With the fall cross-country season just a few weeks away, high school programs from across the nation are busy putting in the final base miles necessary to carry them through the season. 

The Summit High School cross-country team is no different, meeting at least three times a week throughout the majority of the summer to run and begin working toward team goals together. 

While summer training is often more relaxed compared to the workouts that are assigned in the fall, a race or time trial can help break up the monotony of the often repetitive exercises and daily runs. 

On Saturday, July 26, numerous members of the Summit cross-country program traveled to Salida to compete in the 2025 National High School Trail Championships. Taking place on the Salida Mountain Trails system, talented distance runners from mostly the state of Colorado took to a challenging, 5.4-mile course in hopes of finishing high up in the results. 

With the race being open to rising college freshmen, Summit’s Ella Hagen stepped up to the starting line of the girls championship race on Saturday morning focused on becoming a three-time champion of the event.

After setting a course-record of 36 minutes, 31 seconds in 2023, Hagen surged from the start line using the opening flat section to get her legs moving a bit before beginning to climb onto the trails.

A seasoned expert when it comes to climbing hills efficiently and fast, Hagen steadily gapped the following field. As Hagen arrived at the high point along the course she opened up her stride, allowing gravity to propel her downhill to the finish line. 

Hagen crossed the finish line as the 2025 champion in a time of 36:51. Although the time was 20 seconds off her course record from 2023, it marked a 51-second improvement from last year when Hagen won the race in 37:42.

“It was good race for sure,” Hagen said. “It was a lot of fun to test out the fitness and test out where we are at this point in the summer. By no means are we at the peak or high point. … It is a different kind of race and environment compared to high school or collegiate racing, so it is a lot of fun to enjoy a different side of the sport.”

Rising collegiate freshman Sierra Wall of Fairview High School took second in 38:12 with Mountain Vista High School junior Claire Guiberson finishing in third in 38:14. 

As Hagen worked to catch her breath, freshman Kayla Broecker was flying down the final section of the course. In the first high school race of her career, Broecker put the state on watch, taking sixth overall in the race in a time of 41:02. 

With Regis Jesuit’s McKenna Groen taking fourth overall (38:29), Broecker was the second incoming freshman to finish the race.

On the precipice of a national team title, Hagen, Broecker and Summit cross-country coach Eva Hagen watched in anticipation for the team’s final runner — sophomore Sophie Dinse — to cross over the finish line located in the center of Salida’s Riverside Park.

Jumping up seven places from last summer and improving her time by over three minutes, Sophie Dinse crossed the finish line in 14th place in a time of 43:48. 

With a total of 21 points, the Summit girls handily walked away with the team title. Cheyenne Mountain finished in second (50) with WP Elite Finishing in third (57).

“It is a close out to my high school career that I didn’t know I needed,” Hagen said. “It is really special to get that team victory and to do it with some of the younger girls and the next leaders of the team.”

Prior to the girls championship race, five Summit boys raced as a team in the boys championship race. 

Each coming off strong track seasons, junior Jay McDonald and junior Lukas Remeikis led the field for Tigers. Putting themselves in the upper part of the race, McDonald and Remeikis powered their way uphill, using the athletes ahead of them to help set the pace toward the top of the course.

McDonald reached the course’s high point in 13th place overall and then attempted to make up a place or two over the final half of the race. Although McDonald did everything in his power to improve his ranking, the runner crossed the finish line in 15th place overall in a time of 35:22.

Remeikis passed one runner after reaching the high point, placing 19th in a time of 35:54. It was senior Cain Steinweg who perhaps had the best overall performance among the Summit boys. After taking 39th at last year’s event, Steinweg soared up 14 places to take 25th. Additionally, Steinweg was able to drop 28 seconds off his time from last year, running 36:57.

Moving up 51 places from last season, sophomore Danny Butler was Summit’s fourth runner on the day. Butler was able to run over four minutes faster than last year, clocking a time of 39:51.Sophomore Cooper Levi took 52nd overall in a time of 41:12.

Eagle Valley senior Dylan Blair shattered Sullivan Middaugh’s 2020 course record of 31:52, clocking a blistering 31:02 to claim the boys championship title. Thompson Station, Tennessee’s Asher Oates took second in 32:18 with Eagle Valley’s Tyler Blair taking third in the same exact time.

The Summit boys took fifth overall in the team results with a score of 59. Eagle Valley won the race with 21 points while the Central Warriors took second (37) and FCXC took third (39). 

Summit will now prepare for its first cross-country meet of the season — the Mountain Vista 2-Mile — on Saturday, Aug. 23 in Highlands Ranch.