During his stellar four-year high school career, recent Resurrection Christian High School graduate Jackson Fagerlin did plenty of running.
It seemed he was always running toward something, rather than away from it.
In particular, this past school year, Fagerlin was always running toward state championships.
He earned three individual gold medals — one in cross country and two in track — this past school year and also anchored a first-place relay team.
With that incredible senior campaign, Fagerlin was named the Greeley Tribune’s Boys High School Athlete of the Year.
But he certainly wasn’t the only local athlete that constantly found himself gravitating toward immense individual and team success.
Here are the Greeley Tribune’s picks for the area’s top boys athletes in each sport during the 2024-25 school year:
Fall
Cross country
Matthew Hayden, Frontier Academy, jr.
Hayden capped his junior season as a close second to Resurrection Christian senior Jackson Fagerlin during the 3A state meet Nov. 2 at the Norris Penrose Events Center in Colorado Springs.
Hayden finished the race in 16:07.1. He was just a stride behind Fagerlin (16:05.3) and was well ahead of Peak to Peak’s third-place senior Jack Cerullo (16:18.9).
He led Frontier Academy to a fourth-place team finish.
Hayden was named to the CHSAANow.com/MaxPreps 3A all-state first team.
Football
Tripp Thomas, Windsor, sr., RB/WR
The speedy Thomas was practically addicted to end zone paint during his senior season.
He finished the campaign with 1,065 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on 131 carries. He averaged 8.1 yards per carry and scored on about every sixth carry.
He also caught 14 passes for 92 yards and another touchdown.
His penchant for scoring helped lead Windsor to a 10-2 record and a trip to the second round of the 3A playoffs.
Thomas was named to CHSAANow’s/MaxPreps’ 3A all-state first team.
Boys golf
Kellen Ball, Windsor, sr.
Ball was a portrait of consistency during his senior season with the Wizards.
Out of his 12 tournaments, he recorded seven first-place finishes and was a runner-up three times.
He won a 4A Region 3 title at Pelican Lakes Resort and Golf, shooting a 1-under-par 71 on Sept. 30.
Ball capped his season by tying for 13th place (77-78-155) in the highly competitive 4A state tournament at the Tiara Rado Golf Course on Oct. 7 in Grand Junction.
He averaged a score of 70 per 18-hole round.
He was named to CHSAANow.com’s and MaxPreps’ 4A all-state second team.
Greeley Central senior Daniel Martinez celebrates his first goal of the game against Harrison at District 6 Soccer Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Boys soccer
Daniel Martinez, Greeley Central, sr., midfielder
Martinez was the driving force behind the Wildcats’ 13-3-1 season, in which they made it to the second round of the 32-team 4A postseason — losing to eventual state champion Air Academy.
Martinez recorded 72 total points with 28 goals and 16 assists.
He was first in 4A and sixth in the state among all-classifications in points. He was also first in 4A, seventh among all classes, in goals.
He earned 4A all-state second-team honors by the Colorado High School Soccer Coaches Association.
Boys tennis
Joel Carter, Severance, sr.
Carter capped his fine senior season with a trip to the 4A individual state tournament, Oct. 17-19 at Pueblo City Park.
Carter went 2-2 at state, advancing to the winners bracket’s second round before falling to the playback bracket.
His loss in the winners bracket was against Kent Denver senior Nathan Gold, who went on to win the state championship.
Carter finished his season with a 15-3 record.
Unified bowling
Ethan Wahlmeier, Northridge, jr.
Wahlmeier helped lead Northridge to school history this past November.
The Grizzlies took home their first unified bowling state championship in the fifth year that CHSAA has hosted a state event.
Northridge recorded a score of 651, topping the likes of Doherty (622) and Silver Creek (620) on Nov. 22 at Bowlero in Lone Tree.
The Grizzlies went the entire season undefeated.
Wahlmeier earned CHSAA all-state team honors.
Windsor High School junior Madden Smiley leans back to take a shot while playing Fossil Ridge in Windsor on Tuesday Jan. 14, 2025.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Winter
Boys basketball
Madden Smiley, Windsor, jr. , SG
Smiley led with his words and actions, as Windsor won its first boys basketball state championship since 1924.
The Wizards went 22-6 and defeated Green Mountain 60-49 in the 5A title game March 15 in the Denver Coliseum.
Smiley had 25 points on 7-of-15 shooting to go with 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
On the season, he averaged team highs of 20.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
He shot 53% from the field, including 33% from downtown.
He was named an all-state first team selection and the 5A Player of the Year by CHSAANow.com and MaxPreps.
Ice hockey
Tyler Borchard, Resurrection Christian, sr., forward
Borchard was the team captain and offensive leader on a Resurrection Christian squad that battled through a tough schedule to finish its season with a record of 7-10-2.
He had team highs of eight goals, 11 assists and 19 points.
Borchard was named a 5A all-state honorable mention by CHSAA.
Windsor's Evan Perez, top, prepares to pin Mead's William Eilers during the 215 pound championship match during the Northern Colorado Christmas wrestling tournament held in Greeley on Saturday Dec. 21, 2024.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Boys wrestling
Evan Perez, Windsor, jr.
Perez plowed through his competition at 215 pounds en route to an undefeated season and the second individual state title of his preps career.
He went 41-0, including a 12-3 major decision over Mead senior Williams Eilers in the state tournament finals Feb. 15 at Denver’s Ball Arena.
He also had a trio of pins, each in the first minute, in the tournament’s first three rounds.
Perez led the Wizards to a third-place finish in the team standings.
He was named to the 4A all-state first team by CHSAANow.com and MaxPreps.
Spring
Baseball
Gage Viken, University, jr., CF/P
Viken made quite the all-around impact for a University squad that went 26-6, won its tough Patriot League with a 9-1 mark and was the 3A state tournament runner-up for the fourth consecutive year.
At the plate, Viken was second on the team in RBI (23), while hitting .341 with four doubles and a home run.
On the mound, he led the Bulldogs in innings pitched (57), accumulating a 6-1 record and a .98 earned-run average, while striking out 60 and walking 19.
He was named to CHSAANow.com’s/MaxPreps’ 3A all-state first team.
University pitcher Gage Viken throws a pitch while playing Coal Ridge at Butch Butler Field in Greeley on Saturday May 31, 2025.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Boys lacrosse
Zander Adfield, Resurrection Christian, sr., MF
Adfield was a reliable momentum-shifter for a strong Cougars squad that went 12-4, including a 5-0 mark in the 4A Northern Conference.
Adfield recorded a team-high 221 ground balls, first in the state among both classifications and 10th in the country. He also won a team-high 232 faceoffs.
For good measure, Adfield also was Resurrection Christian’s top goal-producer. He had 45 goals to go with 23 assists.
He led the Cougars to the quarterfinals of the 4A state tournament and was named a 4A all-state first-team selection by CHSAA and the Colorado High School Lacrosse Coaches Association.
Boys swimming and diving
Ian Spooner, Greeley West, sr.
Spooner capped an impressive senior season by faring well at the highest level during the 5A state championship meet May 8-9 at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton.
Spooner placed seventh (1:41.31) during the 200-yard freestyle and was seventh (45.95) in the 100 freestyle finals.
He also anchored the Spartans’ eighth-place 200 freestyle relay team (1:26.04) and their eighth-place 400 freestyle relay team (3:09.74).
Spooner was named a 5A all-state honorable mention by CHSAANow.com and MaxPreps.
Boys track and field
Nicholas Rothe, University, sr.
Rothe won the second boys pole vault title of his high school career during the 3A state track and field championships May 15-17 at Jefferson County Stadium, and he did so in record-breaking fashion.
He recorded a height of 16 feet, two feet better than Peak to Peak’s junior runner-up Ethan Rathke and Eaton’s senior defending champion Ryan Martinez (14’).
Rothe’s mark was a 3A state meet record.
He also won the pole vault title as a sophomore in 2023.
Rothe earned 3A all-state first team honors from CHSAA.
Severance senior Gabe Schneekloth sets the ball while playing Mountain View in Severance on Tuesday April 29, 2025.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Boys volleyball
Gabe Schneekloth, Severance, sr., setter
Schneekloth was the ultimate leader for Severance’s squad, leading the Silver Knights to the most successful season in the program’s four-year history.
Severance went 22-8, 14-0 in the 4A Northern Conference, and placed third in the 4A state tournament May 10 at Trojan Arena on the Fountain-Fort Carson campus.
Schneekloth recorded team highs in assists (897) and aces (89) to go with 102 kills, 54 blocks and 166 digs.
He was named to the 4A all-state first team by CHSAANow.com and MaxPreps.
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