Kayla Young checks the threat from India Johnson on her right en route to a third-place finish at Foot Locker Midwest. Photo by Kevin Percy.
Last year, Kayla Young needed a break to go her way to get a mid-December trip to sunny San Diego. This year, Young left nothing to that kind of chance.
Though Young gave up a place late to Ohio's India Johnson, she had safely built the margin she needed through the first 4900 meters and made that stand up for a return trip to San Diego and a third-place finish at Foot Locker Midwest. Young's time was 17:37.5.
That should make Kayla Young the last Colorado high school athlete standing of the 2016 cross country season. Young will also go to San Diego as the lone Colorado representative in the field.
Close, but not quite close enough, were Tiya Chamberlin, Lily Tomasula-Martin, and Annie Hughes with top-40 finishes on the girls side. Top 40 finishes on the boys side belonged to Joshua Romine, Harrison Scudamore, and Carter Dillon. Romine finished only five places (and 15 seconds) out of qualifying for nationals.