Smith, Scott lead Titan runners in Gunnison

Team posts slew of personal records

Junior captain Forrest Smith and senior Amber Scott posted the top results among the Titans at the Gunnison Invitational cross-country meet last Saturday, with both runners taking second place in their respective races.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team followed suit speed-wise with everyone posting either faster times than last year on the same course or personal record times for five kilometers.
“We had a really positive showing from fans and I think the kids fed off of that,” says coach Connie Hayden.
Smith has been on the road to recovery over the past three weeks and appears to be close to full strength now after running a time of 17:39 on the five-kilometer course, shaving 43 seconds off his time last year.
Smith led for most of the race until the final quarter of a mile but hung in to remain in second place.
“For him to be in the lead for that long is a huge boost to his confidence,” says Hayden.
Scott had a similar experience in her event. After taking the lead and holding it for the first half of the race, Scott struggled to match pace with her opponent and crossed the finish in second place.
Nevertheless, Scott’s time was faster than last year’s effort as well, and offered her a glimmer of what it’s like to be in the lead.
“The Telluride runner surged and she just let her go,” says Hayden. “But it was a baby step being in the lead and seeing what that tasted like, and baby steps are big for Amber.”
Hayden and assistant coach Shari Sullivan-Marshall now know what’s next for their top two runners.
“They just couldn’t sustain the pace that they established,” says Hayden. “I’m really conservative when it comes to speed work but we’re moving forward.”
Junior captain Danny D’Aquila chewed up the flat, fast course improving on his race from last year by 25 seconds to finish in 15th place with a time of 18:51.
Junior Kyle Boyle, the third member of the boys’ tri-captainship, sliced 45 seconds off his time from last year to finish in 21st place in 19 minutes and 12 seconds.
Meanwhile sophomore Jack Duryea came off the starting line looking to push his pace and personal limits. Duryea posted his fastest mile split ever in the first mile of the race and held strong through the next two miles to cross the finish line in 23rd place with a new personal record time of 19 minutes, 26 seconds.
Duryea’s effort helped push the boys’ team to a third-place finish overall out of 12 teams.
“Jack has been on fire so far this year,” says Hayden. “He’s made it his goal to hang with the big boys. He’s incredibly motivated this year and it’s showing.”
Freshman Tara Mortell and junior Elizabeth Kilpatrick both posted personal record times in the girl’s race and senior captain Sophia Deer had a triumphant return to the racing scene.
Due to a rash of injuries, Deer has not lined up for a race since 2010. Despite the setbacks, she shattered her previous fastest time by four minutes and 42 seconds to cover the course in a new personal record time of 26:08. It also marked the first time she scored varsity points for the girls’ team in her high school career.
“For her to come back with such a huge effort is really special,” says Hayden.
The Titans will now return to Ridgway for the Ramble at the Reservoir on Friday, September 21. They skipped the race last year but, due to popular demand, will take their talents to the notoriously tough course.
“It’s brutal but it’s an awesome workout,” says Hayden. “We’re going back because the kids absolutely love hilly courses—it’s where we thrive.”