Jenna Fitzsimmons ran away to defend her state title.
Jenna Fitzsimmons hovered off the right shoulder of Cherry Creek freshman Riley Stewart through the opening mile in 5:43. On the other side was Cherokee Trail freshman Cameron McConnell.
While Fitzsimmons had been flawless against Colorado competition this season, she found herself with a whole new set of challengers this year. Freshmen challengers.
Regardless, the Mountain Vista junior remained business as usual. She had won this race once before, as well as many others. She been to the top of the mountain and back - she knew the way.
While Fitzsimmons was glazed over in that pained-expression that has become her trademark, Stewart and McConnell ran on with blank, concentrated faces that appeared void of pain. From the untrained eye it looked as though we could have a battle on our hands.
But to the trained eye, Fitzsimmons was still very much in control.
She pressed hard through the middle mile and shook herself free of everyone except for McConnell, who chased Fitzsimmons just as she had several times earlier this season. Fitzsimmons led the freshman through the second mile in 12:08, and it was clear the race for the state title would come down to one of two.
But with each stride the race was shifting more and more into the hands of Fitzsimmons, who brought the confidence of having been here before. She knew the terrain, and turns, like the back of her hand.
Deep within the conflicting chaos of pain and hope of the final mile, Fitzsimmons once again shook herself free of her chaser, and onwards to a dominating title defense.
Jenna Fitzsimmons ran away to defend her state title in 18:12.
Behind her, McConnell was left to battle a late-charge from Valor Christian's Taylor Whitfield, who was nearly 14 seconds back at the two mile.
Up ahead Fitzsimmons replicated her 2017 win by simply running away from everyone off a hard pace. The junior pumped her arms hard up the final hill, using every bit of momentum she could to get into the Norris Penrose Center. Her shoulders began to tighten from the effort, and that pained expression of perceived worry was still painted across her face like it was nearly two miles earlier.
But once again, the day, and the state title, was hers. Fitzsimmons, with her matching socks, and name markered in black down her left leg, successfully defended her state title without a shadow in 18:12.
Whitfield's patience proved to be the difference over the final mile, as the Valor Christian sophomore kicked hard to finish in the runner-up spot in 18:25, just one second ahead of McConnell's 18:26.
10 seconds back was the elder McConnell - Caitlin McConnell - who capped her high school career with a fourth place finish in 18:36. Stewart held on to finish fifth, in 18:42, as the second freshmen across the line.
Sarah O'Sullivan was the second Mountain Vista runner across the line, finishing sixth in 18:43, just ahead of the third freshmen to finish within the top 10, Aidyn Woodall, who finished seventh in 18:49.
Rounding out the top 10 were Sydney Swanker, Carley Bennett, and Madison Reed, who finished in a wild kick to the finish in 18:50.2, 18:50. 3, and 18:50.7.
Reed was the third runner from Mountain Vista's U.S. No. 2 squad to finish.
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