While most of last fall's team championships were runaway affairs, the 4A girls championship retained its intrigue up to the very last moment. Greeley West, Cheyenne Mountain, and Mullen each burst out of the gate quickly. Summit, Greeley Central, and Thompson Valley came on strong later in the season.By season's end, Greeley West and Thompson Valley had risen to the top, but both came into the state meet with legitimate hopes of bringing home the gold trophy.
Although defending state champion Thompson Valley had the deeper program, they ultimately could not overcome the front-running power of Greeley West, even with Kendra Gerk hobbled with a foot injury late in the season. West prevailed by a score of 86-104.
For those who appreciate tight competition, this year is shaping up as a repeat performance of last year's intrigue:
Top returning athletes:
Ashlee Smalley, Greeley West – finished XC strong and followed up with a solid track season, appears to be best suited to cross country distances
Laura Tremblay, Thompson Valley – very solid track season at 800 and 1600 meters. If Becky Schmitt doesn’t regain the role of front runner, Tremblay will fill the niche nicely.
Erica Hinchcliffe, Greeley West – enters the season with some questions as she was injured most of track season, but clearly a capable runner, took over nicely when Kendra Gerk was hurt last fall
Lindsey Sowards, Alamosa – with the strongest supporting cast she’s ever had, she could lead Alamosa to a stirring finish
Allie Parks, Greeley Central – finished third to Kendra Gerk and Lindsey Sowards in 4A 3200 this spring
Sarah Swenson, Greeley West – the third of West’s big three, one who definitely seems to get more competitive as the distance of the race increases
Becky Schmitt, Thompson Valley - third at the state meet last fall, but struggled with her track season in the spring. If she's back running strong, it's a major plus for the Eagles
Alicia Nelson, Moffat County – returns for final season, always competitive
Samantha Thompson, Sierra – at left, seems to enjoy the most success at shorter distances (800, 1600), but is always competitive in cross country as well.
Anna Marshall, Pueblo West – gets stronger as the distances get longer, avoided the sophomore slump after a stellar freshman season
Janelle Martinez, Greeley Central, Kellyn Craig, Denver South, Janelle Martinez, Greeley Central, Maddy Jourgensen, Moffat County, Jule Bishop, Summit, Alicia Randall, Thompson Valley - all talented freshmen who had stellar cross country seasons last fall but didn't revisit the same level of success in track in the spring (some may have been playing soccer). It will definitely be interesting to see how this group develops in the fall.
Last year’s powerhouse teams:
Greeley West – won the state title with a gimpy Kendra Gerk, lost Gerk and Hilary Hurst to graduation, and so will have two serious holes in the lineup to be filled. If there is a four and five waiting in the wings, this team will contend for the title again. If not, the Spartans could struggle in large meets. It definitely takes five to dominate as they did last year.
Thompson Valley – probably the deepest program in 4A girls, may have 10 girls capable of running sub-20 on a good day. The Eagles’ lineup has shuffled itself repeatedly in the last two years and is likely to do so again this year. Regardless of the shuffling, however, they always seem to contend.
Greeley Central – Parks and Janelle Martinez return as sophomores to this perennially-strong team. Two scoring seniors from the state team graduated, however, so there are holes to fill.
Summit – hardest hit by graduation of all the top teams, will need an infusion of new talent to match last year’s finish, although a solid group of sophomores does return.
Mullen – The nucleus of a great team is there, as evidenced by their success in distance events in track. Mullen started last year strong, but were unable to sustain the momentum through the state meet. The Mustangs will be looking to rectify that situation this year.
Cheyenne Mountain - lost Joy O'Hare to graduation, but a substantial base of talent returns. The Indians ran three freshman at state last fall; they should be a more experienced team this fall.
Waiting in the wings:
Alamosa – If Sowards, Lauren Martin, and the three DeSouchets stay healthy, this is a team that just might challenge for a state title. They showed how dangerous they can be in the 4A 4 X 800 at the state meet.
Roosevelt – The Rough Riders were a perennial contender in 3A and return most of last year’s team. Challenging at the 4A level will be a tall order, but this is not a team to be underestimated.
Where the power lies:
As with the last several years, the strength of 4A girls resides in the Loveland/Greeley area, the Highway 34 corridor. It only gets stronger this year with Roosevelt moving up to 4A. While these teams can benefit from sharpening by racing against one another, they could also wear themselves down pounding heads against one another.
Key questions to be answered:
Will Alamosa continue to build on their success in track?
Can Greeley West find people to adequately fill the holes left by graduation?
Can anyone challenge Thompson Valley’s depth?
Can Mullen turn success in the 800 into success at 5K XC?
Can the numerous high-achieving freshmen from last year continue to produce as they did last year?