The tough part of training is over. Now, all that’s left is a little fine tuning for area state qualifiers before heading over the mountains for this weekend’s Class 4A, 5A championship meet in Lakewood.

And with an ample dose of best efforts at last weekend’s regionals, the Grand Valley will be well represented at the two-day festival which opens Thursday.

Herman Gutierrez and his Grand Junction High teammate Martin Medina have qualified to the 5A meet in two events.

Gutierrez earned spots in the boys 110 and 300 hurdles on third-place finishes at the Region 5 meet held at Legacy Stadium in Aurora. In the shorter race, the Tigers senior buzzed in at 15.26 seconds. He followed that effort up with a 42.29 mark in the 300.

Medina, who qualified for the 3,200-meter run earlier this season, slipped his way in the 1,600 field with a second-place regional time of 4 minutes, 44.48 seconds.

Likewise, Fruita Monument’s Rachel Draper will also have double-duty at state.

The Wildcat thrower earned a spot in the 5A girls shot put with a first-place toss of 36-4 that elapsed her previous seasonal-best mark of 34-4. Draper also took the regional discus title by unleasing a 114-7 throw.

Joining Draper at state in both events will be cross-county rival Anateras Higgins of Grand Junction, who nailed a seasonal-best 35-11 1/2 mark in the shot.

Additional girls athletes qualifying for the 5A meet by finishing in the top three in event finals include Fruita Monument’s J.J. Johnson in the triple jump and Brie Dana in the 300 hurdles. Johnson earned her way in after hitting a lifetime best 36-7 for second in the triple. The mark surpassed the Wildcat season’s previous high by almost two feet.

Jamie Pomaski is Central’s only girls state qualifier. She earned her way in the discus field on a third-place 104-7 mark. Fruita Monument freshman Kacey Mortenson will participate for the first time in the 400.

Grand Junction’s Heather Hopkins will see action in the 200 and will probably be a member of both the Tigers’ state-qualifying 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams. Teammate Miriah Redding will be part of the 5A high jump preliminary field after finishing second at regionals.

Supplementing the boys list of state qualifiers are Blaine Jackson (100 meters), Nolan Curtis (400) and Clay Kame (high jump) from Central. Fruita’s Steve Kasica has a chance to defend his 5A boys 800 title by finishing third at regionals. Dawson Moore (triple jump) tuned up for this week by winning the regional meet in that event. Luke Holmes, who had qualified in the boys high jump earlier took second in Aurora.

Fruita Monument’s 4x800 relay team turned in a 8:30.19 first-place time to advance to state. Grand Junction took home the 4x400 relay championship on a seasonal-best 3:27.00.

The list of Palisade state qualifiers who will line up for the Class 4A girls meet are junior Holly Odneal (girls high jump and 100 hurdles), senior Bernadette Petre (girls long jump and triple jump) and sophomore Amy Austin (300 hurdles). Sprinter Zack Adair qualified for the 4A boys 100 meters by finishing third at Saturday’s regional finals at Stocker Stadium as did Bulldogs sophomore Nick Stephanus in the boys discus.