Enhanced Performances At The Beet Juice Invite


It's hard to say who was headlining this meet, because everybody was rocking. 

As mentioned on the previous page, the boy's field was loaded with the best of 5A and 4A, with a handful of runners with the potential to win a state title - in 4A or 5A. 

Unlike the girl's race where nearly everyone knew who the winner would be a mile in, this race would be decided over the final hill in the third mile. 

Halfway through it appeared to still be anyone's race. 

Valor's Ty Garrett led a train of Erik Le RouxJacob WhiteZane Bergen, and Harrison Witt. But White, running on his home course, knew just when to pounce. 

As the five topped the hill near halfway the Dakota Ridge senior leaned into the downhill and attacked.


White's surge was a grenade into the pack - it sent everyone into chase mode. Gaps between runners formed as the race was now on.

Le Roux and Witt responded, though not without great effort.

White raged on into the final mile that included a long uphill before topping off and heading toward the finish, but he had a shadow - Witt. 

The Mountain Vista senior timed this one just right, throwing a surge of his own in the final mile to overtake White. 

But the race wasn't over just yet. 

Into the final half mile Witt held a lead of a few seconds, but White wouldn't relent. Two two were clear of any one else, but the question remained: Could White counter?

The question was answered as Witt entered the track for the final 100 meters - White would run out of real estate. 


Witt, who sported a freshly shaved goatee, pumped hard and crossed in a season-best of 15:23. White was 10 seconds back in 15:33. Le Roux held off a late-charging Bergen to take third. Le Roux and Bergen were both timed at 15:49. Owen Nolan finished fifth in 16:03, just ahead of Niwot's Curtis Volf, who ran 16:04.

And then the pencils started tallying. 


Niwot put three in the top-nine, with Grayden Rauba finished ninth, then went on to close out their scoring with Carlos Kipkorir Cheruiyot and Joey Hendershot finishing 11-12 (Joaquin Herrera finished 13th)

They had six runners in before anyone's fourth. Their 1-5 split was just 26 seconds.

Niwot tallied 42 points to claim the team title. Mountain Vista took second with 55, which was just ahead of Cheyenne Mountain's 57.