By the midway point of the race Erin Hooker had pulled even with Heather Bates and was applying the pressure to wrest the lead from Bates's hands. Photo by Alan Versaw.
Two years ago, this race turned out a collection of stellar times. Most notable of those times was Erin Hooker's 17:58. It marked the first time a girl had traversed the course in less than 18 minutes.
Today, she made the circuit in 17:36. The difference? Well, that's hard to say, but she did have a rabbit this time around. Pine Creek's Heather Bates, in her first varsity action of the season inside Colorado, set the pace for a well over a mile. And a blistering pace it was.
Air Academy's Katie Rainsberger was supposed to be one of a trio up front, but Rainsberger lost contact with Bates and Hooker early and was never able to close back the gap. Yet, Rainsberger still finished third in 18:05.
This was Hooker's final tour of the Fountain Creek Regional Park course, but she has owned this course f...
