While we're barely off the starting line of the 2022 Colorado cross country season, there were a few performances that stood out.
In this week's edition of Future Stars we'll take a look at recent stand-out freshmen performances...
Colorado: meet Elizabeth Roberts!
If you recognize that last name, you should - she's part of the Roberts family dynasty of distance stars.
And just like the many with the same last name to come before her, the Resurrection Christian freshman has the wheels.
Roberts placed 11th in her first high school race at the Rocky Mountain Lobo Invitational, running 20:26 - that time is currently the second-fastest in the freshmen class. Additionally, the time currently ranks her No. 4 in 3A.
Rewinding the clocks a year, Roberts ran 13:45 for 3.5-miles at the Northern Colorado Middle School Championship - 3.5K - that's about 6:06 pace per-mile. She raced just once during the outdoor season, clocking an impressive 5:39 1,600.
Quick Takes
Delaney Johns - Fort Collins - Sitting in front of Roberts in the Freshmen Rankings is Delaney Johns - her 20:24 leads the class by two-seconds. And if anyone watching the Rocky Mountain Lobo Invitational thought they were seeing double, it's of note that Delaney is the younger sister of Fort Collins star Ella Johns.
MacKenzie McIntosh - Holy Family - If her MileSplit profile tells us anything, it's that she's got quite a range... The Holy Family freshman recently ran 20:36 at the Windsor Wizards Invitational - that ranks her No. 3 in the freshmen class. But what's additionally impressive is her 2022 outdoor track season, where she ran 29.66 in the 200, 33.88 in the 200 Hurdles, and leapt to a 14-1 long jump personal best.
Dylan Smith - Cherokee Trail - He's no stranger to the course, or to running fast. Anyone who follows cross country knows that it's difficult for a freshmen boy to stand out, but Smith ran 16:45 to finish second at the Aurora City Championships. A year ago he ran 13:24 4,000 to finish fifth at the Middle School XC Nationals.