On the list of athletes we hope to see at the middle school state championship, the name of Katie Rainsberger (Cheyenne Mountain) ranks high. Contributed photo.
At 12 days out from the inaugural Colorado Middle School State Championship Cross Country meet, only six team registrations were physically in hand. If that concerns you, consider that race organizers have been busy fielding questions from interested parties and have several verbal commitments that are waiting to get the paperwork completed. And I personally know of a few teams who, lacking nothing in terms of intention, are busy trying to get the t's crossed and i's dotted so that they can participate in the meet.
Parking should be sufficient with two lots, a field, and the side of a street in close proximity to the D'Evelyn school will all be available for use on Saturday morning, October 22.
The course distance of 3.5K will make this a fairly unique event in the annals of cross country. Those schools who have run only 1.5 miles or 2.5K up to this point may be a little extended by the distance, but it should not be overwhelming.
The distance owes its existence to the nature of the D'Evelyn course. Race organizers have omitted the big hill on the back side of the school, but retained a water crossing. According to Kyle Simcox, one of the group organizing the race, the course ends up being "about 25% asphalt, 10% dirts, 5% grass, and 60% mowed field." There are uphill and downhill gradients, but these are slight in nature. The course should run fairly fast and is designed to retain a cross country kind of feel.
For those desiring to preview the potential field a little, the Colorado Track XC middle school rankings can be accessed at the Stats page. Basic rankings for each of several middle school distances are available to all users. Due to the varying distances used for middle school meets, virtual meets and team rankings do not work so well for middle school cross country.
Be sure to come out and support the first ever middle school cross country championship for Colorado. It promises to be fun and exciting!
Middle School State Championships Meet Page