Who needs timeouts, anyway?

Valor Christian girls basketball coach Jessika Caldwell likes to be hands-on and very demonstrative during practice.

That didn’t change while she was pregnant. With the baby due in just days, Caldwell was still out on the court demonstrating moves – and some of her players were a little worried.

“There were definitely some times when we wanted her to calm down because she is so passionate and loves the game,” said Valor senior Heidi Hammond.

Caldwell, whose son Boden was born Jan. 5, said she just “kind of made it work.”

“This was my third go around,” she said. “The girls probably got a little more nervous than I did. I was out there showing them what to do, and they were like eek.”

Caldwell missed Valor’s game Jan. 6 against Wheat Ridge but was back guiding the Eagles Jan. 8 against Golden. She has two other children, Emersyn and Bryce.

“She was confident and got back on the floor so quick, it was incredible,” Hammond said. “We love having her back.”

Green Mountain grad a college standout

Green Mountain graduate Ryan Stephan is having a stellar season for Colorado Mesa’s basketball team.

The 6-foot-10, 250-pound senior ranked among the top 25 in nine different NCAA Division II statistics before last weekend’s games. He led the nation with 10 double-doubles and picked up his 11th on Jan. 16 against Adams State. He was second in defensive rebounds with 8.8 per game, fourth with 122 free throws made and fifth with a 25.3 scoring average.

Top girls swimming times

According to the Jan. 13 report compiled by PrepSwimCo.com, Valor Christian senior Brooke Stenstrom has the best Class 4A times in three events.

The defending Class 4A 50-yard freestyle state champion has swam a time of 23.54 seconds in that event and a 51.81 in the 100 freestyle. She, her sister Lindsay, Madison Hoehn and Abbey Owenby have the top 4A time of 3:32.19 in the 400 freestyle relay, a school record.

Owenby, a sophomore, is the fastest in the 4A 500 freestyle with a 5:01.48 clocking.

Rock Canyon senior Abigail Kochevar, two-time defending 100-yard backstroke champion, has the best Class 5A times of 54.74 in the 100 backstroke and 23.79 in the 50 freestyle. Heritage sophomore Kylie Andrews’ time of 51.78 is the best among 5A swimmers in the 100 freestyle.

McCaffrey, Pugh to be honored

Christian McCaffrey and Mallory Pugh will be honored during the April 19 Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Induction and Awards banquet at the Denver Marriott City Center.

McCaffrey, the former Valor Christian athlete, is the Amateur Athlete of the Year for the 2015 calendar year. He is a sophomore running back for Stanford and was named the Associated Press Player of the Year. He was the Heisman Trophy runner-up after setting an NCAA record with 3,864 all-purpose yards.

Pugh, a senior at Mountain Vista, is the girls High School Athlete of the Year. Pugh was tabbed as the Gatorade Colorado Girls Soccer Player of the Year and the National Player of the Year. She is a member of the United States U20 national team.

From gymnastics to diving

It seems like more and more divers are former gymnasts who have switched to the water.

Douglas County junior Lexie Barker, who competes for the Douglas County/Castle View team, is a new diver who won the event at the Smoky Hill Invitational with 462 points. She liked gymnastics, but injuries took their toll.

“I’ve been diving a little over a year,” she said. “I was a gymnast for nine years and I had like seven stress fractures in my back, so I had to retire. My parents told me to try diving, and I kind of fell in love with it.”

Ralston Valley’s Neal leads the way

After the completion of games on Jan. 16, Ralston Valley’s Cody Neal was the state’s leading scorer in hockey. He has 32 points on 18 goals and 14 assists. He has three power-play and two shorthanded goals.

Jim Benton is a sports writer for Colorado Community Media. He has been covering sports in the Denver area since 1968. He can be reached at jbenton@coloradocommunitymedia.com or at 303-566-4083.

 

 

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