Someone from Kent Denver would win this race.
Molly Zann and Cameron Wiley kicked hard across the slither of track and onto the grass. The finish line lay just under a hundred meters in front of them.
It was Kent Denver 1-2. The only question that needed sorting out was: Who would take the Colorado 3A Region 5 title?
Ironically enough, the two teammates hit the final straight from two entirely different strategies.
A mile earlier Zann pushed the pedal to floor and ran away from her challengers, which included Gema Hernandez, and Kaylie Bookout. Wiley, on the other hand, sat way, way back with the Kent Denver pack. It was only in the final mile did she throw it into a sixth gear.
Additionally, the race was Zann's 10th of the season, and Wiley's first.
And so it was in the final straight that the freshman and senior's strides matched up.
As Wiley matched Zann stride-for-stride in the final meters of the race, smiles stretched across each of their faces.
They were clearly enjoying their afternoon.
Zann claimed the 3A Region 5 title with a 20:15.00 clocking while Wiley took second in 20:15.10.
Nine-seconds behind them Faith Christian's Bookout came storming across the finish line in 20:24, while Hernandez was 17-seconds back in fourth in 20:41.
Kent Denver's 1-2 finish hinted at how the team race would play out - they put their entire top-five inside the Top-10 to tally an impressive 24 points. Machebeuf took second with 70 points, while D'Evelyn was third with 77.
The fourth and final qualifying spot drew tears of joy for one team, and tears of woe for another. St. Mary's Academy and Faith Christian both tallied 82 points. Though the tie-breaker went to St. Mary's Academy.