Andrew Walton led Colorado's male contingent of finishers at Foot Locker Midwest. Photo by John Walton.
For Melanie Nun, it means a storybook ending to one very determined high school career. For Jordyn Colter, it means whatever doubts may have arisen among the crowds about her ability to perform at previous levels following a DNF at the state meet have been answered.
Both will be representing Colorado at Foot Locker Nationals in another two weeks. They will be the last Colorado high school athletes to close out their 2012 cross country seasons. Colter ran 17:08 to claim fourth in a very competitive field. Nun ran 17:39 to take tenth, claiming the final qualifying spot for Foot Locker Nationals.
Also from Colorado, Heather Bates finished 14th in 18:02. When Bates finishes her season next Saturday in Portland, she will have traveled to, and raced in, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Oregon on successive weekends. It's a tall order for the tall Pine Creek senior.
Emily Wolff and Isabelle Kennedy also logged top-30 finishes at 18:14 and 18:17, respectively.
The day was not nearly as successful for Colorado's contingent of boys.
Andrew Walton led all Colorado finishers in 32nd at 15:33. Also logging top-60 finishes were, in order, Alec Brudzinski, Connor Lockwood, Carson Hume, Chandler Reid, and Zach Kuzma.
Colorado will go unrepresented among the boys at Foot Locker Nationals, and only Liberty's Clayson Shumway remains a remotely possible alternate for Nike Cross Nationals, marking a low tide point in recent years for Colorado boys in the national championship races of high school cross country.