by Renée Haip
The Lyons cross-country teams steadily worked through the season gaining in speed, strength, and racing skills. On October 29, armed with ½” spikes, they showed up ready to test their mettle on a tough state course of brutal hills, uneven footing, and due to the recent snowstorm, a generous helping of mud.
By all predictions, the Lyons’ boys didn’t have much of a chance to bring home a state trophy this year. In 2010, Telluride High School put all three scoring runners ahead of Lyons’ first runner to dominate and win the 2A state championship race, scoring 15 to a distant second place Lyons’ team score of 38 (lower score wins). Ranked number one all this season, Telluride found a rival and worthy opponent in emerging 2A power, Crested Butte Community School. In fact, at their regional meet, Telluride merely edged out Crested Butte for the title by three points. Their rematch at the state race was much anticipated and considered one of the closest matches across any division.
Ranked number three for six consecutive weeks, the Lyons boys’ team had the benefit of running in the fifth race of the day, which allowed the coaches to analyze how the course was running and devise a plan. One thing the coaches noted was that with the downhill start, racers were going through the first kilometer much too fast with most paying for it later in the race. The plan for the boys was to go easier through the 1K and then at 2K start “reeling runners in,” a plan they executed perfectly. By the 4K point of the race, senior Sean Flynn and sophomore Marcel Such had moved past dozens of runners and were respectively running in 4th and 5th places, positions they held through the second ascent of the torturous Powerline Climb. Flynn held that outstanding 4th place position, finishing in 17:28. Such crossed the line 2 seconds later, but not before losing 5th place to the deadly kick of Rangely junior, Will Scoggins. Such’s 6th place finish was a new personal record (PR) by 13 seconds of 17:30. Next across the line for the Lions and critically closing out the scoring was junior Sam Crowley, finishing in 18:17 (a new PR by 3 sec) for 14th place. In spectacular fashion, senior Reed Test finished 15th in 18:23 by out kicking two opponents (Rothman of Alexander Dawson and Loomis of Telluride) in the last 50 meters. Running a tough race, junior Ryan Boucher, master of the 400 meter, followed with 19:46 for 44th place.
With Flynn and Such beating out both Crested Butte’s 2nd and 3rd runners and Lyons’ top four finishers beating Telluride’s 2nd and 3rd runners, Lyons seized the silver trophy with an excellent team score of 24 to Crested Butte’s 21, a three point difference. Rangely’s young team finished 3rd with 28 points. One of the notable upsets of the day was Telluride landing in a distant 4th with 37 points.
In the first race of the day, the Lady Lions ran hard and tough. Ranked number 4 going into the state championship, they were fit and ready to challenge for a top three finish. Unfortunately, a last minute arrival to the starting line seemed to throw them off. They went out too fast and paid for it over the course of the race. Despite the circumstances, sophomore Miriam Roberts worked hard for a top ten finish with 20:55 for 8th place. Junior Olivia Raspotnik placed 21st with 22:38; junior Kelsey Miner placed 34th with 23:31, freshman Anna Sundrud placed 35th with 23:43, and freshman Jenna Anderson placed 41st with 24:11. As a team, Nederland took top honors for the 4th year in a row with a score of 19, followed by Vanguard’s 2nd place score of 25, and Telluride’s 3rd place score of 27. The Lyons’ girls scored 63 for 4th place.
This year’s state experience will only make the Lady Lions tougher. They are a tight knit group of ambitious and talented young runners, who will work hard and make their comeback. The Lyons’ girls hold much promise, as they will be the only top four 2A girls’ state team to bring back everyone next year, while the Nederland dynasty loses its top three girls to graduation.
Next year, the boys will return without two of their finest, Sean Flynn and Reed Test. Flynn ran cross-country all four years of high school and was a key player at the front for the past two seasons. Leaving football behind to run competitively for the first time ever, Test proved to be a natural talent and huge asset to this year’s cross-country team. It is with certainty that the remaining Lyons’ boys will be working hard over the course of an entire year with dreams of bringing home gold in 2012.
Congratulations to Coaches Roberts, Akers, and Boele and their fine athletes for a fabulous season of running!
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