Rocky Ford opened the season as a favorite to walk, jog, and run away with the 2A title this fall. Coming back from last fall's 3A state championship with much of its talent still roaming the halls of the school, the Meloneers looked like the closest thing to sure thing.
A school a couple hours' drive (if you're leaning on the gas pedal) to the north, however, had some different ideas. Wiggins didn't have an especially successful 2007 campaign, but they were returning a bit of talent--talent that now had some race experience and which was maturing into solid team.
By mid-season, it was clear Rocky Ford had some feline company at the front. The Tigers were creeping ever closer to the top and, finally, threw down the challenge by dominating the Limon Invitational--a meet which brought together most of the best boys teams in 2A--on September 27.
The title of "best of the rest" appears to go to Fountain Valley, but the Danes were unable to keep it close with Rocky Ford at Friday's regional meet.
So, it appears to come down to Wiggins and Rocky Ford. Wiggins has done nothing of late to cast any doubt on their own strength, but Rocky Ford did show a new measure of strength at its regional meet on Friday. That regional performance suggests the contest with Wiggins might be more interesting this time around than it was at Limon late in September.
Rocky Ford's clear front two are Victor Montoya and Santino Apodaca. Behind them, Michael Estrada and Angel Ramos have both been solid this season. Wiggins counters with five runners who have dipped below 18:00 this season. The top three, however, have been consistently at the front: Gilbert Tucker, Alex Dorr, and Logan Trautwein. These three are all seniors, so it is a do-now-or-do-never affair for them. Not that Rocky Ford is short on senior motivation, Montoya and Apodaca are both seniors as well.
Individually, Steven Stoot of Fountain Valley has spent most of the season offering the competition distant views of his backside. Stoot, however, found himself staring at the back of Victor Montoya in the regional race. Although Montoya started the competitive season a couple of weeks late this fall, he seems now to have refound his racing groove. That's not good news for the rest of the field.
Gilbert Tucker of Wiggins has come up short against Montoya earlier in the season, but has also hit a string of excellent efforts at Andy Myers, the Wiggins Invite, and, on Saturday, the regional meet. If he has more in the tank, this would be the time to spend it. Joel Villagomez of Center dominated 2A Region 3, and Eric Lewis of Mancos did the same in 2A Region 4.
On Saturday, the dust finally settles and Colorado will have a first-ever 2A state team and individual champion. Spend a few moments taking in the spectacle.