William Ledden's third place finish lead Peak to Peak to the 2018 state title.
Four points.
That's all that separated the state champions from the runner-ups. It was a tight team battle that went runner-for-runner between pre-race favorite Peak to Peak, and Salida.
Both squads got huge much-needed performances out of their front runners, as Gillis nabbed two points for Salida, and Ledden was one back, tallying three for Peak to Peak.
In the battle of No. 2 runners it was Salida once again with the edge, as Bean Minor finished 12th overall, ahead of Peak to Peak's Justin Hager, who finished 15th.
And then the tide began to shift.
In the battle of No. 3 runners Peak to Peak's Ethan Monarski finished 17th, while Salida's Wyatt Shomion finished 23rd.
Peak to Peak inched ahead with their No. 4, and No. 5 runners as Ryan Kuykendall and Cole Beasley were the next two runners between these two squads to finish, crossing in 25th and 27th.
Salida was just one step back, with Jason Joslin and Sam Kearley finishing 28th and 30th.
While Salida had the edge up front, Peak to Peak sealed the deal with their 3-5.
When the dust settled Peak to Peak claimed the closest team race of the day, winning 76-80 over Salida. Not too far back TCA finished third with 107 points.