The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“It was great to be on a true cross-country course where time doesn’t matter”
By Than Acuff
The Crested Butte Titans cross-country team spent last weekend driving and racing from the Western Slope to the foot of the Collegiate Peaks with back-to-back races in Delta and Salida Friday and Saturday, October 3-4.
The Delta Pantherfest is typically the race for the athletes to throw down some of their fastest times of the season but a tweak to the course changed that plan. In addition, the field of teams at the race grew for the event this year with several heavy hitters in attendance.
“It felt like we were at a 5A state meet,” says coach Shari Sullivan-Marshall. “It was really big competition.”
The Titan girls’ team of five runners set up for their race and Dari Spedden continues to shine as a freshman leading the Titans and closing out with another solid outing.
“She tested some limits by going out a bit faster than usual and was rewarded with a fast time and a great finish,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
Ali Johnson put together a race strategy that played out as she posted a season best time and while Sophia Bender and Eva Loflin were hampered by illness, they pushed through to finish with Ainsley Stewart crossing the line crushing her previous personal record (PR).
Nine Titan boys then lined up with Max Sullivan and Cody Pleak finishing five seconds within each other amongst the massive field of runners. Flint Hoyt worked on his race craft for the post season to be the next Titan across while Jayden Beyer and Micah Hansen both ran faster times than last year despite the longer course to help push the boys’ team into an eight place finish out of 18 teams, first place out of the field of similarly sized programs.
The team then headed back to Crested Butte and got up on Saturday to head to Salida for an entirely different course and experience.
“The two races seem intimidating, but the courses are so different it almost engages different muscles,” says Sullivan-Marshall. “Legs were a bit tired but, mentally, they were all in a great place. It was great to be on a true cross-country course where time doesn’t matter.”
With the focus less on times and more on placing, both teams rose to the challenge finishing in fifth place.
Spedden and Johnson built off of their strong work in Delta the day before to crack the top 20 in Salida finishing in 13th and 18th respectively. Bender was still a bit under the weather but was the next Titan across the line and Josie Feier returned to racing to join Ilo Hawley scoring the final team points for Crested Butte.
It was a course PR party for the boys as six of the nine athletes ran faster times than last year on the same course. Sullivan and Pleak teamed up to place 16th and 18th with just one second between them. Hoyt stepped on the throttle mid-race and carried his pace through to the end while Beyer kicked past several runners down the stretch to build the Titans’ team point tally and Hansen ran a minute and a half faster than last year to tally key team points for the Titans.
“He had a strong final mile,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
The Titans now look ahead to a race on Friday, October 10 in Grand Junction before the October Break and Sullivan-Marshall sees the team prepped for a strong showing in Grand Junction as well as a strong finish to the season when they return to action.
“I’m psyched to have almost a full squad to race this Friday,” says Sullivan-Marshall. “I feel like we’re over the sickness slump and on the other end of getting healthy. All of the veterans are racing really well.”
