The 4A State Preview: Cue The Fireworks


Teams

Can anyone run with Niwot?

The defending state champions look stronger than ever - really. Niwot heads to Colorado Springs as the favorite. They're currently ranked No. 14 in the country

They've been flawless on the course when they've run a full-strength this season, and even when they were just training through. 

Niwot's most notable victory came at the Beet Juice Invite, where they battled 5A No. 1 Mountain Vista, 5A No. 2 Chaparral, and 4A No. 2 Cheyenne Mountain. 

Niwot came away with an impressive victory here, rallying 42 points to 5A's Mountain Vista, who tallied 55. 

What makes them the team to beat is their tight pack.

Zane Bergen has been a consistent No. 1 runner for them throughout the season, and he's their lone sub-16 runner so far with a 15:49 best. Bergen is flanked by Curtis VolfGrayden RaubaSimon Saia, and Carlos Kipkorir Cheruiyot, who have all run under 16:12. Their 1-5 split is a ridiculous 23-seconds. Add that they've got seven under 16:17 (only six will compete at State.) 

More recently, they won the 4A Region 3 title with 20 points, packing all five runners in the top-eight, and all six in the top-nine.

After Niwot, the team competition looks tight.


Cheyenne Mountain has a solid 1-2 punch with Erik Le Rouxand sophomore standout Kaden Levings. Le Roux has run 15:48, while Levings has run 16:07.  Knox ExtonEnzo KnappCedar Collins have run 16:36 or faster so far this season. 

On paper, Durango and Conifer look like they could threaten Cheyenne Mountain, however.

Both squads have equally impressive 1-2 runners. 

Durango's Paul Knight and Land Lambert have both cracked 16 minutes. Knight ran 15:28 several weeks ago. Meanwhile, Conifer's Zack Gacnik and Topi Alahuhta duplicated the feat - both have run under 16 minutes as well. 

Both squads look even through four runners, though what will likely separate them will be the fifth runner.

Individuals 

Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos heads to Colorado Springs ready to make a statement. 

He's already made quite a few this season - namely, his 14:57 clocking from the East Meet. The time was his second sub-15 of the season (he ran 14:48 on a 100% concrete course a few weeks earlier.)

Last year Tuohy-Gaydos led much of the state championships before finishing fifth. He is the No. 2 returner from last year's meet, though he is the No. 1 in terms of speed this season. 

He'll toe the line at Penrose with an unblemished record - eight-consecutive victories this season.

While Tuohy-Gaydos is the favorite, he'll likely have competition in Erik Le Roux


Le Roux is the top-returner from last year's state meet. He hasn't run on any real burner courses this fall, but he has run a season-best of 15:48 - on the State meet course at the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede. He's won two of five races this fall, including the 4A Region 5 title over Durango's Paul Knight last week. 

Zack Gacnik could make a run for it as well. 


The Conifer senior has only raced four times this season - he endured a September injury. Despite the setback, it appears that he's only returned with more pop in his stride. 

Gacnik has one victory and three runner-ups to his credit, and he owns a season-best of 15:33. More notably, his most recent runner-up finishes were to Tuohy-Gaydos, and both were under 11 seconds back.

Coming out of the western slope is Durango's Paul Knight


Knight owns a season-best of 15:28 from the Lincoln Park Classic, and he's won two of four races this fall. His 15:28 PR is currently the third-fastest time in 4A.

More recently, he finished second to Le Roux at the 4A Region 5 championships last week.


Jackson Shorten is yet another runner to keep an eye on.

The Mountain View junior owns the second-fastest time in 4A - a 15:15 clocking from the Longs Peak League Meet. He's won five of seven races. Of his more notable performances is a victory over Broomfield's James Thomas last month.

And if there are Dark Horses, it's Zane Bergen and James Overberg


Bergen owns two victories and a season-best of 15:49. The only 4A runners to beat him so far are Le Roux and Overberg. More recently Bergen won the 4A Region 3 title in 16:03 - beating Overberg by 17 seconds. 

One of Bergen's more revealing performances was his fourth-place finish at the Beet Juice Invite, where he finished a half-a-stride behind Le Roux - both clocked 15:49.

Overberg has put together an impressive season of his own - he won three of four races, with his only hiccup being last week's 4A Region 3 Championships where he finished sixth. 

Next Page: A Race For The Ages On Tap, Niwot Headlines