Things were at pretty close quarters for the start of the 4A girls race and stayed that way well into the event. Photo by Jeff McCoy.
Like a lot of other 4A coaches, I'm certain, I was concerned that our team members not get caught up in any speed contests between Katie Rainsberger and Elise Cranny. So, it was with some surprise that, when I caught my first view of the race near the top of the wooded section before the course doubled back to "The Boulevard," I saw three or four girls running on the heels of the consensus (and prohibitive) favorites.
That contact with Rainsberger and Cranny did not last long, however. In another few hundred meters, those two would would be enjoying each others company exclusively, running in air undisturbed by other contestants.
A chase packed of about 10 or 12 formed behind Cranny and Rainsberger, with the purpose of setting third place in view.
Meanwhile, Rainsberger and Cranny circled the course at a breakneck kind of pace, neither willing to cede so much as six inches to the other. Whatever move one made, the other would answer. If there were advantages to be taken, either would gladly have seized on the opportunity, but opportunities for advantage had gone extinct.
It was a contest of no easy options. Rainsberger would forge a small lead up the hills and rounding the final turn into the stadium, only to succumb to a furious late charge by Cranny. Older and wiser would win this one by a hair's breadth, but younger grew a good deal wiser in the process. Figure them as equals for whatever is left of the season for both.
Behind the two top finishers, a war of attrition for third eventually whittled down to Durango's Shannon Maloney and Ali Deitsch of Palmer Ridge. On this day, Maloney had more in the tank.
And that left the team contest as the point of focus.
Those willing to talk about the race looked at TCA's season record at the 4 and 5 scoring positions as an edge for the Titans. Only Coronado seemed to match up well at 4 and 5, and the Cougars lacked the up-front presence of the Titans.
And, to a degree, what was evident in the race reflected the pre-race analysis. TCA looked solid up front with two in the top ten in the persons of Megan Brunette and Lauren Hamilton, and another pair about 10 places back in Maddie Mullen and Hannah Williams. But, two and two is four, not five. It was one of those days for TCA at #5, and that fact very quickly added some heavy-duty interest value to the team race.
Coronado's pack nibbled away at places here and there throughout the latter two-thirds of the race. Meanwhile, Air Academy held a clearly competitive presence among the race leaders, gaining a few points here, losing a couple there through later stages of the result, but trending positive overall. TCA had established a substantial lead through the first four runners, but both Coronado and Air Academy pushed their #5 runner through the finish in advance of TCA's fifth. And, that little bit of reversal left the final outcome in doubt until the formal posting of the results. The question of whether TCA had established enough of a margin through the first four to overcome the advantage at five for both Coronado and Air Academy was answered in the affirmative.
Less in question, however, was the fact that the top three places belonged to three Colorado Springs area schools, the newly-arrived crew from TCA running their first-ever state race in 4A, the seasoned crew of Coronado enjoying probably their best girls season in school history, and a very young Air Academy team (three freshmen among their top five) that promises to be a handful to contend with in seasons ahead. And that is a lot of new and unfamiliar territory for these three programs to cover in one race.
4A Girls State Highlights Video
