year."

Dutro was most impressed, as a group, by the Durango girls, who are beginning to impress him in several areas.

"These girls are young, but they're very strong right now, and they just keep impressing us every time we go out to run," said Dutro, whose girls won the meet with 107 points.

"I expect this group to carry on some of the strong traditions we've had the last few years."

The chance to demonstrate that will come for Durango after spring break when the season will shift into high gear.

Bayfield will hold an invitational meet at home on April 12, and many of the same teams will gather again at DHS on April 19.

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