After the course to the state title cleared due to last year’s graduations, Alfredo Lebron, Moffat County High School senior, knew he would be held to high expectations coming into the fall season.
Lebron took fourth place at the state cross country championships last year, and the three senior runners who stood in front of his way to the title last year are no longer a barrier.
“An expectation of mine is for sure to win state,” said Lebron. “And for goals, really just going undefeated this season.”
Lebron is known for setting the bar high, and has gone undefeated in the season’s opening races at the Warrior Cross Country Invitational (16:25) and the Lori-Fitzgerald Pre-State Invitational on Sept. 3 with a season-best 5000m time of 16:12.91. For this week’s meet at Liberty Bell in Denver, Lebron maintains his strong mindset, and hopes to run a sub-15 minute 5k race.
“He’s off to a really good start,” said Todd Trapp, Moffat County high school head cross-country and track coach. “He’s got big goals for this weekend. If it happens, it happens. He’s been working hard in practice and he’s not going to be fresh yet. It depends on the day and depends on the race.”
For someone who wanted to quit within the first week of going out for the cross country team freshman year in high school, Lebron now takes his talent seriously and graciously. Moffat County’s leading senior from last year, Chris Zirkle, pushed and battled with Lebron last season, and ending up finished a place ahead of him, in third, at last year’s state meet. With Zirkle gone this year, however, Lebron has had to adapt to a different running strategy.
“I kind of just mimicked what [Chris] did,” said Lebron. “If he ran hard, I’d run hard. This year I’m on my own. I try to beat times from last year, race the clock. Normally if there are kids in front of me I’ll sit on them until the second mile and then I'll take off the last mile. It’s good to run with your competition instead of leading in the beginning.”
Coach Trapp agrees that adaptation can be difficult, but said he trusts in Lebron’s talent and initiative to finish high at the state meet. For a team that has back-to-back regional championships, Trapp anticipates another strong year, especially if returning seniors (Lebron, Johnny Landa, Miguel Molina, Dale Nakai, and Wyatt Villa) remain healthy throughout the fall.
“We’re definitely a senior-dominated team,” said Trapp. “I look for our team to do well. We want to be back up there on top of the region, but we have bigger sights. We want to finish high at the state meet.”
Jordyn Colter, Cherry Creek high school freshman, is another name that has been seen finishing at the top during the early part of the season.
Colter finished third in the Lori Fitzgerald Pre-State Invitational (18:38.60), and stole a first place finish at the Cherry Creek Invitational with a personal record of 18:27. Colter said her mentality is not solely focused around winning. Like Lebron, Colter competes with the clock.
“My goals for the season are that every time I compete, I am racing against the clock.,” said Colter. “There is no better feeling than a PR. Winning is not everything to me, however my performance means the world to me. I always try my best and give 100% when competing.”
Colter has been giving 100% even in the summer months with Zoom Track Club, a nationally recognized USATF program, and she also participated in USATF Track and Field National Junior Olympics Program. Colter made the switch from swimming to running at 10 years old after she told her parents she wanted to run competitively after a swim meet. She tried out for Zoom and still runs with the track club in the off season.
“I am a hard worker when I train because I truly believe that, how you perform at practice is how you will perform for a competition,” Colter said. “During the season I have wonderful teammates. We push each other during workouts, so we can be the best we can be during competitions.”
In fact, Colter seems to be following in Lebron’s footsteps, and said a Cherry Creek teammate is one of her biggest competitors come race day. That teammate and competitor would be senior Olivia Anderson. Anderson beat Colter by a second at the Lori Fitzgeral Invitational with a second-place time of 18:37.86. The next week Colter flip-flopped and beat Anderson (18:51.00) at the Cherry Creek Invitational .
“I have been very lucky to have a teammate so talented to train with,” Colter said. “As mentioned previously, we push each other. She is someone who I have looked up to and she has been an awesome leader for our team.”
Even though Colter has Anderson to run with come race day, she explained that solitary focus on the course ahead is her way to prepare.
“When I line up for a XC race I am thinking what my strategies are,” Colter said. “I map out the course and visualize it. I am very focused and I do not like to talk to anyone before I race. It's kind of my zone that I get in.”
Well, Colter, it’s working well. And let’s not forget that this top athlete is beginning her first year in high school.
Congratulations to Alfredo Lebron, and Jordyn Colter, the Athletes Honey Milk Athletes of the Week!