BORROWING FROM HISTORY
contributed photo
Colorado's middle school state cross country meet dates back to 2011. In that first year, the boys from The Classical Academy took home the meet title.
They just did it again this year, only in a much larger field. TCA ran to the title this time behind top-30 finishes by Josiah Cole, Ryan Flaherty, and Nathaniel Brim. Those all translated into top-20 finishes in the team scoring. TCA would pad the lead established by the top three at both the fourth and fifth scoring positions with James Davenport and Ethan Voth, leaving Summit Ridge 26 and Westview 41 points behind TCA's 126.
But, in the mass of multi-colored singlets, nobody--least of all TCA--had any clear idea of who the winning team was until long after the race was completed. Such is the nature of the mystery of middle school state here in Colorado where 50 teams, most of whom haven't even seen each other until now, toe the line.
As repeat champions, TCA joins Westview on the list of multiple boys team title winners.
But, TCA wasn't the only entity getting a second win on the day.
2015 individual champion Adugna Moritz came back and won a second individual title. As a 7th grader last year, Moritz won by a single second over Easton Allred. Apparently, that margin bothered Moritz for 364 intervening days. This year, his margin of victory came to 43 seconds over Charlie Welch.
For most of the race, Erik LeRoux of Banning Lewis Ranch doggedly tried to stay on Moritz's heels. It was an effort that, though valiant, likely cost LeRoux a couple places at the end. As Moritz kept pressing his own pace, the toll of the effort became evident on LeRoux's face, and he was passed in the last 250 meters by both Welch and Jodzuel Juarez of Ellicott.
For those keeping score, both LeRoux and Juarez are 7th graders and get another turn at this. Moritz and Welch matriculate to the high school ranks next year.