A year after finishing fourth in the 2A race as a freshman, Rachel Hampton has the potential to lead Telluride to bigger things this fall. Photo by Alan Versaw.
Slowly but surely, 2A girls cross country is coming of age.
In the first year of 2A girls cross country, Nederland simply blasted the field. Nederland's girls finished 1-3-5 and, frankly, nobody was close to having an answer.
Last year, it was still Nederland's show, but the rest of the field made a credible leap forward.
This year, it looks like a serious contest. And that's good news all around.
Nederland, of course, figures to be back in the fray and has to be regarded as the team to beat coming into the season. While Kat Robinson has graduated, sister Kelley and Rebecca Hermann are back. Add to that the regular thumpings Nederland has been putting on teams in the junior high circuit in recent years and nobody is going to argue with labelling Nederland as the preseason favorites.
But, to call the race a done deal is to seriously underestimate the level of the competition. And, it may also be to disregard rumors that some Nederland talent is trickling down the mountain to Fairview High School. While I can neither confirm nor deny those rumors, they would--if true--likely add to the intrigue of the 2A girls race.
It's the competition that concerns us at the moment, however.
And speaking of down the mountain from Nederland, one epicenter of competition could develop in Lyons, one of the schools that came down from 3A last year. Melissa Roberts returns for her senior season. Olivia Raspotnik had a credible track season last spring running distance for the Lions. And, Melissa's sister Miriam joins the lineup this fall as a freshman. That would be three, and three is what it takes in 2A. If Lyons has more than three, their case as a contender is only that much stronger.
Last year's runner-up, Mancos, seems to have the cards in hand as well. The Blue Jays' top two--Kelsey Corbin and Rachel Beverlin--return to lead the assault on a title. Add in a freshman or two and Mancos figures to be back and stirring the pot.
Just over Lizard Head Pass from Mancos lies the bustling little ski community of Telluride. Telluride finished fifth last fall but, realistically speaking, was out of shouting distance of the top teams. That figures to change this fall. Rachel Hampton, last year's fourth-place individual is back. Joining her is the 2008 10th-place finisher, Josephine Bush. Bush was away from the school for a year but is back now as a junior. Telluride was very young last year, fielding three freshmen at the state meet. Add a year of development to the 2 and 3 runners, plus any newcomers joining the team, and suddenly the Miners have the look of a serious contender.
Fountain Valley was a solid third last fall and graduated none of their state team. Unfortunately, however, the boarding school often has a high annual turnover rate among its student body. This fact makes it a bit difficult to peer into the future and see what the prospects for their season look like. If the top three are back, the Danes must be taken seriously.
Sargent managed a sixth-place finish at last year's state meet with a lineup of five freshmen. That would probably be about a third of their freshman class of girls. The glory years for Sargent cross country are about 20 years into the past, but there's a hint here that the Farmers just might rise again. If they do, look for Jasmine Gomez and Tai Zollars to play important roles in the resurgence.
Lutheran-Parker was another very young team at last year's state meet. The team is ably coached by Jason Hubbard (trivia question: How does Jason Hubbard fit into Colorado cross country history?). To my reckoning, Hubbard took the level of performance at Lutheran-Parker up a notch last fall. If he can do it again, the girls in purple figure to contend.
And, finally on the roll call of likely contenders, there is the matter of Crested Butte Community School to attend to. While Crested Butte struggled to eighth place at last year's state meet, the recent tradition of the program is such that nobody with any common sense is reckoning the Titans as dead in the water. Erin Kelly returns for her senior season (hardly seems possible that time has gone by that quickly) and a strong supporting cast could turn this team into an overnight contender.
Vanguard lost their entire scoring lineup to graduation. While the program seems to have reached the point of stability, it may be asking too much for the Coursers to repeat last year's performance. It figures to be a rebuilding year for the charter school in southwest Colorado Springs.
The individual race may turn out to be almost as interesting--though not quite as populated--as the team race. Kelley Robinson and Erin Kelly have both won an individual title in the first two years of 2A cross country. Maybe this year makes it "best two out of three." While Kelly and Robinson would likely prefer that scenario, things may be a little more crowded up front this year than in the past.
If summer training has been productive, either Kelsey Corbin or Rachel Hampton could join the ring of contenders. A healthy Birdie Hutton would have to be considered among the list of contenders. If you like dark horses, Kendall Horan of Lutheran-Parker showed a lot of promise last fall. It would take a considerable leap in times for Horan to join the 2A elite, but given the direction the program seems to be headed, that's not an unthinkable scenario.
Lots to look for this fall in 2A girls cross country!