On Friday, Oct. 4, the Summit High School cross-country team hosted its one and only home meet of the season, giving teams from across the state of Colorado and the surrounding region a small dose of what it is like to train at 9,000 feet. 

Aptly named the Summit Stinger at Copper because of the high altitude, total vertical feet gained and the 22% grade climb on each lap of the 5-kilometer course, athletes came into the meet not expecting to run a personal-best time. Instead, athletes took to the start line eager to test themselves and compete on a tough course.

Following the Summit Middle School cross-country team topping the two middle school races, the Summit High School boys cross-country team lined up on the start line and began sprinting down one of the main fairways at the Copper Creek Golf Course.

The stampede of runners made quick work of the first section of the course before beginning to approach the intimidating hill. Knowing how challenging the course is, Summit ran conservatively over the first lap of the race. 

Summit senior Josh Shriver powerfully led the race through the first lap, splitting a time of 5 minutes, 46.7 seconds. Quickly trailing Shriver was sophomore Jay McDonald in second (5:51.6), Holy Family senior Parker Nelson in third (5:51.9) and Summit senior Will Bentley in fourth (5:52.0).

After the second lap, Shriver started to dig into the pace a little more, slowly widening his lead and dragging out the chase back behind him. Shriver split a time of 11:44.9  through lap two of the course and attempted to close out the race strong on the final lap.  

Despite a deep heaviness beginning to set into his legs, Shriver pushed his way up the hill before charging downhill to the finish line. Shriver crossed the finish line in a time of 17:43.8 to demolish the previous course record of 18:37 that was set by Denver South’s Ryan Orlee. 

“This course is a marathon, not a sprint,” Shriver said. “I kind of know, from other races that I have done, to take a little bit off the uphill so you don’t go fully lactic in your legs (and) save some for those downhills when you need to put gaps on people. That is the best way to run, I think — hit people hard when they are hurting when they get to the top and they think it is time to rest. That is what I did today.”

Shriver was soon followed by Nelson, McDonald and Bentley who also went under the previous course record. Just sneaking under 18 minutes, Nelson took second in a time of 17:56.1. McDonald finished in third (18:03.6) and Bentley finished in fourth (18:26.1).

“It was cool to get the course record,” Shriver said. “I hadn’t ran this course in three years. I didn’t even know what the course record was, but it is cool to get your own course record.”

With three runners already across the line, Summit put two more runners within the top 10. Having an impressive race, sophomore Owen Fallon sprinted hard to the finish line in order to take sixth overall with a time of 18:48.3. Junior Cain Steinweg then rounded out Summit’s top five scoring runners by finishing in ninth in a time of 18:52.

Sophomore Malachi Love took 16th (19:43.0), senior Jens Phaf took 30th (20:56.5), senior Mason Mcentire-Morgan finished in 31st (21:01.6), freshman Danny Butler took 34th (21:11.9) and freshman Cooper Levi finished in 36th (21:29.9).

With a total of 22 points, the Summit boys cross-country team successfully won its home meet. Holy Family finished second (82) and Heritage High School took third (93).

After sitting out last year’s Copper Stinger due to illness, Summit senior Ella Hagen jogged to the start line poised to make a statement in her final three laps around the course. 

From the pop of the starter’s gun, Hagen put herself at the front and steadily lengthened her lead on the rest of the race field. With Isabel Allori’s 2023 course-record time of 20:19 at the front of her mind, Hagen split 6:22.8 through the first lap in order to sport a 30-second lead on Manitou High School sophomore Elisa Karr in second. 

Hagen continued to push the pace on the second lap, recording a time of 13:02.4 to widen her lead to about a minute. Wanting to firmly secure the course record, Hagen gave it her all on the final lap, weaving through lapped runners and crossing the finish line in 19:34.8 to break the previous course record by 45 seconds.

“It has been a long process, but being able to get my redemption on that course and race my final home meet and leave it all out there to get the school record that future kids on the team will hopefully be chasing for a little while is pretty special,” Hagen said. “Every race is kind of taking me closer to the end of my time as a Tiger, but it is also special to have those moments with the team.”

Showing both depth and strength as a team, Summit then put the rest of its top seven runners within the top 20. 

Leading the charge was sophomore Lily Benbow who completed the course in 22:18 to take fifth overall. Benbow was followed in sixth by freshman Sophie Dinse (22:20.9) before senior Avery Eytel took 11th (23:13.0) and freshman Paige Ratliff finished in 12th (23:14.5). Sophomore Milla Phaf finished in 15th (23:57.8) and senior Cece Miner took 16th (24:10.8). Freshman Iyla Kuruvila strung together an awe-inspiring race, rounding out the top 20 in 20th with a time of 24:41.4. Freshman Anna Stafford finished in 25th (25:32.3) and junior Claire Jackson finished in 26th (25:58.3).

Securing the middle school through high school sweep, Summit won the girls race with a total of 29 points. Manitou Springs took second (38) and Heritage took third (87). 

“People are getting stronger and we are learning how to race together,” Hagen said. “It is definitely special to be out there with the team because now we are fighting together. It has not always been that way. Last night was amazing with the middle school being dominant as well.”

Summit will now prepare for the Air Academy Kadet Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 12. Summit will then race at the Colorado 4A Region 1 cross-country meet on Oct. 25.