Where to start?

It was another crazy week of cross country meets spanning the state, and this week we saw some real fireworks. 

Next-level fireworks. 

National-caliber fireworks. 

Let's head out to the western slope first... 

Per the usual, the Warrior Lincoln Park Classic played host to some incredible performances. 

Jadyn Heil continued to solidify herself as real threat - she cracked 18 for the third time this season, running 17:57 to claim a (nearly) 50-second victory. 

Likewise, Durango's Paul Knight took the boy's race in a big-time personal best of 15:28. Fruita's McGinley Zastrow and Kien Cogley went 2-3 here, running 15:38, and 15:49. 

Durango's Land Lambert also dipped under 16, running 15:55, which was just ahead of Montrose's Jonas Graff's 16:00.

On Day 2 of the meet Glenwood's Ella Johnson took the girl's race in 18:22, and we saw a revealing performance out of the boy's race that has state implications... 

Conifer's Zack Gacnik appears back from injury - he won the race in 15:33. His teammate - Isaac VanWestrienen - took second here, running 16:11.

Gacnik back in the lineup is huge for Confier.

On the topic of 4A, and state implications, and yadda-yadda-yadda...

Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos. 

The Green Mountain senior went beast-mode at the East Meet, running 14:57. That's a Colorado No. 2, and a US No. 7. 

Tuohy-Gaydos margin of victory was just as impressive - it was 1:05 ahead of Bryce Reeburgh, who is battling back from injury himself. Reeburgh ran a season-best of 16:02.

(Tuohy-Gaydos also won the D'Evelyn Small Invite four days earlier in 16:08.) 

In the girl's race there was a real battle between East and South - namely, Laura Romero and Sara Wexler. Romero took the win here, running 18:56 to Wexler's 18:58. 

Sticking with this topic of next-level performances....

The Beet Juice Invite was The Fireworks Show of the weekend. 

Mia Prok took down a stellar field to claim the girl's race in 17:38, while the Valor Christian girl's claimed a 35-46 victory over Niwot. 

In the boy's race Harrison Witt showed those wheels from the Vista Nation 2-Mile. Witt torched the final half mile to run a season-best of 15:23. Jacob White was third here in 15:33, while Erik Le Roux and Zane Bergen went 3-4, both running 15:49. 

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

At the LHS Sweetheart Varsity race Henry Murphy showed that he could do some damage at Penrose in a few weeks. 

The Fairview senior turned the tables on Jackson Shorten over the final mile to claim the victory in 15:34. Shorten was second here in the first defeat of his season running 15:33. 

Loveland's Elena Torres took the girl's race running away with a 19:12 clocking. 

At the Wolverine Quad Caleb Boutelle threw down, running 15:41 for a big-time victory. Likewise, Sawyer Wilson nearly cracked 19 - again, running 19:01 FTW.

The Centennial League Championships was another fireworks-style of a meet, as some of the best girl's teams in 5A went head-to-head again. 

Cameron McConnell came ready to roll. She took the individual title in 17:35 - a 59-second victory. Ava Escorcia led Arapahoe, who took the next four spots. 

In the boy's race Caden Smith and Peter Fox traded winning once again. This time Smith took the W, running 16:30 to Fox's 16:20. 

At the NCAC League Championships James Overberg waited for no one - the Centaurus senior ran away with the victory, running 15:53.