Anna Fake doesn't look to have a team to carry her to state, but she just might stir some things up in the girls individual race. Colorado Track XC file photo.
2A Region 4 covers the entire western slope--from Lake City to Rangely and all points in between, plus a few points not-so-in-between. There's some good cross country that comes out of this region year in and year out. This year's virtual team scoring looks like:
2A Region 4 Boys Virtual Meet Scoring
2A Region 4 Girls Virtual Meet Scoring
The boys race? Well, take your pick between Telluride and Crested Butte (try, for a second, to imagine this Crested Butte team if Ian Boucher had not made the transfer to VSSA).. There's really not much new about this. These two teams are the standing powers within the region. I think they get along well enough--respect runs deep in cross country--but, make no mistake, there's some pride on the line any time these two teams meet. In a region that should send four teams to state, Mancos and Paonia seem well positioned to advance, but if either checks back over their shoulder too often, that splash of orange they see would be Ouray.
Nobody's questioning Hotchkiss's favorite status on the girls side. And Paonia probably ranks a solid second. But the girls only figure to send three teams to state, and that means at least one of Mancos and Crested Butte won't be making the cut. If you're looking for sentimental favorites here, how about the possibility of a school with an enrollment of something on the order of 16 students making it to state? That would be Lake City. Meaning no offense to any other school in the region, I'm full-on rooting for Lake City to make it. And, a snappy salute to Dan Scroggins for making this particular miracle even thinkable!
Individually, it's just as good. Forrest Smith and Jack Plantz figure to duel it out for the boys title. Among the girls, Natalie Anderson and Jenni Celis have been front-running most of the western slope, regardless of classification, all season long, but don't be hasty to dismiss the chances of Anna Fake, Mae Anderson, or Taylor Polson.