The 2A Colorado State Championships look wide open, except for one race in particular.
But, we'll start with the races that need some sorting out...
Let's look at the boys.
Editor's Note: We'll be live-streaming the finish line: WATCH LIVE!
Individual
Jack Nauman has run himself onto another level this season. The Heritage Christian senior has quietly put together the kind of season that makes him the favorite heading to State this Saturday.
While he's raced just four times, each time was quite purposeful - he opened his season with a runner-up finish to 5A favorite Christian Groendyk at the John Martin XC Invitational. He torched a 15:30 personal best at the Liberty Bell Cross Country Invitational, where he raced in the Sweepstakes Race.
He spent much of September going toe-to-toe with runners in larger classifications, meaning he's battle-tested.
As impressive as the first half of his season has been, he's been on fire this month - he heads to State with two consecutive victories, winning the Mile High & Foothills League Championship, and the Colorado 2A Region 1 Cross Country title.
He's the fastest in 2A by just under half-a-minute, and he's been unbeaten against 2A competition.
Jace Peters could be in the mix as well. Like Nauman, he's raced up against runners in larger classifications several times this season. Peters' big performance this season came in the Sweepstakes race at the Liberty Bell Cross Country Invitational, where he ran 15:55. And like Nauman, he' coming off two consecutive victories, his most recent being the Colorado 2A Region 4 Cross Country Championships.
Nauman and Peters have raced each other just once - at Liberty Bell - with Nauman taking that one 1-0. Though, it's of note that the Sweepstakes race was huge, and likely more challenging for the two to find each other. Saturday's 2A race could offer a much tighter race.
While Nauman and Peters raced that scorching Liberty Bell race, St. Mary's Lyndon Gotelaere hasn't raced on any insanely fast courses.
The St. Mary's senior has raced eight times this season with impressive consistency. He ran a 16:09 PR at the Coronado Cougar Classic, and is coming off a victory at the Colorado 2A Region 3 Cross Country Championships.
He hasn't raced Nauman or Peters this season, so we'll be seeing the first clash from these three Saturday.
Add that Gotelaere has multiple reasons to want to score that coveted one-point.
Teams
St. Mary's heads to State as the favorite to claim the team race. They're coming off an impressive victory at the Colorado 2A Region 3 Cross Country, where they tallied 17 points, and put four inside the top-10.
With Gotelaere in the hunt for the individual race, their 2-3-4 are the fastest in 2A. They've got three under 17-minutes this season, and their fourth just over the mark.
But they'll have company...
Colorado Springs Christian has come on very strong in recent weeks. They're coming off a big victory of their own at the Colorado 2A Region 2 Cross Country Championships.
These two squads more recently raced against each other at the 2022 Tri Peaks/Black Forest Cross Country Championships. Scoring four, St. Mary's took the lean by 20-points.
And we can never count out Heritage Christian Academy.
Like Gotelaera and St. Mary's, Nauman has every reason to want to tally one-point for this squad, because Heritage Christian is also in the hunt.
They've got a great 1-2 punch, and coming off a victory at the Colorado 2A Region 1 Cross Country Championships.
The boy's race is scheduled for 12:20 p.m.
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