Boulder Running Company/Colorado Track XC Athletes of the Week
Nolan Mayhew - Cheyenne Mountain
Chyna Ries - George Washington
Special to Colorado Track XC by Phil Latter
Week 4
Like comets, some athletes appear on the scene ablaze, their true talents revealed in one explosive moment of glory. Others toil quietly in relative obscurity for months, even years, before finding their niche and making a name for themselves. Regardless of how divergent their paths may be, the one unifying theme that connects Chyna Ries and Nolan Mayhew, our Boulder Running Company/Colorado Track XC Athletes of the Week, is a simple maxim every coach in the country believes: “Speed kills.”
Ries, a freshman at George Washington (Denver, Colo.), is no stranger to the spotlight. An accomplished club athlete during her middle school days, Ries entered her freshman year as a potential difference maker. But it wasn’t until her jumping marks caught up with her sprinting prowess that the rest of Colorado realized just what an impactful athlete George Washington had up its sleeve.
“It went [well],” said Ries. “I was happy with my times and my jumps and everything.” That “everything” included 12.19 in the 100m dash, 24.93 in the 200m, and a long jump of 19-4 at Friday's Broomfield Shootout.
After coaching for 20 years, Chuck Dugue realizes what a special talent Ries is. “It is my responsibility to not take for granted that she will always perform at her best,” he says. “When she had an exceptional meet like last Friday I felt that I had done my job as her coach, which was to not get in the way of her success, while all the time giving her enough support so that she could perform at her best.”
Ries will have a unique opportunity to compete against some of the nation’s best at the Mt. SAC Relays later this month in California, as well as a postseason appearance at the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic in Albuquerque. In the meantime her focus is on excelling at the State Meet this May.
“I want to accomplish at least winning in State in one event and making the podium in all three,” she says.
While Dugue will be the first one to support her in that goal, he’s quick to point out just how bright the future is.
“What a lot of people don't know about Chyna is that she is really young,” he says. “Right now she is only 14; she won't be 15 until September. Despite this she has handled the responsibility of being a talented athlete and the focal point of the hopes and aspirations of the George Washington girls track team marvelously.”
While Ries came into Friday’s Broomfield Shootout prepped to win three events, Mayhew, a senior at Cheyenne Mountain, came in as just another quarter-miler on a stud-laden team.
“I believe that a large majority of my success is because of that team environment,” he says of a squad that swept both 4A cross country titles earlier in the season. “I’ve been really blessed to have the types of training partners that I have. We have a lot of seniors. Building up that legacy from our freshman year to now has been amazing.”
Equally amazing was Mayhew’s final 800m time: 1:53.66. “I went up [to Broomfield] with the goal of trying to qualify for State in the 800m run,” he says. “The race went out a little slower than my goal, but it turned out I just wanted to win.”
That mentality allowed Mayhew to overcome a 10m deficit halfway through the race. Trusting his coach’s plan, he struck hard on the second lap and pulled away for the win in a state-leading time.
“It was a bit of a surprise to run that fast,” Mayhew says. “My coach told me I could do it. I was a little surprised by it, but I don’t think he was. We trained really hard over the winter; he just expects it.” Such a solid, early season time is sure to give his future coach, Texas A&M’s Pat Henry, a smile. Mayhew will be joining their sprint/middle distance powerhouse this coming fall.
But Mayhew’s day was anything but done. Running on the 4x400m relay later that evening, he anchored Cheyenne Mountain’s team to the fastest time in the state this year (3:23.88). All of which makes sense, since despite his 800m prowess, Mayhew came into the season with a different vision.
“My goal coming into this year wasn’t centered around running a good 800, it was more centered around running a good 400,” he says. “I believe that’s my primary event. I would like to break that 4A record of 47.03. We’re going to have push it, but I think it’s within reach. I want to break 22 in the 200. I’m not sure what I want in the 800. Having [it] as a bonus is a really cool thing.”
The rest of 4A might not agree.