In this week's edition of Colorado Future Stars we'll take a look at recent standout sophomore performances.
On that note, Colorado, meet Andrew Bel!
I'll start this one with a question...
Who races at the Liberty Bell Cross Country Invitational and still runs faster afterwards?
Hint: His last name is part of the second word of the meet name.
Answer: Andrew Bel.
The Colorado Springs Christian sophomore ran 16:19 at Liberty Bell, then backed that up with a 16:10 PR at the Coronado Cougar Classic this past weekend.
Most in Colorado know that running faster than you did at Liberty Bell is rare. So what this tells us is that Bel is clearly making gains.
Additionally the times currently ranks him No. 6 in 2A, and No. 1 among the sophomore class in 2A.
Going back in time...
Last year he broke 18-minutes once in Colorado - a 17:54 clocking at the Colorado 2A Region 2 Cross Country Championships, and he finished 59th at the 2A Colorado State Cross Country Championships.
He made a fairly sizable leap over the winter, going as far to finish ninth in the 1,600 at the Colorado State Track and Field Championships, running 4:39.
This fall he's raced just three times, but every time he's toed the line, he's PRd - he opened with a 17:41 at the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede (Pre-State), then dropped to 16:19 at Liberty Bell, then 16:10 at the Coronado Classic.
The data tells us everything we need to know - he's on an upward trajectory!
Quick Takes
Parker Graham - Castle View - Graham nearly duplicated the feat achieved by Bel in running faster than his Liberty Bell PR of 15:58. The Castle View sophomore recently ran 16:00 at the Coronado Cougar Classic, where he finished third.
Benjamin Anderson - Mountain Vista - Another athlete running his way upwards and off the whole "Future Stars" because he's nearly there already. Anderson recently finished second in the D1 race at the Dave Sanders Invitational, running 15:54.
Madelyn Stice - Gunnison - recently finished second - to defending 3A state champ Katelyn Maley - at the Emma Coburn's Elk Run HS Meet, running a PR of 18:55 (12-seconds behind Maley.) She's currently ranked No. 5 in 3A.
Peyton Adams - Mountain Vista - Like her Mountain Vista teammate - Benji Anderson - Adams is just adding one top-tier performances after another. She recently finished second - to her sister - in the D1 race at the Dave Sanders Invitational, running 18:15.
Riley Combe - Castle View - recently finished seventh at the Coronado Cougar Classic, running 18:59.