Cross-country is a challenging sport. Not only does it test athletes from a physical standpoint, but it also pushes them to their mental limits.

The Summit High School cross-country team got another chance to push past their body’s perceived  limits when the team hosted the Summit Stinger at Copper cross-country meet on Friday night, Oct. 3 at the Copper Creek Golf Course.

Offering breathtaking views of the surrounding fall foliage, the Summit Stinger is called “the world’ s toughest grass cross-country race” by Summit head coach Mike Hagen.

It is just not the thin air at over 9,000 feet that makes the race tough for athletes, but it is also the 22%-grade hill that participants have to climb three times.

Wanting to sweep its home meet in front of friends, family and Tiger fans, Summit took to the start line prepared to dig deep into the pain cave.

The Summit boys were the first to take to the formidable course, quickly rolling down a long fairway to the first turn.

At the front of the race early on were juniors Jay McDonald and Lukas Remeikis. Accustomed to running alongside one another since they started running competitively in middle school, the duo ran the first lap conservatively before gradually opening it up over the final two laps.

McDonald especially quickened the pace in the latter laps, gapping the race field and chasing the clock. McDonald snagged his second individual win of the season, crossing the finish in a new course-record time 17 minutes, 9.3 seconds. 

The performance shed 34 seconds off Josh Shriver’s course-record time of 17:43.77 that was set last year.

McDonald was not the only athlete to go under the previous course record. Abdinasir Hassan, who raced unattached, took second in 17:29.4, and Remeikis finished in third in 17:43.0.

The Tigers put an additional four athletes within the top 10. In fourth place was junior Johnny Ryan (18:10.8). Junior Owen Fallon followed Ryan in sixth (18:25.8), while senior Carter Niemkiewicz took eighth (18:31.8) and freshman Crosby Hume finished in ninth (18:42.2).

Showing just how deep the team’s roster is, Summit managed to punch a total of 11 runners within the top 20.

Sophomore Cooper Levi took 11th (19:02.9), senior Cain Steinweg finished in 13th (19:09.3), sophomore Levi Ryan took 14th (19:10.6), junior John McDonald crossed the finish line in 17th (19:43.5) and junior Malachi Love took 20th (20:05.6).

With a low score of 16 points, the Summit boys were crowned the 2025 champions of the Copper Stinger. 

“Our mindset was just, we wanted to win,” Niemkiewicz said “
We didn’t want to overextend ourselves. We just need to win, we don’t need to push ourselves too hard. I think it’s pretty cool how we can not go all out in races and still come away with the win. It really shows the depth and how strong our team is.”

Northfield took second (57) and Holy Family finished in third (64).

The Summit girls were just as exciting to watch. Riddled with young talent, the team looked like veterans as they tore through the short golf-course grass.

From the start of the race, freshman Kayla Broecker took control and did not let up until she was across the finish line. 

In a solo-race effort, Broecker won the first race of her high-school career in a time of 21:20.9. 

Sophomore Sophie Dinse was the next runner across the finish line, outkicking Holy Family’s MacKenzie McIntosh for second place.

Dinse recorded a time of 21:36.3 with McIntosh taking third in 21:38.9.

Two more Tigers crashed into the top 10 of the results. Junior Milla Phaf finished in fourth (22:16.1) and freshman Leah Noble took 10th (22:50.0). Junior Ashley Adkins rounded out scoring for Summit taking 12th in 23:19.1.

Junior Lily Benbow was Summit’s sixth runner to finish, taking 17th (23:43.2). 

A hoard of underclassmen followed Benbow in the results. Freshman Lucia Templeton took 19th (23:53.9), freshman Lucy Greenwood took 22nd (24:25.9), sophomore Paige Ratliff finished in 24th (24:30.2) and freshman Maeve Niemkiewicz took 29th (25:23.2).

Senior Lila Ellison finished within the top 35, taking 35th in 25:47.5.

Scoring a total of 29 points, the Summit girls completed the sweep of the Copper Stinger by placing first overall. Holy Family finished in second (44) and Northfield finished in third (81).

“I think it was a great race,” Ellison said. “There were some girls who didn’t have the best race, but a lot of girls had a great showing. Especially the freshman girls. They really did their best and pulled through with this race.”

Summit will now prepare for a much flatter and faster race in the Warrior Lincoln Park Classic on Friday, Oct. 10.

The course routinely sees some of the fastest times in the state as it takes place on a flat course in Grand Junction. 

“I think the contrast from this one because it’s going to be really fun going from this to like a flat course in a different environment at a lower elevation,” Ellison said. “I think it will be fun for the whole team.”