Ares Reading (center) and Cruz Culpepper kicked late to finish 1-2 Saturday.
Cruz Culpepper found himself in an unfamiliar spot Saturday: Chasing.
Nearly 20 meters ahead, Thompson Valley's Dylan Schubert was doing something no one (excluding Cole Sprout) had attempted to do so far this season: run away from Culpepper.
After a steady 5:05 opening mile that saw just under a dozen still in the race, Schubert had had enough. The Thompson Valley junior knew there was no out-kicking Culpepper, so he threw down the hammer with hopes of putting his stamp on this race.
The attack sent ripple waves through the lead pack, as it stretched in attempts to keep Schubert close, but his Tour de France-style surge lifted him away from his chases, at least temporarily.
While Schubert was battling up front on into the final mile, he had pre-race favorite Culpepper in hot pursuit. The Niwot junior was undefeated in Colorado this season, and his only loss - a runner-up finish - came to 5A's Sprout at Desert Twilight in Arizona last month.
Culpepper had made a habit out of kicking late, and kicking last, which was a strategy that had worked nearly every time before, but Schubert's long surge to the finish was a new strategy he'd have to counter. He'd have to make a decision: let Schubert go for now, and hopefully kick him down later, or give chase and potentially sacrifice the sting in his kick that was unbeatable, so far.
The latter option seemed less reckless than the former, so Culpepper went to work.
Dylan Schubert surged hard, and early to make Cruz Culpepper work for it.
The Niwot junior opened up his stride. His black hair drifted behind him while his competition did the same. He used the varying terrain over the final mile to do what he had done all season: run away.
Culpepper caught Schubert in the final mile, though the Thomson Valley junior battled to keep pace. But the race was Culpepper's. He powered away and off into familiar territory - running up front in the final strides of the race.
He pumped his tan arms and lifted his knees on into the Norris Penrose Center to the cheers of the crowd. He had finished 44th here a year ago, but on this day he would capture his first state title. Culpepper kicked hard all the way through the line, releasing the remaining energy he had left in a victorious scream. He crossed in 15:48.
Cruz Culpepper celebrated his first state title in style.
Behind him teammate Ares Reading kicked late as well, pushing the Culpepper-Reading 1-2 overall finish tally to four this season. Reading finished in the runner-up spot in 15:58, just ahead of Schubert, who held on for third in 16:02.
While Schubert nearly stole the show, another runner with a big performance was Glenwood's Henry Barth, who finished fourth in 16:08. Barth ran off Culpepper's shoulder through much of the race.
Cooper Brown's fifth place finish in 16:11 would have major implications in the team race, as it appeared that Centaurus had found not just one, but two runners who could finish within the top 10 - but we'll come back to that.
Brandon Hippe was the next across the the line, finishing sixth in 16:18, while Dillon Powell and Simon Kelati battled for seventh. Powell took the race over Kelati, running 16:21 to Kelati's 16:23.
Rounding out the top 10 were Matthew Roberds and Torey Puckett, who ran 16:29, and 16:32.
Puckett's finish would be huge in the team race, as he was the second Centaurus runner to finish.
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