Top Stories Of 2018 #2: Cole Sprout Record Breaker

Top Colorado Stories Of 2018

Bobby Reyes

Dec 31, 2018

Cole Sprout...

Where to start?

Should we do this alphabetically, or chronologically?

There's his Sophomore Class National Record in the 3,000.

There's his Sophomore Class National Record in the 2 mile.

There's his Colorado 3,200 State Record.

There's his Colorado State Cross Country All-Classification Course Record.

There are his three state titles in 2018, in the 1,600, the 3,200, and the 5k.

Shall I continue?

2018 has been the Year of Sprout. That's about as simple as anyone can put it.

As a sophomore last spring he ran national caliber personal bests in Colorado. To clarify, the following times are in races he ran here at altitude... They include a 1:54 in the 800, 4:12.75 in the 1,600, and 9:01 in the 3,200.

And races run at lower elevations? There's that 8:13 in the 3,000, and a 8:49.46 two-mile.

And we haven't even touched on his junior cross country season yet...

Sprout ran a nation-leading 14:32 5k at Desert Twilight, and a 15:16 at the Colorado State Cross Country Championships - a new course record.

And he didn't just run fast, he won, a lot.

He finished third at National Cross Nationals a few weeks ago, and was second at the Brooks PR Invitational last June. Those are the only two races where Sprout did not finish first in 2018. In other words: Sprout only lost only twice in 2018. Twice.

He was undefeated in Colorado this year. Yes - you read that right. Cole Sprout was undefeated in Colorado throughout the entire 2018 year.

Competitors have run within his shadow, but no one has successfully hung on.

It's hard to articulate how impressive 2018 has been for Sprout, which is why I'm relying heavily on the numbers, because there's no bias in the numbers. They're black and white. And they tell the true tale of how good Sprout really is.

And he's only a junior.

While the numbers can put a bright spotlight on how good one is, what you don't see is the artistic style of an athlete. And this is what put Sprout over the top. He is an artist.

Winning isn't good enough. Anyone who watches him race can see the intensity he brings to the course or the track. Spectators are guaranteed a show nearly every time he steps on the starting line. He runs to his own rhythm, has his own plan, and his own purpose.

There's a reason his competitors call him "SwoleSprout," it's because he flexes his talents and ambitions nearly every time he races.

Sprout's sheer dominance over his competition, a well as his fearless style is more than enough to rocket him to the No. 2 Story of 2018.