Cole Sprout's high school career isn't over yet, but he's already accomplished more than any Colorado distance runner in history.
Between the myriad of course records, meet records, and big victories, Sprout has put his stamp on Colorado as the best to come out of the state, ever.
And that's saying a lot for a state that has produced some of the best distance runners in the country.
What makes 2019 the Year Of Cole Sprout is that he competed in 10 out of 12 months, and put up high quality performances nearly every time he toed the line. Between the countless victories, course records, and high quality performances, Sprout was simply on fire throughout the year.
The Valor Christian senior raced 25 times in 2019, and won a staggering 16 times.
He raced across all three season (indoor, outdoor, and cross country), which stretched his competitive season across 10 months. The only months he didn't race were January, and July.
Quality - and - quantity.
Sprout's 2019 Timeline
February - Opened his 2019 campaign with a 4:23.15 victory at Air Force - just off the meet record.
March - Finished in the runner-up spot at New Balance Nationals Indoor in a PR of 4:06.68 after tripping twice in the final lap.
April - Ran 8:40.73 in the 3,200 for a US No. 2 and a PR at Arcadia; Ran the first sub-9 3,200 on Colorado in the Race That Never Was, then came back to run 1:53.87 in the 800; Ran 4:08 in the mile to win Chandler Rotary.
May - Soloed a 4:11.13 1,600 at St. Vrain; defended his state titles in the 1,600 and 3,200.
June - Ran a 4:04.19 mile to win the Music City Distance Carnival - a US No. 1 at the time; Ran 8:46.41 in the 2-mile to win Brooks PR
August - Opened his cross country season with a 9:53 meet record at the Vista Nation XC 2-Mile.
September - Ran the fastest 5k on Colorado soil by a high schooler at Liberty Bell - a 14:38 clocking; Ran the third-fastest 5k by a US high schooler ever at Desert Twilight - a 14:16.
October - Demolished the Jeffco County meet record, running 15:13; defended his state cross country title in a new meet record of 15:12.
November - Defended his NXR - Southwest title and booked his ticket to Nike Cross Nationals with a 14:41 win.
December - Finished seventh at NXN in one of the deepest fields in history, running 15:10.
2019 Indoor
| 1500m | 3:50.75 | ||
| 400m | 52.83 | ||
| Mile | 4:06.68 |
2019 Outdoor
| 1600m | 4:07.20 | ||
| 800m | 1:53.87 | ||
| 2Mile | 8:46.41 | ||
| 3200m | 8:40.73 | ||
| Mile | 4:04.19 |
2019 CC
| CO | National | ||
| 5000m | 14:16.01 | 1st | 3rd |
Sprout spent the majority of the year rewriting the record books - and claiming a slew of titles and dropping high caliber performances in the process.
His 4:04 mile victory at the Music City Distance Carnival in June ranked him No. 6 in the country, while his 8:40 runner-up at Arcadia in April ranked him No. 2.
Sprout's brush with history came this past September at Desert Twilight, where after leading much of the race, he finished second in 14:16 - an All-Time US No. 3.
Back in Colorado he (unofficially) reset his own 3,200 state record in April by running the first Sub-9 on Colorado soil in the Race That Never Was, where he scorched the track - and a star-studded field - with an 8:57 clocking.
And on that note of running faster than anyone in the history of Colorado - the "ever" - Sprout's 14:38 victory at Liberty Bell in September was an All-Time Colorado No. 1.
For the third consecutive year he made it a clean sweep of the distance events at State - winning the 1,600, 3,200, and 5k.
There was no "one" performance that pushed Sprout to the top of this list - there were many.
Between the (many) meet records, course records, national rankings, state titles, Cole Sprout has truly elevated the bar, and his monstrous year makes him the No. 1 Story of 2019.
