Up to Date…Boys Cross Country

courtesy of Gavin Jones

Entering regionals as the 5th seed, the Mustangs finished with 122 points, earning a fourth-place finish at the Class 5A Region 3 Championships. The entire boys team qualified for next Saturday’s (Oct. 28) Class 5A State Championship to be held in Colorado Springs.

Jeff Fleischman, Adviser
October 20, 2017

Boys Cross Country

Looking Back:

October 19: Class 5A, Region 3 Championships, 4th Place (Automatic State Qualifiers)

Top RV Results:

  1. Nick Nowlen, Sr., 16:24.00
  2. Gavin Jones, Sr., 16:40.00
  3. Benjamin Brandt, Jr., 17:50.00
  4. Kyle Sterns, Sr., 17:22.00
  5. Ethan Grolnic, Fr., 17:59.00
  6. JJ Ramey, Fr., 18:16.00
  7. Grant O’Shea, Sr., 18:28.00
  8. Kiesin Adams, Sr., 18:19.00
  9. Caden Gigstad, So., 18:16.00

Looking Ahead:

Oct. 28: 75th Annual Colorado Boys State Cross Country Championships, Norris Penrose Event Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Performance/Performer of the Week: Entering the Class 5A Region 3 Championships, the boys had enjoyed one of their better overall seasons. However, qualifying as an entire team for the 75th Annual Colorado Boys State Cross Country Championships bordered on hopeful, at best. To do so, the Mustangs would have to finish as one of the regions top four teams, and the competition was exceedingly deep. “We came into regionals ranked fifth, so we knew we had a shot,” said Gavin Jones (’18). “But to see how close it was (five points), and to know we made it, it was one of the best moments of my cross country career.” A great week of practice was capped with a fourth-place finish and the Mustangs will take seven runners to state. Ralston Valley finished with 122 points, five points ahead of fifth-place Denver South, to earn the trip to Colorado Springs for next week’s state championships. As he has for the majority of the year, Nick Nowlen (’18) paced the Mustangs with a 7th-place finish (16:24.00). “With his soccer background, it’s really incredible to see, but he’s just a natural born athlete,” said Jones, who was the team’s top runner entering this year but has been surpassed by Nowlen. “I’m not even mad that he’s beating me. I’m happy he’s beating me because it means our team is that much stronger.” Nowlen was joined in the top 15 by Jones who finished the 5K course in 16:40.00, good enough for 12th place. Scores are tabulated on a team’s top five runners, and the Mustangs got great performances to round out their scoring by Benjamin Brandt (’19), Kyle Sterns (’18), and Ethan Grolnic (’21). Head coach Jordana LeSavage will have to select seven runners to take to state. The 5A Boys race kicks off the day with a 9:20 a.m. starting time. The race will be held at the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs.