(Courtesy of Kim McConnell)
A number of Class 4A cross country programs will be dropping down a division this fall.
The Classical Academy has a way of making its presence felt no matter the classification. After all, the Titans conquered ten consecutive girls cross country state titles from 2003-2012, the first nine in 3A.
Holy Family, the 3A champion in 2012, is also back. D’Evelyn, Conifer, Steamboat Springs, Elizabeth and Denver North are among a number of other teams bringing quality groups of girls into the fold.
And yet, even in a bolstered field, the Pumas of Peak to Peak stand out.
“It’s really exciting how many teams came down to 3A from 4A this year,” Quinn McConnell said. “There’s definitely a lot more competition this season and I think it’ll be a bigger challenge. We’re ready for that to help us achieve our goals.”
In returning a pair of sophomores with state title credentials — McConnell in cross country and the 800-meter run in track, and Anna Shults in the 1,600 — Peak to Peak has considerable talent at the top.
“They’ve been able to complement each other in their training given their different strengths,” said Kim McConnell, the mother of Quinn and third-year head cross country coach at Peak to Peak. “There hasn’t been what you would call a rivalry. There’s much more of a sense of working together to get better.”
(Courtesy of Kim McConnell)
Tiana Bradfield, seventh place at the state track meet in the 1,600 as a freshman and 26th in cross country, also returns. Elle Triem, Jenna Howard and Jillian Ries all broke six minutes in the 1,600 as first-years, as well. Rachael Metzler, a veteran among the youthful Pumas, placed 21st at the state cross country meet a season ago as a junior.
Peak to Peak is loaded, so much so that they are arguably the preseason favorites to win their first-ever state championship in girls cross country after finishing as the runner-up in 2015 to Salida by a slim six-point margin.
But, for all the excitement surrounding this group of young ladies, the Pumas have a program built on the idea that end results are only a part of the equation.
“We don’t at all focus on results,” the elder McConnell admitted. “We just keep focusing on the process. We focus on becoming excellent human beings and excellent athletes. There are a lot of things you can’t control at a big meet.”
For a school with an already rich distance running tradition since its doors opened in Lafayette in 1999 — second place at the 3A girls state cross country meet in 2007 and third in 2008, with seven total top-10 team finishes since 2006 — Peak to Peak nearly broke through for title No. 1 in the sport a season ago as McConnell and Shults finished clear of all other individuals.
In winning their second championship in three years, Salida had a mere 58-second difference between their first and fifth finishers.
“Salida did an incredibly great job packing up and I sent their coach a letter telling him they were amazing and they deserved to win,” Kim McConnell said. “We didn’t like missing by just six points, but when you look back at the season as a whole we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.”
Quinn said the Pumas are intent on lessening the gap in their lineup from first to fifth, something that would make a rising power even more formidable. Even though lofty aspirations are on the conscience, the sophomore has the wisdom to know there is more to it than just winning.
“We’re close-knit and our main goal this season is to have fun,” she said. “We do have big goals, but we’re just trying to keep it in perspective. Our coach does a really great job of putting into perspective that running is not the biggest thing in our lives.”
Girls
Class 5A
- Defending champion: Broomfield
- Season begins: August 25
- Regionals begin: October 20
- State Meet: October 29 at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs
- Returning all-state runners: Maya Browning, Fairview, junior; Claudia Burgess, Boulder, junior; Allie Chipman, Mountain Vista, junior; Caroline Eck, Mountain Vista, sophomore; Lauren Gregory, Fort Collins, senior; Brie Oakley, Grandview, senior.
Class 4A
- Defending champion: Air Academy
- Season begins: August 25
- Regionals begin: October 20
- State Meet: October 29 at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs
- Returning all-state runners: Paige Embaugh, Air Academy, sophomore; Lauren Offerman, Mountain View, senior.
Class 3A
- Defending champion: Salida
- Season begins: August 25
- Regionals begin: October 20
- State Meet: October 29 at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs
- Returning all-state runners: Chantae Steele, Classical Academy, sophomore; Kayla Young, Denver North, senior; Madelynn Gerritsen, Platte Canyon, sophomore; Quinn McConnell, Peak to Peak, sophomore; Hannah McReavy, St. Mary’s, junior; Anna Ponzio, Colorado Academy, junior; Anna Shults, Peak to Peak, sophomore; Lily Tomasula-Martin, Estes Park, senior; Cassie Unruh, Skyview Academy, senior.
Class 2A
- Defending champion: Telluride
- Season begins: August 25
- Regionals begin: October 20
- State Meet: October 29 at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs
- Returning all-state runners: Soleil Gaylord, Telluride, junior; Kyra Hanson, Resurrection Christian, senior; Chloe Veilleux, Soroco, sophomore.
Boys
Class 5A
- Defending champion: Mountain Vista
- Season begins: August 25
- Regionals begin: October 20
- State Meet: October 29 at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs
- Returning all-state runners: Isaac Green, Monarch, senior; Kyle Moran, Cherry Creek, senior; Joshua Romine, Mountain Vista, senior.
Class 4A
- Defending champion: Durango
- Season begins: August 25
- Regionals begin: October 20
- State Meet: October 29 at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs
- Returning all-state runners: Maximilliano Martinez, Widefield, senior; Ian Meek, Montrose, senior; Brandon Swenson, Evergreen, senior.
Class 3A
- Defending champion: Alamosa
- Season begins: August 25
- Regionals begin: October 20
- State Meet: October 29 at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs
- Returning all-state runners: Tanner Norman, Classical Academy, senior; Isaiah DeLaCerda, Alamosa, senior; Caleb Palmer, Alamosa, senior.
Class 2A
- Defending champion: Lyons
- Season begins: August 25
- Regionals begin: October 20
- State Meet: October 29 at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs
- Returning all-state runners: Cody Danley, Rocky Ford, junior; Jake Murphy, Lake City Community, senior.