In a race with big state team title implications, Loveland's Kaylee Packham edges ahead of Katie Weber and Haley Brogan. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Griffin Hay celebrates a stunning come-from-behind victory in the 5A 3200. Photo by David Pressgrove.

Expect to see more of Raymond Bozmans coming off the 200 meter turn at state. Photo by Ashley Green.

In addition to having the best relays in the state, Loveland also boasts Kaylee Packham's talents in the 100 and 300 hurdles. Photo by Alan Versaw.

The league meets are now done. The big event is nearly upon us.

For those who had forgotten what she can do in a pair of spikes, Kaela Edwards offered a refresher course this last weekend. Photo by Ashley Green.

  Fort Collins High School (CO) Track & Field Team

Mullen's Jaylyn Mars makes up the stagger well before the turn is done. Photo by Alan Versaw.

It's always a little subjective picking a "top x stories," but these stories were big in 2011.

Sticking together: At the first pass over the whoop-de-dos, it was the pack mentality working for Fort Collins. Photo by Patrick Bendzick.

It took a long time for the pack at the front of the boys championship race to break up. Photo by Alan Versaw.

At two miles into the race, Erin Hooker challenges Sarah Fakler for the lead. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Mountain View and Davis figure to be two of the teams toward the top once again at this year's NXN-SW boys race. Colorado Track XC file photo.

Louisville (Monarch) fell to Fort Collins by one point at last year's NXN-SW regional. Both teams return this year to battle again. Colorado Track XC file photo.

Three of the top four girls finishers from last year's NXN-SW championship race are back, and they're each bringing top-tier teams with them to back them up. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Alfredo Lebon waited a very long year for this moment. Photo by Logan McCoy.

It's difficult to match the color and passion of the starting line. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

The intensity of the 5A boys race was evident on the faces of the Fort Collins runners before the race even began. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

By the second ascent of Powerline Climb, Jordyn Colter had made it clear that it was her race. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

Several of the teams on this regional starting line will be back in action this week at state. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

Despite a little lead bike misdirection, Kirk Webb recovered for the win at 5A Region 3, followed by Greeley West's Evert Finger. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

Jeff Abbey leads the Fort Collins finishers at the Front Range Conference meet just over a week ago. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

The roomy start line at the Front Range League meet just might catch on if there were more space to work with at most meets. Photo by Karen McCoy.

As we near the state championship, there are still a few teams making their moves.

Last year, Luis Martinez finished 55th at NXN-SW. Don't look for a repeat of that finish this fall as he leads the Cleveland HS (NM) team into regional contention. Colorado Track XC file photo.

Things are starting to settle in at the top as the end of invitational season draws near. Free content.

Monarch's girls and a few bold enough to run with them pass under the shade of an enormous tree at Saturday's Pat Patten Invitational in Boulder. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

Griffin Hay's 15:44 was just a whisker off the course record at the Fountain Creek Regional Park course. Photo by Alan Versaw.  

Another week of action, and a little bit of rustling in the rankings...  Free Content.

Griffin Hay, left, and Gus Waneka, right, couldn't settle things on the course and so had to revert to a time-honored tradition among male contestants. Photo by Karina Ernst.

Liberty Bell brings a few teams up in this weeks rankings.

At one mile into the Division 1 Boys Race, Fort Collins was well-established at the front of the page. They would stay that way. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

US#2 Futsum Zeinasellassie blasted a CR 14:36 for 5000 meters! Angel Piccirillo #2 AT @ Spiked Shoe. Fay-Man girls perfect in opener!  US#1 Frazier opens season quietly in NC. (Photo by Bob Piccirillo)

Liberty Bell 2011 answered a lot of questions. Among them...

The biggest invitational of the Colorado season is nearly upon us. In Colorado, and the entire Rocky Mountain region, the Liberty Bell Invitational needs no introduction. Some coaches love it, some coaches avoid it like the plague, but its presence carries a weight no other meet in the state can rival. As we do every year, we expect to see some big things tomorrow. And this year, the weather looks to be almost as ideal as last year was dreadful. There will be no 90-degree race time temperatures this year.

Although it's way too early to make hard predictions about who will get bids to the NXN-SW championship races, it's not at all too soon to look and see what's happening in the various states that may have implications for who might make it to the big dance.

There was a little bit of turmoil in the polls this week as some unexpected performances (both positive and negative) rolled in from the meets.

It was Jordyn Colter's first win as a Cherry Creek Bruin, but we've stopped counting Danny Carney's meet titles. Photos by Jeff McCoy.

It's still early, very early, but it's time to start looking at which teams are positioning themselves for a bid to the championship races at NXN-SW.

Take a look at how our panel of coaches read the results of opening weekend.   Free Content.

Rikki Gonzales has won a few races before, but probably none as big as the 5A title at the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational. Photo by Alan Versaw

Lindsey Smith's winning effort of 19:10 put Mountain Vista on a collision course with domination. Photo by Pam Smith.  

Colleen Koenig is back as Arapahoe's top returning runners, and there's been a lot of buzz about how good that team will be. Colorado Track XC file photo.

You already know who you think the top teams are. Check out who our panel of coaches felt were the top teams in each classification. Free content.

Double trouble: Daniel Lara and Gus Waneka give the Thompson Valley Eagles a lot of strength and experience at the front of the lineup. Colorado Track XC file photos.

Award-winning journalist Marc Bloom has been compiling high school cross-country rankings for more than 20 years. His most recent books are “God on the Starting Line” (Breakaway, 2004) and “Young Runners” (Simon & Schuster/Fireside, 2009).

Rebecca Hermann has been part of three consecutive state titles at Nederland. It's Hermann's sayonara season this fall. Can the Panthers make it four? Photo by Alan Versaw.

Taylor Floming returns to help key another very strong Monarch team this fall. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Brayden Cromar is one of the reasons that Davis is aiming for a return trip to NXN this fall. Colorado Track XC file photo.

When it comes to cross country tradition, few schools are in the same league as Fort Collins. Colorado Track XC file photo.

Lindsey Stindt is one of the big reasons that neither Lyons nor Akron may come in as the 2A girls favorite next spring. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Phil Latter and daughter Aspen. Contributed photo.

Pole vaulter Josh Holland is just one of the reasons that Arapahoe figures to finish the state meet with an industrial strength point tally. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

Sam Berggren draws upon her 400 speed to move past Erin Hooker on the finish straight of the 1600. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

Taleah McClintock should have several capable teammates to share 4x800 duties this spring. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Remember the big stories of 2010? This should help jog your memory.

Andrew Walton came on strong for Mountain Vista this fall, strong enough to be named the Colorado Track XC Male Freshman of the Year. Photo by Alan Versaw.  

David Garcia and Griffin Hay helped take Fort Colllins from a state title threat to the #4 team nationally in a little over two months. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Erin Hooker maintained a top-20 position throughout the girls' race. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Spencer Wenck made the most of the opportunities presented by the muddy conditions at NXN. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Saturday will be bittersweet for these three young women. Marci Witczak, Maddie Alm, and Mariel Fulton will toe the line with their high school teammates for one final race. Photos by Alan Versaw.

Danny Carney, shown here battling Will Kincaid for the lead late in the 5A state race, will be the top returning finisher in 5A Boys. Photo by Alan Versaw.  

Emily Wolff had a great freshman campaign for Arapahoe. Continued success in her sophomore season will help to keep Arapahoe at or near the top of the pile in 5A girls. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Claire Green of Louisville leads a pack of Colorado runners early in the NXN-SW girls championship race. Photo by Alan Versaw.

A little bit of Portland in Phoenix... Tait Rutherford negotiates the water hazard at Toka Sticks Golf Course. Photo by Alan Versaw.

They're back, and they're relentless. They're the Fort Collins girls. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Cheyenne Mountain's boys executed a near-perfect patient pack strategy to dominate the Colorado 4A boys state championship. Photo by Alan Versaw.  

"I'll match your two strides with three of mine." Photo by Alan Versaw.

Griffin Hay and David Garcia totaled 19 points between them to pace the Fort Collins effort. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

Eye black was out in force at yesterday's state meet. Custer County's Valerie Stark (left) took things up a notch and did a Tim Tebow. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

Danny Carney and Will Kincaid battle for position late in the 5A boys race. Photo by Alan Versaw.

One race everyone will be watching with interest on Saturday is the 5A girls showdown between Monarch, Fort Collins, and Boulder (not shown). Photo by Alan Versaw.

Los Alamos: New Mexico's green wall of girls. Photo by Blake Wood.

Kirk Webb leads Monarch's boys to a regional title and into the state meet. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

Check out the final coaches' poll of the season!

Colleen Koenig's third-place finish helped to lead Arapahoe to the Centennial League title on Thursday. Photo by Alan Versaw.

That look of confidence on Kelsey Lakowske's face isn't necessarily good news for the rest of the 5A field. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

New leaders in 4A and 5A girls highlights the changes in this week's rankings.

Rio Rancho's Caleb Rubalcaba had the weekend off, but has been running the competition ragged in New Mexico this fall. Photo contributed by Sal Gonzales.

Erin Hooker opened the first mile at just under 5:30 and never let up from there. Photo by Alan Versaw.  

Some of the year's surprising programs are working their ways steadily upwards in the rankings.

Action from this weekend's Glenwood Springs Invitational, where Durango ran away with the girls' title. Photo by Mike Schneiter.

Clayton Young has stepped up in a big way for American Fork over the last three weeks. Colorado Track XC file photo.

Highlands Ranch phenom Eleanor Fulton had a very nice weekend, winning the Division II girls title at Liberty Bell and breaking the meet record in the process. Photos by Jeff McCoy.

Let's just say that Eleanor Fulton quickly erased any doubt about the outcome of the Division II girls race. Photo by Jeff McCoy.

Boulder brings an excellent pack time and favorite status into the Division I girls race at Liberty Bell. Photo by Alan Versaw.  

Shelby Stableford surprised a few fans of cross country--and her coach--by cruising to a 12-second victory at the St. Vrain Invitational on Saturday. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Welcome to the Lions' Den: Alhambra's season has been going very nicely to date. Photo by Margot Kelly.

Columbine's Will Kincaid made it look easy at the Lori Fitzgerald Memorial. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Check out where coaches across the state have top teams ranked!

High among the teams to watch for in 5A boys this year is Dakota Ridge. Austin Appel leads the charge. Photo by Alan Versaw.  

If you can't spot a few contenders for the individual state title in this photo, you aren't very familiar with 5A girls cross country. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Desert Dust Storm: Due to dessicated park conditions last fall, the start of the NXN-SW girls race raised a serious cloud of dust. Colorado Track XC file photo.

It was fun and games last week as Adam Sinda offered up a little impromptu celebration at the end of the Jeffco 5A 800, but the intensity will be a few notches higher when the athletes next step onto the track. Photo by Clif Jurgens.

Palmer gets a solid contribution from Reggie Allison in both hurdle events and the triple jump. If the Terrors can get all the pieces producing at the same time, they could make a run at state. Colorado Track XC file photos.

 A quick little tour of the best of cross country and track and field in Colorado for the year 2009. Colorado Track XC file photo.

It will be a new set of legs going by next fall, but it's still the same sport scored the same way. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Erin Hooker enjoyed the brightest moment yet of a very promising high school cross country career at NXN. Photo by Alan Versaw.

One week from now, 44 teams will be in Portland, and each with the dream of contending for the national championship of high school cross country. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Wearing their uniforms from NXN 2008, the Fort Collins girls take a run-out prior to the 2009 NXN-SW girls championship race. Photo by Alan Versaw.  

Wade Meddles (Sierra Lutheran, Nevada) dominated the boys championship race at NXN-SW. Photo by Alan Versaw.

Eleanor Fulton starts to pull away from Julia Foster of Albuquerque Academy at 2.5 miles. Photo by Alan Versaw.

             

  Photo courtesy: John Olson, South Carolina Runner's  

Scott Fauble of Wheat Ridge finished an unbeaten season with a remarkable run to the 4A Boys title. Photo by Paul Jaeger.

Unlike some other competitors at this weekend's state meet, Ty Williams gained some experience with adverse conditions at his regional meet. Photo by Diane Krieg.  

Unlike some other competitors at this weekend's state meet, Ty Williams gained some experience with adverse conditions at his regional meet. Photo by Diane Krieg.  

The title of fastest girl in Utah belongs, this year,  to Gilian Gorelik of Park City. Photo by Alan Versaw.  

Jordan Montera of Pueblo West battles Chad Palmer of Alamosa for position in the final quarter mile. Photo by Eric Flores.

After this, it's all about doing and nothing about what anyone thinks. Take a look and see how close you think the coaches are to getting it right!

Scott Fauble (Wheat Ridge), David Perry (Niwot), Connor Winter (Arapahoe), and Dusty Solis (Coronado) each rank among Colorado's top male runners. Photo by Cliff Jurgens.

Still undefeated on the season, Boulder's Kelsey Lakowske posted a huge win at the Front Range Conference meet in Loveland. Photo by Jim Lewis.  

Chris Zirkle, after finishing fourth at the Chris Severy Invitational, will be counted on to lead a much improved Moffat County team into the championship season. File photo by Alan Versaw.

An interesting phenomenon this week--every girls #1 team is a unanimous pick. Only Rocky Ford (2A) is among the boys.

Trophy Hunters - The Xavier Prep girls have been filling the case this fall. Photo by Margot Kelly.  

Rikki Gonzales of Rangeview posted a 15-second victory at Friday's Dave Sanders Invitational. Photo by Cliff Jurgens.

The matchup between TCA and Fort Collins was supposed to be a good one. It did not disappoint.. Photo illustration by Alan Versaw.

Kyle Pittman of Los Alamos ranks as one of the top male runners from the Land of Enchantment. Photo contributed by Kathy Hipwood.

Broomfield's Jill Carlson took home top honors at the Arvada West Invitational on Friday. Photo by Cliff Jurgens.

For the third week in a row, Scott Fauble takes home a major meet title. Photo by Rick Wilson.  

The NXN SW 2008 boys championship race at one mile. Photo by Alan Versaw.  

The preseason rankings for the Colorado Track XC Coaches Poll are in!

You can figure on finding Sam Lewis, Rachel Viger, and Kelsey Lakowske at the front of the pack again this year. Photo by Jim Lewis.

Everything you wanted to know about high school cross country in Coloado, but you didn't know who to ask....

Sophomore Eleanor Fulton just may have climbed to the top of the pile among a very solid group of female distance runners in Colorado. Photo by Rick Wilson.

State qualification by performance was the biggest change in 4A and 5A track this spring. How is it working out so far?

Smoky Hill's Vanessa Samuel, above, returns to defend her state title in the 300 hurdles. (Photo by Alan Versaw)

Eleanor Fulton raised a few eyebrows with a 17:45 finish for third place. Photo by Alan Versaw  

 It doesn't get closer than this! Colorado senior Laura Tremblay (pictured left) edges out Arizona junior Jessica Tonn (pictured right) at the finish.  More photos and race video's coming soon!

Dart Schwaderer (Wheat Ridge, CO) passes Jon Nelson (Timpview, UT) on the final stretch to win the individual title of the boys championship race at NXN SW.

Without a lights-out performance from sophomore Josh Simkins, TCA goes home with second place in 3A boys. Other state-champion teams have similar stories.

Coming off the hill at 1.8 miles, Walter Schafer and Evan Appel hold a small lead over Bobby Nicolls in the 5A boys race.

Kristen Kientz of Highlands Ranch, this year's freshman phenom in the 5A ranks, has helped transform Highlands Ranch from a mid-level state team to a top-five level team this year.

The leaders of the pack. Left to right, Laura Tremblay, Alicia Nelson, Miranda Benzel, Camille Logan, and Dominique Gerard run in front in the Centerra Division 1 race (photo by Susan Carter).

The Fort Collins girls mix it up with Samantha Thompson and Whitney Maurer early in Saturday's Pueblo Central Invitational (photo by Kris Maurer). Fort Collins returns to the familiar haunts of northern Colorado this weekend.

A big weekend of competition generally means some major movement in the national rankings, and that is certainly the case this week.  Making the biggest leap is Tatnall (DE) (pictured by Brandon Miles), who after beating then U.S.#4 Collins Hill (GA) at the McDonald's XC Festival at Maymont jumps to US#8 in the girls rankings.

A lot of competitive invitationals took place last weekend, meaning that a few of the top teams in the country lost to unranked squads. With those loses comes new teams jumping into the week #4 MileSplit National Cross Country Rankings. See who's in and who's out in this week's edition.

Ashlee Smalley of Greeley West (photo by Ken Regan) heads for the finish in the Division 2 race with teammate Erica Hinchcliffe close behind.

Green Mountain's Andi Carpenter (above, photo contributed by Clint Boston), one of the athletes to watch at Friday's John Martin Invitational.

Santino Apodaca, winner of the Division 2 race at Friday's Kadet Invitational, is key to Rocky Ford's hopes for a repeat state championship.

Some things--like the domination of the New Mexico boys--played out according to expectations. Other things did not.

With many of the top teams in the country running in their first or second competition of the year, the MileSplit National CC Rankings are starting to take better shape. Boys U.S.#1 North Central (WA) opened their season in victorious fashion, while Girls U.S.#1 Fayetteville-Manlius (NY) has yet to compete, but is looking strong in practices.

It's rare to see such a great early season match-up take place, but that's what happened Thursday evening in Colorado. The top two ranked Midwest boys, Bobby Nicolls (pictured far right by Ken Regan) and Evan Appel, squared off for the first of what could be a few battles this season, while many other top Colorado teams and individuals took to the 5k spread at the Poudre SD Pre-State Cross Country Invitational in Fort Collins.

Moffat County's Alicia Nelson and Thompson Valley's Liz Tremblay battled for the lead through much of the 4A girls race. In the end, Nelson took the victory by a narrow margin of about two seconds (photo courtesy Ken Regan).

  The committee coaches representing all classifications has cast their ballots and Colorado Track XC is pleased to present the 2008 preseason rankings.

Six former Colorado high school athletes will be competing in Thursday's events of the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.  

Many names that used to appear atop the finishers lists at the Colorado state track and cross country meets are now appearing at the NCAA Dvision I track meet.