Thompson Valley won last year’s 4A championship. (Courtesy photo)
Using a pack mentality paid sweet dividends for the Thompson Valley girls cross country team in 2013.
Thanks to bunching up their runners, the Eagles captured the Class 4A state championship with 135 points just edging Niwot (145).
“Our strategy was to pack up tight and pull our five, six and seven runners up closer to the front,” Thompson Valley coach Matt Norton said. “Our scoring five were all in the top 35.”
The Eagles have won four girls cross country state crowns in their school history — 2006, 2008, 2011 and last year. They also were runner-up in 2007 and 2009.
Norton also has high hopes for this fall.
“We are fortunate this year that we have four seniors coming back who have won two state titles,” said Norton, who has been the head coach for all of Thompson Valley’s state titles.
The Eagles return seniors Kendra Larson, Ellie Colpitts, Megan Irvine and Kacie Kaufman.
“We have really stiff competition in our town, and in own conference between Mountain View and Niwot,” said Norton, whose school is based in Loveland. “Mountain was fourth last year, but they return their whole squad and they are going to be outstanding.
"Niwot was second last year and they lost arguably one of the best runners in Colorado history (Elise Cranny), but they are still going to be very good this year.”
Norton also is unsure what his team’s plan of action will be this season.
“It just kind of depends on how everybody else is doing and where we are at,” Norton said. “We were kind of struggling in the middle part of the year last year and I felt like that (running in a pack) was the plan that gave the girls the most confidence and it worked out.
"It will be similar this season, but a little different. We will probably string out a little more this year. We are hoping our three through seven runners can all run together.”
Beyond Mountain View and Niwot, Norton believes The Classical Academy and Battle Mountain could be state title contenders.
“We’re going to try and win the state championship every year,” Norton said. “As I have got a little bit of experience as a coach what I emphasize more than the result is the process. If we enjoy the process and enjoy running together every day and we do the work then we are probably going to have a decent shot (at state).
"This group of seniors has really embraced that and they are really goal-oriented and really process oriented. That’s what makes it fun. We try and enjoy the process and have fun and hope it all pays off in the end.”
Class 4A girls cross country
Defending champion: Thompson Valley
Runner-up: Niwot
Returning All-State athletes: Katie Rainsberger, Jr., Air Academy (1st); Greta VanCalcar, Jr., Palisade (1st); Lexi Reed, Jr., D’Evelyn (1st); Riley Cooney, Sr., Mountain View (1st)
Regular season begins: August 21
Postseason: Regionals Completed by October 18
Championships: October 25 at Norris-Penrose Event Center, Colorado Springs