Varsity Girls Race
NXN hopefuls, Mountain Vista and Peak to Peak, squared off on Vista's campus cross country course, replete with permanent 400, 800, 1200, and 1600 course markings - courtesy of a student's Eagle Project.
A contrast in style was on display early in the girl's race. Peak to Peak's formidable trio of Quinn McConnell, Anna Shults, and Tiana Bradfield shot immediately to the front. Whereas, following the strategy of their boys, Vista's girls took a more conservative approach.
Quickly thereafter, though, USA World Mountain Running team member McConnell began to assert herself, and after the first of two plus loops was clear of the field.
McConnell, one of the top returning schoolgirls in the country, cruised the second loop and finished in 11:33, 11 seconds faster than her winning time from last year. Sprinting hard for 2nd was Mountain Vista's Jenna Fitzsimmons, nine seconds back of McConnell. Anna Shults outlasted Vista's Caroline Eck for 3rd. While Sarah O'Sullivan, also of Mountain Vista took 5th.
Finishers 6th-10th were Shannon Osoba of Rock Canyon, Liberty Ricca of Discovery Canyon, Vista's Madison Reed, Taylor James from Niwot, and Tiana Bradfield of Peak-to-Peak.
Thus through ten finishers it was fairly close between Mountain Vista and Peak-to-Peak. However, Makenna Anderson sealed the deal for the Golden Eagles with her 12th place finish whereas Peak to Peak's normal fourth runner suffered an apparent ankle injury mid-race and came in as their 6th girl on the day.
Walking away with a silly trophy of their own and in equally dominant fashion, was Mountain Vista and its scary low 31 points. Second was Palmer Ridge and their 94 points (and, as with their boys, no top ten finisher but a strong pack). Peak to Peak was a close 3rd with 97, a score likely 15-20 points more than it should have been if not for an injury.