Top 10 XC: 3A Boys

The guys riding Evan Fortney's heels in this photo have graduated, leaving him as the leader of the pack. Photo by Alan Versaw.

 

As I did with 3A girls, I will be omitting TCA athletes from my guess at a 3A top ten for this fall. Once again, I leave it to the readers to make their own decisions about where any TCA runners fit into the puzzle. I will note, however, that if you look for Conner Wilburn in the fall, 2010, cross country results, he was not a varsity runner for either the regional or state meets.

 

With that as disclaimer, here's a quick look at the top returning runners from the 2010 state meet:

 

  3 Adam Avischious           JR The Classical Academy      16:49.80     3
  5 Garrett Coles             SO University Schools         16:55.75     5
  8 Nick Taylor               JR Colorado Academy           17:03.15    --
 10 Evan Fortney              JR Faith Christian Academy    17:07.64    10
 12 Joshua George             JR The Classical Academy      17:08.75    12
 13 John Powell               JR Gunnison                   17:14.20    13
 14 Carlos Brinkmann          JR Pagosa Springs             17:14.60    14
 15 Adrian Lovato             JR Gunnison                   17:23.25    15
 16 Gavin Palmer              SO Alamosa                    17:24.70    16
 19 Anthony Rios              SO Brush                      17:27.95    --
 21 Jeff Switzer              FR Estes Park                 17:30.55    21
 22 Eduardo Vasquez           JR Sheridan                   17:30.85    22
 24 Gregory Mares             JR Brush                      17:36.71    --
 25 Jake Purvis               JR The Classical Academy      17:36.85    25
 26 Luke Yeager               FR Faith Christian Academy    17:37.55    26
 27 Sean Ankarlo              SO Holy Family                17:38.00    27
 28 Daniel Mahoney            JR Jefferson Academy          17:39.35    28
 31 Giulio Del Piccolo        JR Basalt                     17:41.95    31
 32 Jordan Villalva           FR Alamosa                    17:42.10    32

 

And now the glance at the top 3200 times from this spring, including a handful of runners who ran for different schools (in different classifications) this spring:



1.     9:48.40     Evan Fortney     CO Faith Christian Academy     2012
        10:09.59    Nick Taylor     CO D`Evelyn High School     2012
2.     10:13.17     Conner Wilburn     CO Classical Academy, The     2014
3.     10:13.85     Garrett Coles     CO University High School     2013
4.     10:14.54     Carlos Brinkmann     CO Pagosa Springs High School     2012
5.     10:16.68     Joshua George     CO Classical Academy, The     2012
6.     10:20.28     Anthony Rios     CO Brush High School     2013     
7.     10:20.86     Luke Yeager     CO Faith Christian Academy     2014
8.     10:26.35     Adrian Lovato     CO Gunnison High School     2012
9.     10:26.39     Sean Ankarlo     CO Holy Family High School     2013
10.     10:26.44     Stephen Rice     CO Peak to Peak Charter School     2013
11.     10:30.82     Isaac Alegria     CO Platte Valley High School     2012
12.     10:33.59     Giulio Del Piccolo     CO Basalt High School     2012
13.     10:34.28     Chris Harrell     CO Classical Academy, The     2012
14.     10:36.65     Ian McLain     CO Estes Park High School     2013
15.     10:38.12     Josh Davis     CO Lamar High School     2014     
          10:38.34    Trevor Walters     CO Paonia High School     2012   
16.     10:40.42     Jeff Switzer     CO Estes Park High School     2014
17.     10:40.74     Caleb Welz     CO Classical Academy, The     2012
18.     10:43.76     John Powell     CO Gunnison High School     2012
          10:44.88    Jason Sturgis     CO Paonia High School     2014   
19.     10:51.97     Chibuikem Nwizu     CO Frontier Academy     2013
20.     10:54.84     Gavin Palmer     CO Alamosa High School     2013   

 

It should be a fairly competitive year among 3A boys individuals, even though this spring witnessed a substantial number of graduates from the 3A ranks. So, putting a very preliminary measuring stick to the field, we get:

 

1. Evan Fortney - State track didn't show us a fully healthy Evan Fortney. If it had, I don't think there would be any dispute about this preseason ranking. Fortney had a solid cross country season in the fall and an even better track season in the spring.

2. Garrett Coles - Coles opted out of the 3200 at the state track meet this spring, but is very capable of going longer distances. Coles burst onto the scene as the classification's best sophomore last year and should continue that trajectory this fall.

3. Nick Taylor - Finally a senior, Taylor has worn the uniforms of four different programs in his high school career, a curiosity owing to the fact that Colorado Academy has no track program. Taylor has been a fixture in the top 10 in 3A cross country, however, and figures to be high in the top 10 this fall.

4. Carlos Brinkmann - Brinkmann has been consistent both on the track and on the cross country course. Nothing about that figures to change in the fall.

5. Anthony Rios - Rios showed a great deal of improvement from cross country to track season. If he can continue that progression on the rolling terrain of the cross country course, he should be among the classification's best.

6. Adrian Lovato - With Bryce Johnston graduated, the leadership of the Gunnison pack likely falls to Lovato. Teammate John Powell had a better finish at the state cross country meet, but Lovato's spring was better.

7. Luke Yeager - One Yeager graduated, but the next one is ready to step up into the role his older brother occupied. The 3200 wasn't Yeager's strongest event this spring, but he showed last fall that he's plenty capable of handling cross country kind of distances.

8. Sean Ankarlo - Ankarlo's spring exceeded expectations. You have to like it when you see a guy moving several notches up the ladder between cross country and track seasons.

9. Stephen Rice - Rice is another one who made a substantial jump from cross country season to track season. Peak-to-Peak doesn't have a history of putting boys into the top 10 at state cross country, but that history seems to be about ready to come to an end.

10. Jeff Switzer - I would have loved to have seen Switzer posting a better 3200 time from this spring, but it's hard to ignore what he did at the state cross country meet last fall. You could argue this #10 slot any of several different ways, but Switzer proved something on the cross country course as a freshman last fall that the others don't have weighing in their favor.