Both boys and girls cross country qualified for state this season. It was the fifth time the girls qualified, and the fourth time the boys qualified for state. Everyone on the team wanted to represent Mead and work together to defeat other schools. There were lots of hard-working runners that helped each team get to that spot. State was held in Colorado Springs where several runners hit new personal bests.
As the stage was set for Colorado high school cross country, it was time for each runner to “lock in” and do what they were supposed to do. The 4A race for the boys started at 9 a.m. There were lots of nerves before the race. It was an exciting start when the gun went off and the crowd cheered. As the race went under way, the crowd was rushing to get to a new spot to watch the race and keep cheering.
The race flew by. Josh Knight (‘27) placed 33rd, being the first Mead runner across the finish line. Following Knight was Asher Parsons (‘27), Tobin Duetsch (‘26), Patricio Dobinsky (‘26), and Theo Maeda (‘28) giving the points the team needed. As the race finished, the boys cross country team placed fifteenth out of twenty teams.
There was an outstanding turnout for the girls as more people came to watch. The race went out quickly at the start of the race with Ava Mierau (‘26) close to the lead pack of the race through the first half mile. As the race went through a mile and a half, the racers thinned out and grew more distanced.
Ava Mierau (‘26) for the girls team passed the finish line. Mierau placed 11th in the event. Following Ava, Marni Martin (‘26), Elena Freed (‘25), Addison Caldwell (‘27) and Bella DeNicholas (‘28) finished, giving the girls team excellent points. The girls team placed seventeenth out of twenty teams in the 4A championship. It was an exciting race to watch.
As both races were done, the team’s spirits were incredibly high— everyone was laughing and having a great time. It was a great season for both teams, and each runner helped their team by holding the bond together between each other. As the team goes into the offseason, each runner will be striving to improve for next season. They all know what to expect and hope to break records.
