They'll be barreling down the Stutler Bowl straightaway again come Thursday. Colorado Track XC file photo by Alan Versaw.
For a very large portion of the state, it's spring break week. While that doesn't mean no meets at all, it does mean a sharply reduced slate of meets. And especially so in places like Grand Junction, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo.
The week's ranking meet action gets underway on Wednesday with Montezuma-Cortez and Fossil Ridge hosting meets. The irony here is that, though Fossil purposely tries to keep the NC Golden Spikes Series a small and cozy affair, they have nothing on Montezuma-Cortez in the small-and-cozy department. No matter how much M-C would like to host a bigger meet, they'll probably never have a meet the size of the Golden Spikes. What is it that the realtors say? Location, location, location.
On the flip side, the panoramas are dramatically better around Cortez than anything southeast Fort Collins can offer.
The Montezuma-Cortez meet should, however, be a first whack at state-qualifying marks for Montezuma-Cortez and Durango, if the latter makes the trip 50 miles west.
Both of those represent a bit too much weekday travel for me, so Colorado Track XC will be focusing its weekday coverage on the Centennial League Spring Break Qualifier at the Stutler Bowl on Thursday. Despite the very clear reference in the meet title, however, school was very much in session at Cherry Creek High School last year when this meet took place. Fortunately, the Stutler Bowl is on the far side of the student parking lot at CCHS. Still, it must be spring break for somebody in the Centennial League... whether or not those folks will be there, though, is another matter altogether.
Things pick up a little on Friday with the Broomfield Shootout and the La Junta Open. Theoretically, both would be within range for Colorado Track XC coverage, but I have learned it is a fool's errand to attempt three consecutive days of meet coverage (unless it's the state meet). Both should be excellent meets, however, with Broomfield drawing heavily from the Front Range schools and La Junta pulling from southern Colorado small schools, mostly 3A and under.
That would take us into Saturday. And the wheels of the Colorado Track XC coverage bus will be rolling. As much as I enjoy Pueblo, it will be nice to be someplace other than Pueblo for the first time in three Saturday.
Saturday coverage includes Tim Hilt at Elbert and the Versaw boys at Longmont. Elbert is a decidedly small-school kind of draw, typically reaching as high as 3A programs. Longmont is pulling heavily from northern Front Range 4A and 5A programs, plus bringing in a couple meet-starved programs from Colorado Springs and south Denver metro. And, since Wiggins has such a great team this year, they're pulling the team bus into Longmont as well.
Think of this as your friendly reminder to leave your friendly (or unfriendly, as the case may be) canine at home when you come to visit the Longmont meet.
Other meet action we'll be keeping an eye on includes the University Invitational. To clear up any confusion, dogs are not allowed on school premises at Longmont, but Bulldogs are welcome at University. As are, at least for this weekend, Cougars, Huskies, and Bobcats. It's all okay, though, because University is bringing in Rough Riders to keep everything under control.
Dan Betz is a brave soul to host a meet of 25 teams there on the campus of University High School. But, somebody had to do it--there just aren't all that many meet options for Saturday! Give Dan a pat on the back and a big thank-you when you leave.
The Altitude Running Invitational in Fort Collins takes in whatever northern Colorado schools aren't pointed toward Longmont or Greeley, plus a few from Denver metro and Wyoming. Don't let this suggest to you that the Altitude is a small or inconsequential meet. It is neither, and there will be a bundle of results worth noting coming out of this meet.
Holyoke has the meet of choice on the far eastern plains. And Cedaredge takes anyone willing to come to their pleasant little abode on the sun-splashed side of Grand Mesa.
I will post all heat sheets and start lists that come my way. But, there's a good piece of I-25 between Colorado Springs and Longmont, so make sure those arrive before Saturday morning.