Pursuing Perfection

CHARLO — Most prep athletes go through high school without a single state championship, but four young men at Lake County’s smallest high school have a shot to win four in a single sport.

Charlo seniors Connor Daugherty, Tyler Delaney, Jacen Petersen and Kail Pope have played varying roles in the Vikings’ three-peat at the top of Class C track and field. Now the foursome is chasing a capstone trophy as the leadership of the club.

“We’ve scored more points each year,” Petersen said. “We’ve gotten to lead up to senior year.”

They have assumed added responsibility, replacing points lost by graduated Carroll College runner Stephen Delaney — Tyler’s older brother — hurdler and sprinter Tra Ludeman and state champion pole vaulter Webb O’Neill.

But these guys are no slouches, either. Pope won the 300-meter hurdles last year, and he, Delaney, Petersen and Ludeman took the 400-meter relay title as well. Tyler’s younger brother Michael has replaced Ludeman on that relay this season.

The four seniors placed third in the mile relay at last year’s state meet, and Delaney and Petersen both scored in individual events as well.

“It hasn’t just been them,” Charlo coach Bret Thompson said. “Some of them have brothers that were at the beginning of this. They have good teammates.”

But Thompson doesn’t want to take any credit away from his senior leadership, either.

“And the other part is they’ve stuck to it,” he added. “… I think that’s a big part of it. They made a decision to stick it out because they wouldn’t have to. There are a lot of schools that don’t have their seniors out.”

Pope said the success is nearly the primary thing that has kept him on the track.

“I guess I only do it because we’re good,” the senior mused.

All four seniors agreed that track and field is ingrained in the culture of the school — Petersen, who has signed to wrestle for Arizona State, even pared down his recruiting options to be available. There’s certainly an assumed level of success.

“The coaches expect a lot more from us. We definitely have to work harder [than the girls team],” Petersen laughed.

A lot of that comes from the example Thompson and his staff set, the coach said, pointing out vault and throw coaches staying after practice for extra instruction.

“I don’t think we ever get outdone on the amount of time we put in,” Thompson said. “They’re definitely not in it by themselves, although they sometimes think that when they’re racing.”

Though the Vikings ran away with last year’s title — second-place Belt finished 14 points back — they haven’t all come that easy. Charlo actually tied with Darby for the title in 2012, both teams scoring 63 team points.

Despite all the past success, nobody wearing purple seems to be feeling any extra pressure.

“It’s not a disappointment as long as we’re working hard,” the ever-curt Thompson said. “Don’t get me wrong; it would be cool.”

His athletes agree.

“I think it would be really special to win all four years,” Tyler Delaney said.

Petersen already has a portrait in mind.

“The four of us can hold the four trophies,” he said. “That would be pretty cool.”

Charlo can become the first boys track program to win four consecutive titles in Class C since Kremlin-Gildford won five from 1999-2003.