It is not typical for high school distance runners to race in huge races throughout the summer months.

However, after several weeks of building a strong aerobic base for the upcoming fall cross-country season, several Summit High School distance runners got a chance to display their fitness levels by racing at the 2024 National High School Trail Championships in Salida on Saturday, July 27.

Last year, Summit High School sent two athletes to the annual event, with Ella Hagen winning the girls race in a new course-record time of 36 minutes, 31 seconds and Josh Shriver taking 13th in the boys race. 

With another year of experience under Hagen’s and Shriver’s belts, as well as a few extra Tiger runners entered in this year’s event, Summit arrived in Salida poised to take on the hilly, up-and-down 5.4-mile course that climbs Salida’s “S” Mountain Trails.

Following the Beas Knees Citizens race, the boys trail championship event lined up on the starting line near the downtown core of Salida. With the boys championship race field closely packed together, the athletes sprinted from the starting line and established their position on the race course before beginning a steady climb up a wide-open road.

Near the front of the field in the opening section of the race was Mountain Vista High School senior Benji Anderson. Looking to defend his National High School Trail Championship individual title from last year, Anderson confidently powered his way to the start of the singletrack alongside a thick pack of other strong distance runners.

With a desire to improve upon his performance at last year’s meet, Shriver remained near the front of the pack while incoming junior Cain Steinweg, rising freshman Cooper Levi and rising eighth grader Crosby Hume sat comfortably in the middle.

As the race continued to climb into the hills, the race field naturally spread out. At the high point of the course, Shriver — a rising senior — sat in fourth place and quickly extended his stride as he took on the rolling downhill portion of the race. 

Knowing he was nearing the finish, Shriver remained focused, eventually exiting from the singletrack trail and making the final sprint to Riverside Park. Shriver finished the race in a time of  33:15, shedding eight places from last year’s race in order to place fifth overall.

Centaurus High School’s Jacob Schwarting won the race in 32:18, Eagle Valley’s Dylan Blair finished in second (32:30) and Tyler Blair of Eagle Valley finished in third (32:40).

Shriver was followed by a string of strong performances from the rest of the Summit athletes competing in the boys race. Steinweg earned a top-40 finish, placing 39th overall in 37:25 before Levi and Hume battled down the finishing chute side-by-side.

With less than 20-meters to go, Levi was able to find what he needed to power past Hume, narrowly beating his former Summit Middle School teammate. Levi finished the race in 39:03 to take 63rd and Hume followed in 64th in 39:06.

“It felt pretty good, although it was slower than I thought,” Hume said of the uphill section. “It was fun. I was throwing up at the finish line, so there wasn’t much sprinting.”

Due to their smart and courageous race tactics, Levi and Hume placed highly in the 14-and-under age category. Finishing the downhill portion of the race at a pace of 6:09 per mile, Levi was named the top boy finisher in the 14 and under age division.

“The uphill felt terrible,” Levi said. “I was just trying to keep running at the end. It felt really good to finish my first high school race.”

Summit High School incoming freshman Danny Butler earned his first top-100 performance of his high school career, taking 94th in 43:57. 

As the boys grew closer to the finish line, the girls championship race took off from the starting line. With no one setting the pace early on, Hagen — who has a name image and likeness deal with sportswear brand Hoka — took her position at the front of the race and started chasing down her own course-record time from last year.

A strong and experienced trail runner, Hagen effortlessly pushed up the steeper sections of the course before letting her stride open up for the rollicking and fun downhill portion. Hagen crossed the railroad tracks near Riverside Park well in front of second place, turning onto the grass and crossing the finish line as the 2024 champion in 37:42.

“Today I really wanted to stay strong and see where the training has gotten me,” Hagen said. “Obviously where we are at in the summer isn’t where we are going to be at the end of the season. … I was just incredibly excited to come out here again. I am here because of all the support that I get from the community. It is just amazing to be able to give back and make people proud.”  

Hagen was followed nearly a minute later by Air Academy’s Emily Beers in second (38:44) before Truckee’s Sidney McIntosh took third in 39:57.

Showing that she is more than prepared to take on more high-school level races, Summit High School incoming freshman Sophie Dinse crossed the finish line of her first high school race in 47:06 to take 21st overall. 

While most of the Summit High School distance runners will now prepare for the first race of the fall cross-country season, Hagen will continue to race on the trails, traveling to Europe for Hoka’s Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) Youth Chamonix Courmayeur event..

“It has been a crazy summer,” Hagen said. “That race is going to be different from anything that I have ever done and it will just be an opportunity to take it to a global stage. Have fun on something else and sharpen up before the cross-country season.”

The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc Youth Chamonix Courmayeur will take place on Aug. 27 with Summit High School’s first cross-country race scheduled for Aug. 26 in Highlands Ranch.