4:29... 4:30... 4:31...
Parker Wolfe flew by the mile marker without a shadow. A blue and red haze of speed. Like Sonic The Hedgehog.
When his opening Mile-Split echoed out over the intercom spectators across the course stopped to digest what they had just heard.
Did Parker Wolfe really go out in 4:30?
Wolfe's intentions from the opening strides said everything: he had ambitions of wiping Cole Sprout's 15:12 course record off the books.
"I went out fast, probably a little too quick..." he admitted after the race.
But with such an aggressive attack on history, Wolfe remained hungry.
The Cherry Creek senior soloed early and raced onwards, knowing that the clock was his only real competition.
Wolfe endured the challenging second mile then clawed his way over the final mile, still chasing the Sprout's state record.
"Coming into that last mile I didn't think I'd get it," he said. "I was kind of tired. I knew I had to keep pushing."
Spectators along the course urged him on, knowing that they could be witnessing history.
Wolfe battled into the final quarter-mile, taking powerful strides across the creek as the clock ticked onwards.
14:10... 14:11... 14:12...
He pumped hard up the double hill for the final time of his high school career, knowing that every stride could make or break his record-attempt.
"Once I turned the corner I knew it was going to be tight," he explained. "I just grinded it out."
Wofle poured years worth of training out on the dirt and into the final strides as he kicked into Penrose one more time.
Only this time there was no one in front of him, or even behind him. He was alone in the stadium, chasing the invisible figure of Cole Sprout.
15:09... 15:10... 15:11...
Wolfe kicked all the way across the finish line, mask secured on his right bicep. He didn't slow to the slightest until he was beyond the second mat - leaving nothing to chance.
"I didn't really see what time it was exactly at the end," he said. "I was hoping I was under it (the record)."
Pain from the effort painted across his face as he slowed to a walk, unknowing if he had achieved the feat. And then he got the news.
15:10.40.
A new state meet record.
"I was super excited to hear that," he said.
Wolfe's historic run adds to his Colorado-soil record and US No. 1 of 14:30 of which he ran at the Heritage Distance Classic - the second of Sprout's course records he reset this season.
While the Cherry Creek senior was solidifying his position in Colorado's rich cross country history, the race behind him was just as exciting.
While Wolfe definitely takes the cake for Race of The Day with his state meet record, Ben Conlin took the second-best performance of the day.
A year ago he finished 19th, but the Rampart senior capped his high school career with a stellar runner-up finish, running 15:27.
"About 1k in I said 'this is my race," Conlin said with a big smile hiding underneath his mask. "After that I couldn't stop smiling."
The only time he stopped smiling was in the final 100 meters, where he launched into a wild kick to the finish to secure his runner-up spot.
"I've been out-kicked for a podium spot twice before," he said. "I was like, 'not this time."
Behind Conlin the race began to heat up.
Caleb Boutelle finished third in 15:31, while Henry Murphy led a slew of Boulder-area runners with a fourth-place finish in 15:41.
Lukas Haug was three seconds back in 15:44, while James Thomas and Ryan Montera dipped under 16 as well, running 15:47, and 15:57.
As racers began to trickle in, the team race became a hotly contested battle.
Mountain Vista was the first to have two runners finish - Jayden Nats and Harrison Witt went 10-11, while Fairview countered with Eric Sankey finishing 14th.
Meanwhile, Brennan Draper led Chaparral's trio of Thomas Alley and Tanner Brown, finishing 21-24-26.
And then Mountain Vista came storming in.
Kyle Boe, Owen Nolan, and Nate Harbert shut the door before anyone else could get their fourth runner in. Boe, Nolan and Habert finished 27-28-30.
Mountain Vista tallied 80 points for a dominating team victory.
Chaparral, who sat at home during last year's state championships, solidified themselves as the Most Improved Team of 2020, as they took the runner-up finish with 124 points. Fairview was 20 back, tallying 144 points, which was just ahead of Valor's 147.