The Classical Academy’s Everett Johnson. (Courtesy of Alan Versaw)
There is one guarantee about the upcoming boys cross country season: there will be a new Class 4A state team champion.
That’s became a reality when last year’s state champ Broomfield moved up to 5A this season.
Although the Eagles are gone, there’s no shortage of talented 4A teams in 2014 — led by The Classical Academy.
The Colorado Springs-based school was the state runner-up last year, but veteran coach Alan Versaw knows nothing will come easy for his squad.
“We have our work cut out for us,” Versaw said. “There are plenty of good teams. Palmer Ridge, at least on paper, is probably the best team. They lost very little to graduation and they had a pretty strong team last year and all indicators are that they are going to be really good. I also think Thompson Valley, Air Academy, Cheyenne Mountain and Durango are going to be very good.”
The Titans won five Class 3A boys cross country titles, but have yet to win any in 4A since moving up to that class in 2012.
Versaw expects his team to be led by senior Everett Johnson, junior Michael Oldach and sophomore Tanner Norman.
“We are very established and very experienced three-deep, but in cross country you have to go to five,” Versaw said. “We will see what happens with (No.) 4 and 5 and that will probably tell a big deal of the story of our season right there.
Michael Oldach. (Courtesy of Alan Versaw)
"We have one freshman coming in who could be an impact freshman and we will wait because I’m not sure on that," he added. "Then, we have probably five or six guys who ran mostly JV last year and were freshmen and sophomores and they will have a shot at filling those positions. We have lots of possibilities.”
That’s why Versaw uses the regular season to mold his team.
“I don’t load up with big meets,” Versaw said. “There are a couple of times during the season we will try and go pretty hard, but the invitational season is more about learning than winning meets.”
The state meet returns to the Norris-Penrose Event Center which Versaw knows is a challenge.
“It’s kind of a roll the dice kind of course where there is very little margin for error on that course the way it is setup,” Versaw said.
Class 4A boys cross country
Defending individual champion: Broomfield (moved up to 5A)
Returning All-State athletes: Michael Duran, Pueblo Centennial, Jr. (1st); William Mayhew, Cheyenne Mountain, Sr. (1st); Eric Hamer, Palmer Ridge, Sr. (1st)
Regular season begins: Aug. 21
Regionals: Oct. 16 and 17
State meet: Oct. 25, Norris-Penrose Event Center, Colorado Springs