What makes this year's state meet potentially special for Karina Mann? Read on and find out! Photo by Paul Jaeger.
Some fun facts about state cross country here in Colorado...
Did you know...
- Thompson Valley has won four girls state titles in the Matt Norton tenure but has never won back-to-back state titles? The Eagles rank as at least a co-favorite this year and, since they won last year, could put an end to this particular did-you-know? with a win on Saturday.
- there are three coaches in Saturday's state meet who have won state titles at two different schools? Those would be Larry Zaragoza (Centauri/Alamosa), Greg Weich (Smoky Hill/Broomfield), and Doug Hugill (Wasson/Coronado). Mike Callor (Dakota Ridge/Fort Collins) enters Saturday's meet as a possibility to join this list.
- Monarch's girls hold the longest current string of state titles at three? The Coyotes will seek to extend that string to four on Saturday, and Karina Mann will join a very select group of individuals who have been a part of four state title-winning teams if they do.
- Paul Roberts has posted the second-fastest time at state both of the last two years? Paul could go for three in a row, or...
- that Lauren Gregory last year became the first middle school individual state title winner to win a high school individual state title?
- Colorado Springs has hosted the state cross country championships eight of the last 12 years?
- there is nobody in Saturday's field who can become a four-year state medalist in cross country, but there is a bumper crop of individuals who could achieve that honor next year?
- only one team in Colorado history has ever swept all four titles (two individual and two team) in the same year? There's probably a few regular visitors to this site who can name the school, and maybe the year as well.
- Rocky Ford won a boys state title in 2007, their last year in 3A, in alternate uniforms. To my recollection, Rocky Ford was the last team to win a state title in something other than a uniform used regularly during the season. Maybe Ron Shepherd will tell me the story someday, but those uniforms had a distinctly 90s-ish look to them. I have not seen those uniforms before or since.
- that Kayla Young and Taylor Stack come into the state meet holding the longest strings of consecutive meet victories at seven and six, respectively? And both wear purple, the color of royalty.
Now, maybe you can add a few of your own? Feel welcome to post yours to the comments section on this article.
Late updates:
- apparently a sweep of our four titles has been done twice--by Lake County in 1981 and Moffat County in 1992.
- Regis Jesuit, wearing alternate black shorts and singlets, won the 5A boys state title in 2009, making them a more recent team to win a state title in clandestine fashion than Rocky Ford.