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Summit cross-country team makes program history by sweeping regional race

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Cody Jones
  

Cody Jones/Summit Daily News
Summit senior Ella Hagen smiles during the 4A Region 1 cross-country meet in Golden on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. Hagen won her third-straight individual title while the Tigers won the team races for the first time in school history.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

The Summit High School cross-country team has been eyeing the regional championship meet all season long. 

Although the event doesn’t occur until the second to last week of the season, Summit circled the 4A Region 1 meet at the beginning of fall and set a goal that they would again qualify to the state cross-country meet that will be held in Colorado Springs on Saturday, Nov. 2. 

After finishing at the top of the team standings at meets throughout the season, the Summit boys and girls cross-country teams triumphantly qualified for the state meet for the third-straight year, and the team made school history this year by sweeping the podium at regionals. 

Taking place on Friday, Oct. 25, at North Area Athletics Complex near Golden, the afternoon of racing was spearheaded by the girls championship race.

Wanting to add a third regional title to her name, senior Ella Hagen accelerated from the start line and smoothly settled into a rhythm at the front of the race. With the crowd cheering her on, Hagen closely pursued the lead bike, lengthening her lead with nearly every step. 

Nearing the finish line, Hagen leaned into the pace and put in one final hard effort in order to close out the championship effort. Hagen crossed the finish line in 17 minutes, 25.7 seconds to be named the 2024 regional champ. Grand Junction High School sophomore Leah Siering took second (19:03.5) and Conifer High School junior Gianna Cicora took third (19:08.9).

“It is super special for sure,” Hagen said. “Every race is counting down to the end of this era. It was bittersweet, but a lot of fun. Getting three in a row is definitely really special.”

Once across the finish line, Hagen made her way back onto the course to cheer on her teammates who were in the middle of a heated battle in the team race. Hagen did not have to wait too long to see a big pack of her teammates since freshman Sophie Dinse sprinted down the final stretch to cross the finish line in seventh overall in 19:26.4. 

Dinse was followed by sophomore Lily Benbow, who put together a strong race of her own to take eighth overall in 19:34.4. With three athletes already within the top 10, Summit continued to push for a team title.

Senior Avery Eytel was the final Summit girl to earn all-region honors. Eytel took 11th in 19:47.3 while freshman Paige Ratliff missed out on all-region honors by one spot, taking 16th in 20:05.9. Rounding out the top 20, freshman Ashley Adkins took 18th in 20:08.9. Freshman Iyla Kuruvila was Summit’s seventh runner on the day, taking 29th in 20:49.5. Sophomore Milla Phaf took 38th (21:19.6) and senior Cece Miner finished 41st overall (21:23.4).

Summit handily won the regional team title, scoring a total of 39 points. Battle Mountain High School took second (59), Conifer High School took third (74) and the final state-qualifying team spot was claimed by Grand Junction High School (84).

Cody Jones/Summit Daily News
Summit’s Jay McDonald, left, and Josh Shriver, right, begin the 4A Region 1 cross-country meet on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

Soon after the girls race wrapped up, Summit and Eagle Valley High School squared off for the regional title in the boys race. Within the first few meters of the race, it became clear that the individual title would be between Summit senior Josh Shriver and the Blair twins of Eagle Valley.

With a season-long goal of becoming a regional champ, Shriver allowed the pack to fizzle out through the first mile of the 5-kilometer race before confidently taking the lead on the back half of the race course. 

As Shriver neared the end of the race he refused to give in to the fatigue in his legs and arms. Shriver celebrated as he crossed the finish line in 15:22.4 to be named the regional champ. Eagle Valley junior Dylan Blair finished second (15:33.4) and Tyler Blair finished in third (15:44.2).

Following the second Blair twin was sophomore Jay McDonald. After fighting back from an injury he sustained during the spring track season, McDonald finished the regional race in fourth place (15:50.0).

Sophomore Lukas Remeikis put together a personal-best performance to finish as the Tigers’ third scoring runner at the regional meet. Remeikis finished in 16:42.1 to take 14th overall, making the all-region team. 

“I was coming in with the mindset of having a good last regular season meet,” Remeikis said. “I wasn’t too stressed about it. I knew the other boys would show up. Josh got the win, and Jay was fourth. It feels good to be the third runner. It is what I have been working for. We have all been working hard throughout the season.”

A strong quartet followed Remeikis, with sophomore Owen Fallon being the first to finish the race, placing 16th (16:51.4). Senior Will Bentley took 18th (17:04.1), junior Cain Steinweg finished 19th (17:04.5) and junior Carter Niemkiewicz rounded out the top 20 in 20th (17:08.0).

Freshman Levi Ryan finished in 26th (17:25.0) and sophomore Malachi Love ran a personal-best time to place 32nd (17:44.8).

Putting seven of its runners within the top 20, the Summit boys scored 53 points to narrowly defeat Eagle Valley (62) for the team title. Conifer High School took third (87) and Grand Junction High School finished in fourth (97).

Summit will now use the next week to prepare for the Class 4A state cross-country meet at Norris Penrose Event Center on Saturday, Nov. 2. The boys are scheduled to race at 9 a.m. with the girls following at 10:20 a.m.

“We are just going to keep it rolling,” Hagen said. “It has been a good season. We have been racing and training hard. Everyone is feeding off of each other at this point. We are racing for the team out there. State is going to be a test and it is going to be hard, but if we race for each other out there, we can do some special things.”

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