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Pueblo Central's Ashlynn Saenz rewrites volleyball record books

Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. All opinions and views are of Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group and does not reflect the same of KOAA.

Ashlynn Saenz has been stamping her name all over Pueblo Centrals record books.

This season, Ashlynn broke Central's school records for digs and serve receptions surpassing a player she once looked up to, Kai Arriaga. Arriaga set both records at 1,027 by the time she graduated in 2022. When Ashlynn rewrote history, Arriaga was there to congratulate her.

"I watched the girl that had the records in the first place, and I think she pushed me to do it. I was in awe that the child in me beat her," Ashlynn said.

Volleyball has always been a family affair for Ashlynn. Her grandpa played, and so did her mom and older sister. Growing up around the game, Ashlynn also had a front-row seat to some of Pueblo Central's best. Now, she's surpassed one of them.

For Ashlynn's dad and head coach, Danny, those records are only part of the player he's watched develop over four years. She arrived as a timid freshman, but by her sophomore year, her teammates had voted her captain.

"She is a tremendous competitor, but one thing that is overlooked, she has one of the biggest hearts on the team. She genuinely cares for every single one of her teammates," Danny said.

Now Ashlynn's name sits amongst the names of those that she once looked up to, but she is not hoping that her records last forever.

"It honestly means the world to me that I was able to get my name onto something and make a difference, but what I wanted to do the most is for the younger girls that watch me play like the younger sisters I want them to come and beat me that's what I want," Ashlynn said.

Ashlynn has also made two appearances at the state tournament in tennis. She's been playing since her freshman year, and with how quickly she has excelled in it, she's hoping she will be able to be a dual-sport athlete in college, playing both volleyball and tennis.

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Colorado Springs United Football League team will be named the Colorado Stampede

The name for the Colorado Springs United Football Team was revealed on Sunday. The team will be called the Colorado Stampede.

Last month, the UFL announced Colorado Springs will join the league next season. They will play their home games at Weidner Field.

Bringing professional football to Colorado Springs is a vote of confidence in our city and in what we have built downtown, said Mayor Yemi Mobolade last month. A UFL team will put Colorado Springs in front of a national audience, bring fans to Weidner Field, and give southern Colorado a professional football team to call its own. We are proud to welcome the UFL to the foot of Pikes Peak Americas Mountain, and we look forward to seeing our community make this team its own.

The first official game will be played on Sunday, April 11 at 1 p.m. MT.

Rhode Island will also join the league next season, then teams in Utah and Oklahoma in 2028.

The UFL will have eight teams next season. On top of Colorado Springs, they are the Columbus Aviators, Dallas Renegades, DC Defenders, Louisville Kings, Orlando Storm, Rhode Island Breakers and St. Louis Battlehawks.

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'Switzerland of America' sign in Ouray removed due to deterioration; will be restored

The City of Ouray has taken down its iconic "Switzerland of America" sign off of Highway 550 due to deterioration because of its age and concerns over its structural integrity.

According to the city, officials made the proactive decision to take down the sign before the winter season to prevent damage or the risk of it falling into the gorge.

"The City recognizes the historical and sentimental significance of this beloved landmark to our community and is committed to preserving its original character while making necessary structural improvements to meet current safety standards and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) requirements," the city said in a statement.

It will be restored, and funding has been included in the proposed city budget, which is awaiting city council approval. Once it's approved, the city will begin refurbishing the sign.

"The City is also committed to have all restoration work completed locally, utilizing the skills and craftsmanship of our local businesses and tradespeople. This approach would not only help preserve an important piece of Ouray's history but also support the local economy and the talented individuals within our community," a statement reads.

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TCA wins back-to-back state titles; Vista Ridge finishes as runner-up

The Classical Academy sits at the top of 4A Flag Football for a second consecutive year. The Titans secured their second championship in three appearances with a 34-18 win over Vista Ridge, completing their undefeated season.

Reagan Harter did most of the heavy lifting for TCA by scoring four touchdowns. Vista Ridges Kayla Dempsey found the end zone three times for all of the Wolves points.

The Titans opened the scoring in the first quarter with some trickery. CHSAAs career leader in passing yards, Kelsey Peterson recorded what goes down as a touchdown pass to herself. Peterson threw a quick pass to Ryann Ferguson who then pitched it right back to Peterson with space on the outside allowing her to cross the goal line. Peterson then found Kennedy Harter on the following extra-point attempt to put the Titans ahead 7-0.

Vista Ridge responded with chunk play after chunk play. Jocelynn Kalkman picked apart the TCA defense with precision passes down field to Arayah Johnson and Aubrey Leong. The last of those passes landed in the hands of Kayla Dempsey for a touchdown. After the failed extra-point attempt, it was a one point game.

The first half of this title game had no lack of excitement. TCA led 13-6 to end the first quarter after Peterson found her favorite target Reagan Harter who bobbled the catch in traffic but stayed with it and used a burst of speed to get to the end zone.

It was only a few minutes into the second quarter when Vista Ridge responded. Kalkman went right back to Dempsey and got the same result as before, a touchdown. Dempseys second score of the game brought her team back within a point at 13-12.

However that did not last long. TCA needed just one play to get back into the end zone. Reagan Harter caught a short pass across the middle and showed off her speed on the way to TCA extending its lead 19-12.

This is the point of the game where both defenses showed up. The Titans defense held Vista Ridges offense to short yardage and gave the ball back to their offense with a chance to go up two scores.

Kelsey Peterson had that exact thought in mind when she took a deep shot near the end zone, but instead of her receiver she found Arayah Johnson. The Wolves sophomore came away with the first turnover of the game. She returned the pick well into Titan territory but a couple of flags brought the ball backwards and the VR offense was unable to capitalize on the turnover.

That allowed Peterson and Reagan Harter to connect for their third touchdown of the first half. TCA felt confident heading into the locker room with a 25-12 lead at the half.

The Wolves were hoping to cut into that deficit with their opening drive of the second half, but TCAs Brooklyn Blair snatched that hope out the air with her second interception of the game.

Both offenses seemed to struggle in the second half with neither team pushing the ball down field until the fourth quarter. Vista Ridge had a breath of life as they found themselves within scoring distance in the final quarter of the season but a bobbled pass landed in the wrong hands.

Peterson tracked the ball down for her second interception of the year which couldnt have come at a better time for the Titans. Petersons offense took over with a two score lead and a lot of time left on the clock.

That ensuing drive would be the one to put the game away. Peterson went back to her most reliable receiver, Reagan Harter. Harter would score her fourth touchdown of the day and give the Titans a comfortable 32-12 lead.

Vista Ridge added a late touchdown by Dempsey and attempted the flag football version of an onside kick. After that failed, it began to set in for the Titans that they had secured another state championship.

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Survivors and supporters rally at Colorado Springs City Hall for the 'Cornell 7' case Jane Doe

More than 100 survivors and supporters gathered at Colorado Springs City Hall as part of a nationwide "I Am Jane Doe" movement, standing in solidarity with a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by seven Cornell University students.

The ralliers delivered a unified message: accountability and they say that demand extends well beyond New York.

Kaylee Armijo, a rally organizer who has identified herself as a survivor, said the gathering sends an important message to everyone who has experienced sexual violence.

"It shows all survivors that we're not alone. You can look to your left and look to your right and see other survivors, and not just other survivors, but people who support survivors," Armijo said.

Armijo said the issue is not confined to the Cornell campus.

"It's happening right here in Colorado Springs. It's happening at Fort Carson, it's happening at Colorado College, it's happening at UCCS, and nothing is being done," Armijo said.

Watch KOAA's coverage about what a local university is doing to protect students on campus: Cornell 7 case sparks UCCS student safety talks

Samantha Olgren, who says she herself has been a "Jane Doe," said the rally gave her a long-awaited opportunity to speak out. She shared a conversation she had with her father.

"He said, 'What are you going to do about it?' And I said, 'I have a voice, and I'll use it.' And today was that opportunity for me," Olgren said.

Olgren also opened up about her own experience with abuse.

"I was molested by my father from the time I was 2 to the time I was 12," Olgren said.

Her daughter, Karissa Pane, joined her at the rally. She said they have a strong and loving support system, despite the trauma both have experienced.

It makes me sad, but it makes me happy to actually have it out there because, like, it's always just kind of been a secret in our family. Even when it happened to me, I told my grandma, and she was like, "Oh, he's getting back to his old habits.' Like they know about it, and they're fine with it. It's like no one should be okay with that," Pane said.

Fellow attendee Sam Perez described what she sees as a culture of silence she says she experienced firsthand in college and now as a therapist.

"It's always swept under the rug, never actual disciplinary action for those things. I remember going to college and having to deal with those announcements and all that other stuff and being women, being people just in solidarity with wanting this to change, wanting men and assailants to be held accountable," Perez said. "I want to stand up for the things I tell my patients to stand up for."

Perez said there needs to be universal change when it comes to offenders.

"Laws need to change everywhere, whether it's a campus in Ohio or a campus in New York, a campus in Colorado rape happens on those campuses, and if we can just get someone to create a law where women and people who are victims of sexual assault can just be seen and heard, and not have to go through the re-traumatizing hoops that one does have to go through just to hold someone accountable, then let's do that," Perez said.

Armijo agreed and said true accountability must extend to everyone involved, including those who stayed silent.

"Accountability is the biggest thing that needs to change. These men need to be in jail; these men need to be behind bars, not only the seven who participated in their actions, but the 50 that did nothing in the group chat," Armijo said.

Those gathered closed with a direct message to Jane Doe.

"We're here for you. Got all kinds of people supporting you," Olgren said.

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Fountain man arrested after reported firing shots in his neighborhood, police say

FOUNTAIN, Colo. A Fountain mas was arrested early Saturday after reportedly firing shots in his neighborhood in the middle of the night.

The incident occurred at around 2:15 a.m. in the 7300 block of Village Meadows Drive.

Police said that officers encountered the man at the scene who refused to cooperate with law enforcement, prompting containment and the response of specialized units, according to a news release.

The suspect identified as 46-year-old John Martin was eventually taken into custody after police used approved distraction and gas deployment techniques, said Lisa Schneider with Fountain police.

Martin was medically evaluated before he was booked into the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center.

He faces several charges, including attempted first-degree assault and disorderly conduct.

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Emergency crews responding to reports of small aircraft crash in Gunnison

GUNNISON, Colo. Emergency crews were responding to reports of a small aircraft crash in Gunnison Saturday.

The crash was reported by the Gunnison Regional 911 Center at about 11 a.m. via Facebook. In a social media post, officials said the crash occurred in the area of Swampy Pass, though a time of the crash was not immediately available.

We have numerous emergency crews responding to the location. At this time, no additional information is available for public release, Gunnison Regional 911 Center officials wrote.

They asked that the public avoid calling 911 or dispatch about this crash so that our dispatchers can remain available to handle emergency calls and coordinate responding resources.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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