Prep notebook: Eagle Valley girls softball opens season with double-header win

The Eagle Valley girls softball team opened its 2024 campaign with a pair of home victories last weekend. The Devils defeated Durango 9-6 and 17-2 on Saturday to start the season 2-0.

In the second game, freshman Ava Brueck went 3-for-3 with two RBI and Abby Talbot went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three more RBI as the Devils amassed 11 first-inning runs. The Demons were able to score once in the top of the second inning, but the Devils piled on six more in the bottom to seal the victory.

Bella D’Agostino picked up the win on the mound, allowing one earned run and striking out two in three innings of work.

Eagle Valley hosts Mountain View at 3:30 p.m on Friday.

Golf notes: Huskies and Devils compete at Panther Invitational

The Battle Mountain and Eagle Valley boys golf teams competed at the Panther Invitational last Friday at Devil’s Thumb Golf Club in Delta, Colorado.

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Durango (226) took the team title by two strokes over Aspen (228) as the Huskies (243) placed third. Eagle Valley (252) came in fifth in the 14-team field composed of 3A and 4A squads.

Durango’s Drew Jepson shot a 73 to take the overall individual victory. Beau Suman of Battle Mountain shot 78 to finish as the top local finisher in a tie for sixth. Eagle Valley freshman Hudson Rozga posted an 81 to lead the Devils.

William Morrison (81) and Logan Roach (85) placed 12th and 24th to round out Battle Mountain’s scoring. Reed Jennings and Hunter Youngblood shot 84 and 86 as members of the varsity five.

Eagle Valley’s other scorers were Lawson Rumley (82) in 17th and Ben Vito (89) in 33rd. Brooks Wenninger and Cole Good shot a 99 and 103, respectively, to round out the varsity team.

Both teams return to action at the Eagle Valley Invitational at Eagle Ranch Golf Course on Aug. 28.

Alumni in action: Middaugh wins second-career Continental Cup

EagleVail’s Sullivan Middaugh won his second-career continental cup draft-legal road triathlon race earlier this month. The Battle Mountain alumnus took the elite men’s victory at the 2024 Americas Triathlon Cup and Central America Caribbean Championships in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on Aug. 10.

Middaugh covered the 750-meter swim, 20.4-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run in 54 minutes, 54 seconds. Reese Vannerson (55:16) of the U.S. came in second, followed by Canada’s Pavlos Antoniades (55:24).

“Going into the race I was confident with my training and excited to race,” Middaugh stated on social media. “I had a middle of the pack swim and was able to catch the front group on the bike quickly. I decided to make a move on the bike.”

Middaugh was able to bridge up to fellow American Carter Stuhlmacher, who was first out of the water. “Together we built ourselves a lead that allowed me to hold off everyone on the run,” Middaugh continued.

Middaugh was in 37th place exiting the water, but his bike split (27:37) was a full minute faster than the next best athlete (Stuhlmacher, 28:37). The third-fastest bike split belonged to Sullivan’s younger brother, Porter (29:08). The younger Middaugh — who joined the USA Triathlon Project Podium team after graduating from Battle Mountain this spring — wound up finishing in 33rd in 59:03.

Middaugh also won the Americas Triathlon Cup Calima on May 5 and placed sixth in Magog, Canada on July 14. He plans to race next on Aug. 24-25 at the Americas Triathlon Cup in Edmonton.