Sep 21, 2020

This Colorado Cross Country 2020 Style - AKA Covid-Style - season is highly entertaining...

It feels like every week someone is coming out of the shadows. Someone is dropping some big performance. Someone is - wait for this 2020 cross country style reference - taking their mask off. (As in unveiling their true potential.)

With all the big invitationals wiped off the calendar, what makes it all the more impressive is the fact that it's being done in such low-key fashion.

In other words - those runners dropping great performances aren't needing the hype and flare of a big meet, they're racing regardless of it all, because they have passion.

And this week, that person is Connor Williams.

Who?

Exactly.

Put the state on alert - particularly 2A - because the Crested Butte junior dropped a meet record at the Mountaineer Cowboy Invitational this past weekend.

On a course that sees very few sub-16:30 performances (Gunnison sits just under 8,000 feet of elevation), the transfer from Tennessee ran 16:04 to take a big win over Alex Baca, who finished second here in 16:30.

By comparison, Seth Bruxvoort ran 16:08 here two years ago - and that was crazy then.

It appears that Williams has acclimated to the altitude...

Some quick background info on Williams - he was ninth at the Tennessee state cross country championships last year.

And what was that phrase? "Don't call it a comeback..."

Lukas Haug has been hovering outside a win all season long, but finally decided to land.

After battling through injury last year, the Boulder senior handed Ryan Montera his first loss of the season at the Hawk Hustle Friday afternoon. Haug tied his Colorado personal best of 15:57 for a 11-second victory. Montera took the runner-up spot in 16:08.

On the topic of streaks, The Classical Academy's Sawyer Wilson picked up win No. 3 of her season at the TCA Titan Thunder. The TCA sophomore ran 19:05 for an impressive 25-second victory.

Additionally, the TCA girls took a one-point victory over Loveland.

And on the topic of threes - Ben Conlin also picked up his third consecutive victory. The Rampart senior dominated the field with a 15:57 performance.

Speaking of domination: Jacob White.

The Dakota Ridge senior blitzed the competition at Friday morning's Durden Invitational, running 15:55 - a 51-second victory.

Likewise, Sophia Abernethy picked up win No. 3 of her season, running 20:17.

On the Western Slope Ella Unrein claimed the first victory of her high school career at the Anna Banana Invitational. The Fruita-Monument freshman ran a PR of 19:11 FTW.

And while Unrein was celebrating her first win, Fruita-teammate McGinley Zastrow got to celebrate his fifth-consecutive victory. The Fruita senior 16:09 to claim the boy's race.

Some fireworks went down at the Eagle Valley XC Invitational.

Samantha Blair and Ella Johnson took the girl's race down to the line. Eagle Valley's Blair took the W in 18:11, just ahead of Johnson's 18:15.

Battle Mountain took the team race 59-63 over Aspen.

At the PPAC Race Series #5 Bethany Michalak continued to do Bethany Michalak things.

The Air Academy freshman picked up her fourth-consecutive victory, and third sub-18 performance of the season, running 17:48. Aidyn Woodall was second here in 19:09, just ahead of Ella Chura's 19:15.

The Air Academy girls took a dominating team victory.

And Caleb Boutelle proved that he deserves a look - the Pine Creek senior ran a big PR of 15:38 to claim the boy's race over Scott Prieve, who ran 16:01.

At the Thornton High School Meet #3 Emma Stutzman continued to impress.

The Pomona sophomore ran away from Chatfield's Reese Tucker to claim the win in 18:25. Tucker finished second in 19:11.

The Lewis-Palmer duo of Aubrey Surage and Jade Allen proved that their performance at the Stampede last week was no fluke.

Surage and Allen went 1-2 at the PPAC Race Series #3 @ Palmer Lake, running 18:13 and 18:26. Discovery Canyon's Loren Linnenburger also had a big run - she joined the Sub 19 club with her 18:44 PR.

And speaking of sub-19s: Kylie Simshauser, Ella Johns, and Sierra Bower.

Simshauser soloed at the Coursers Invitational, running 18:57 - a two-minute victory, while Johns won the Lobo Lincoln Invite in 18:53, and Bower won the Rangley Cedar Ridges Meet in 18:55.

Basalt teammate Katelyn Maley finished second at the Rangley meet, running 19:24.

Meanwhile, Jackson Shorten, in a phrase I've written in some form many times in this recap, picked up his fourth consecutive victory. The Mountain View senior ran 16:09 to claim the Mountain View Invite.

Likewise, Charlie Welch just sliced and diced his PR - the George Washington senior won the Denver West-GW Dual in 15:42.

Exhale.

Meets

Lyons Invitational

Lyons High School XC CourseLyons, CO

Sep 19, 2020

Girls (1)
5000m	F11st	19:05.00	Sawyer Wilson	The Classical Academy
Boys (1)
5000m	F11st	15:57.00	Ben Conlin	Rampart High School

Girls (1)
5000m	F11st	19:11.00	Ella Unrein	Fruita Monument High School
Boys (1)
5000m	F11st	16:09.10	McGinley Zastrow	Fruita Monument High School

Boys (2)
5000m	F11st		16:02.00	Connor Williams	Crested Butte Community School
5000m	F12nd		16:30.00	Alex Baca	Gunnison High School

Girls (2)
5000m	F11st		18:11.00	Samantha Blair	Eagle Valley High School
5000m	F12nd		18:15.10	Ella Johnson	Glenwood Springs High School

Girls (3)
5000m	F11st	17:48.93	Bethany Michalak	Air Academy High School
5000m	F12nd	19:09.32	Aidyn Woodall	Douglas County High School
5000m	F13rd	19:15.46	Ella Chura	Air Academy High School
Boys (2)
5000m	F11st	15:38.19	Caleb Boutelle	Pine Creek High School
5000m	F12nd	16:01.43	Scott Prieve	Palmer High School

Girls (2)
5000m	F11st		18:25.00	Emma Stutzman	Pomona High School
5000m	F12nd		19:11.00	Reese Tucker	Chatfield High School

Boys (2)
5000m	F11st		16:25.00	Keegan Caldwell	Mead High School
5000m	F12nd		16:29.20	Connor McCormick	Longmont High School

Girls (3)
5000m	F11st	18:13.60	Aubrey Surage	Lewis-Palmer High School
5000m	F12nd	18:26.60	Jade Allen	Lewis-Palmer High School
5000m	F13rd	18:44.30	Loren Linnenburger	Discovery Canyon High School