Widefield's Ryan Outler kicked to his second win of the season, running 16:05.
Nearly a dozen boys cruised through the opening mile Saturday morning. Among them Ryan Outler, Gus McIntyre, and Derek Fearon, who trailed a stride off the pace without a sense of urgency. There was still a lot of real estate to cover before the anticipated fury kick to the finish.
It was inevitable, even then.
While patience highlighted the early mile, McIntyre didn't seem willing to wait and kick like his competition. The Palmer junior surged hard through the second mile and spread the pack out, leaving only those willing to hurt early. This of course included Outler, Fearon, and Gateway's Yonas Mogos
Heading into the final mile it was a four-may race, led by McIntyre.
But it was Outler who was holding his cards very close to the chest. Each stride brought the pack closer to the finish, and for Outler, he knew he'd have the legs to kick.
"I was waiting," Outler admitted. "I should've turned it on a little sooner... I was just being really patient."
By the time the lead pack reached the final 100 they had dwindled down to three, with Outler and McIntrye side by side around the final corner and Fearon chasing.
The trio entered the final straightaway in an all-out sprint to the finish. Outler was smooth over the grassy finish, though McIntrye pumped his arms in a furious kick, taking the race all the way to the line.
In the end it was Outler who outlasted his challengers, running 16:05 to pick up his second win of the season. McIntyre was a close second in 16:06 - an 11 second PR, while Fearon was just strides behind in 16:07.
The win solidified Outler's already-great season, which he attributed to altering his mindset.
"Over the summer I read this book for mental training," Outler shared. The book was The Competitive Edge: Mental Preparation For Distance Running by Richard Elliott
Clearly, the book has helped Outler find new depths.
Nolan Getchell and Ryan Johnson have Legend a 1-2 punch that no one could compete with.
Legend Dominates
In the team competition there was no one who could keep pace with Legend. They pumped three into the top 10, led by a 3-4 finish from seniors Nolan Getchell and Ryan Johnson. Legend tallied 66 points to beat Palmer's 89. Claiming third was Rock Canyon, who scored 94 points.