Colorado's History at the Champs Sports (formerly Kinney, Footlocker, and Eastbay) National Cross Country Championships
From 1979-1992 it was called the Kinney National Cross Country Championships.
From 1993-2019 it was called the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships.
In 2021 it was called the Eastbay National Cross Country Championships
The race has been held at Balboa Park in San Diego every year except 1981-1982, and 1997-2001 when it was held in Orlando.
Colorado has had 44 female and 42 male qualifiers (as of the upcoming 2023 race).
1980: Michelle Burt - 31st place - 19:59 (Honestly, I don't know much about her - including which high school she attended. The only information provided on the Eastbay homepage is her name, place, time, region and state. However, I'm sure somebody remembers her).
1981: Deahn Hendrixson - 31st - 18:58 - Northglenn H.S.
1983: Lize Brittin - 15th - 18:00 - Fairview H.S.
1984: Lize Brittin - 7th - 17:39 - Fairview H.S.
1985: Jon Hume - 4th - 14:51 - Green Mountain H.S.
1986: Nathan Wright - 28th - 15:50 - Poudre H.S.
1987: Chris Nelson - 7th - 15:15 - Florence H.S.
Eric Morrison - 8th - 15:17 - Poudre H.S.
Pat Dolan - 16th - 15:31 - Greeley Central H.S.
Sarah Schwald - 4th - 17:27 - Liberty H.S.
1988: Kevin Herd - 30th - 16:16 - Rangeview H.S.
Melody Fairchild - 2nd - 17:18 - Boulder H.S.
Sarah Schwald - 5th - 17:39 - Liberty H.S.
Calley Nelson - 13th - 18:07 - Florence H.S.
Cruz Zarco - 16th - 18:13 - Sargent H.S.
1989: Melody Fairchild - 1st - 17:05 - Boulder H.S.
Cruz Zarco - 8th - 17:51 - Sargent H.S.
Calley Nelson - 18th - 18:36 - Florence H.S.
1990: A.J. Campbell - 22nd - 15:59 - Central (Grand Junction) H.S.
Melody Fairchild - 1st - 16:39 - Boulder H.S. (existing course record at Morley Field,
Balboa Park)
Sarah DeMartini - 29th - 19:55 - Poudre H.S.
1991: Adam Goucher - 13th - 15:41 - Doherty H.S.
Faith Harvel - 27th - 19:15 - Boulder H.S.
1992: Adam Goucher - 15th - 15:47 - Doherty H.S.
Marne Findley - 30th - 19:30 - Ponderosa H.S.
1993: Adam Goucher - 1st - 14:41 - Doherty H.S.
1995: Kerry Dugan - 21st - 18:34 - Boulder H.S.
1996: Aaron Blondeau - 12th - 15:57 - Salida H.S.
2000: Megan Kaltenbach - 18th - 18:06 - Smoky Hill H.S.
2001: Brett Schoolmeester - 27th - 16:01 - Denver Christian H.S.
Megan Kaltenbach - 14th - 17:52 - Smoky Hill H.S.
2002: Katelyn Kaltenbach - 7th - 17:50 - Smoky Hill H.S.
Megan Kaltenbach - 20th - 18:24 - Smoky Hill H.S.
2003: Ryan Deak - 6th - 15:13 - Smoky Hill H.S.
Bradley Harkrader - 12th - 15:24 - Thornton H.S.
Katelyn Kaltenbach - 1st - 17:24 - Smoky Hill H.S.
Morgan Schulz - 11th - 17:56 - Smoky Hill H.S.
2004: John McGuire - 4th - 15:27 - D'Evelyn H.S.
Mohamud Ige - 13th - 15:44 - Denver South H.S.
Whitney Anderson - 4th - 17:49 - Summit H.S.
Maddie McKeever - 9th - 18:14 - Heritage H.S.
Keara Sammons - 11th - 18:20 - Smoky Hill H.S.
Katelyn Kaltenbach - 15th - 18:28 - Smoky Hill H.S.
2005: Mohamud Ige - 10th - 15:21 - Denver South H.S.
Daniel Roberts - 12th - 15:27 - Crested Butte Academy
Noah Shannon - 19th - 15:39 - Fort Collins H.S.
Keara Sammons - 17th - 17:58 - Smoky Hill H.S.
2006: Richard Medina - 18th - 15:52 - Grand Junction H.S.
Joseph Manilafasha - 25th - 16:07 - Denver North H.S.
Anguel Tolev - 27th - 16:09 - Thornton H.S.
Evan Appel - 29th - 16:12 - Dakota Ridge H.S.
Katie Vanatta - 4th - 17:57 - Ralston Valley H.S.
Kristen McGlynn - 35th - 19:14 - Platte Canyon H.S.
2007: Bobby Nichols - 18th - 15:44 - Regis Jesuit H.S.
Evan Appel - 21st - 15:48 - Dakota Ridge H.S.
Joseph Manilafasha - 22nd - 15:49 - Denver North H.S
Kevin Williams - 26th - 15:52 - D'Evelyn H.S.
2008: Evan Appel - 6th - 15:36 - Dakota Ridge H.S.
Joe DeMoor - 10th - 15:44 - Buena Vista H.S.
Andrew Berberick - 17th - 15:54 - Mullen H.S.
Joseph Manilafasha - 35th - 16:19 - Denver North H.S.
Allie McLaughlin - 5th - 17:34 - Air Academy H.S.
2009: Scott Fauble - 17th - 15:44 - Wheat Ridge H.S.
Walter Schafer - 22nd - 15:46 - Cherry Creek H.S.
Danny Nicholls - 26th - 15:49 - Regis Jesuit H.S.
Ryan Poland - 28th - 15:51 - Denver Christian H.S.
Kelsey Lakowske - 6th - 17:33 - Boulder H.S.
2010: William Kincaid - 11th - 15:27 - Columbine H.S.
Kelsey Lakowske - 4th - 17:29 - Boulder H.S.
Eleanor Fulton - 13th - 17:50 - Highlands Ranch H.S.
2011: Sydney Scott - 26th - 18:18 - Denver South H.S.
2012: Jordyn Colter - 4th - 17:30 - Cherry Creek H.S.
Melanie Nun - 35th - 18:37 - Legacy H.S.
2014: Lauren Gregory - 11th - 18:04 - Fort Collins H.S.
2015: Paul Roberts - 5th - 15:15 - Lyons H.S.
Kayla Young - 33rd - 18:31 - Denver North H.S. (injury replacement for Lauren Gregory)
Lauren Gregory - Fort Collins H.S. (could not compete, injured)
2016: Kayla Young - 24th - 18:04 - Denver North H.S.
2017: Harrison Scudamore - 13th - 15:48 - Denver East H.S.
2018: Ares Reading - 19th - 16:00 - Niwot H.S.
Riley Stewart - 21st - 18:14 - Cherry Creek H.S.
2019: Parker Wolfe - 15th - 15:37 - Cherry Creek H.S.
Riley Stewart - 17th - 17:58 - Cherry Creek H.S.
*2020: Canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
2021: Zane Bergen - 4th - 15:20 - Niwot H.S.
Riley Stewart - 5th - 17:30 - Cherry Creek H.S.
2023: To Be Determined
*Author's note - With the advent of Nike Cross Nationals (initially called Nike Team Nationals) in 2004, and especially the emphasis on Nike Nationals over Eastbay for Colorado athletes, roughly the whole decade of the 2010's kept several great Colorado runners from even attempting to qualify for Eastbay. Names such as Elise Cranny, Katie Rainsberger, Brie Oakley, Tanner Norman, and Cole Sprout immediately come to mind as those who had great potential to be qualifiers, and likely do very well.
Champions:
Melody Fairchild (twice)
Adam Goucher
Katelyn Kaltenbach
Schools with multiple qualifiers (different athletes):
Cherry Creek - 5 (Walter Schafer, Jordyn Colter, Riley Stewart, Parker Wolfe, Emily Cohen)
Smoky Hill - 5 (Megan and Katelyn Kaltenbach, Keara Sammons, Morgan Schulz, Ryan Deak)
Boulder - 4 (Melody Fairchild, Kelsey Lakowske, Faith Harvel, Kerry Dugan)
Poudre - 3 (Nathan Wright, Eric Morrison, Sarah DeMartini)
Denver Christian - 2 (Brett Schoolmeester, Ryan Poland)
Denver North - 2 (Joseph Manilafasha, Kayla Young)
Denver South - 2 (Mohamud Ige, Sydney Scott)
D'Evelyn - 2 (John McGuire, Kevin Williams)
Fort Collins - 2 (Noah Shannon, Lauren Gregory)
Florence - 2 (Chris and Calley Nelson)
Niwot - 2 (Zane Bergen, Ares Reading)
Regis Jesuit - 2 (Bobby and Danny Nicholls)
Thornton - 2 (Bradley Harkrader, Anguel Tolev)
Schools with most total qualifiers:
Smoky Hill - 10 (M Kaltenbach x 3, K Kaltenbach x 3, Sammons x 2, Schulz, Deak)
Boulder - 7 (Fairchild x 3, Lakowske x 2, Harvel, Dugan)
Cherry Creek - 7 (Stewart x 3, Schafer, Colter, Wolfe, Cohen)
Denver North - 5 (Manilafasha x 3, Young x 2)
Dakota Ridge - 3 (Appel x 3)
Doherty - 3 (Goucher x 3)
Florence - 3 (Calley Nelson x 2, Chris Nelson)
Fort Collins - 3 (Gregory x 2, Shannon)
Poudre - 3 (Wright, Morrison, DeMartini)
*several schools are tied with 2
Schools with qualifiers from both genders:
Cherry Creek
Denver North
Denver South
Florence
Fort Collins
Poudre
Smoky Hill
Sibling qualifiers:
Calley and Chris Nelson - Florence
Bobby and Danny Nicholls - Regis Jesuit
Megan and Katelyn Kaltenbach - Smoky Hill
Most common finishing position:
4th place (has occurred 8 times)
13th place (5 times)
followed by four times each for 1st place, 11th place, 15th place, 17th place, and 18th place
no one has ever finished 3rd, 23rd, 32nd, 34th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th, or 40th place