The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Both teams qualify for state championships
By Than Acuff
It looks like the Crested Butte Titans cross-country team is hitting their stride just in time as the boys team placed second at the Region 4 championships in Ignacio, including Cody Pleak taking the individual title with a course record, and the girls team took third earning spots for both teams at the 2A state championships in Colorado Springs on Saturday, November 1.
“I had a good feeling both teams would qualify but it’s always a bit uneasy because things can happen in a 5k,” says coach Shari Sullivan-Marshall.
A couple of questions lingered prior to the start of the girls’ race. Specifically, the status of two of their top athletes Eva Loflin and Tazzy Pozner. The coaches and Loflin worked diligently in the lead up to the race to get her race ready but as the start time approached, it was evident she would be unable to compete. On the other hand, Pozner has been dealing with a foot injury all season and while she has been committed to her cross-training regimen and tested the waters of competition the past two weeks, uncertainty still hung in the air. Fortunately, that uncertainty was laid to rest as Pozner stepped to the line race ready.
“Tazzy was cleared to run and decided to race even knowing that it wouldn’t feel great after 10 days of cross training,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
Once the gun sounded, Dari Spedden led the way for the Titans slipping into the top 10 immediately and held her pace to finish in ninth to guarantee her a spot at the state championships as a freshman.
The key component to a solid team finish is every individual closing gaps and passing people when and where possible and Ali Johnson did just that. Johnson spent the five kilometers reeling in the next runner in front of her throughout the entire course to pull into 16th place by the finish line with Pozner battling from 26th place to finish not far behind Johnson in 18th place.
“I’m super psyched Tazzy got a race in before state,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
Sophia Bender rounded out the Titans effort to seal the deal on the third-place finish for the team as Bender joined Johnson and Pozner in the top 20 to score the final points for the team. Ilo Hawley closed out the Titans effort and opened up on the downhill finish for one of her best efforts of the year, so far.
“The main goal was to get them to state and they did it,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
The boys were next and Cody Pleak checked off a massive goal with a “Pleak” performance winning the boys race and setting a new course record in Ignacio. Pleak was in the mix out front, but his biggest competition made a move to pass him and tried to shake him. Pleak responded immediately on the next uphill, reeled him in and passed him and stayed out front the rest of the race to take the Region 4 crown.
“He ran a really smart race to win and set a course record,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
Max Sullivan then proved what it means to be a tough competitor. Sullivan was sick the two weeks leading up to the regional race and had only raced twice so far but after a grueling first mile, Sullivan settled into his race pace and ran his way into a 10th place finish.
With Sullivan suffering, Sullivan-Marshall let the other Titan runners know mid-race that they needed to rally in case Sullivan faltered and they answered the call. Both Jayden Beyer and Micah Hansen stepped on the gas to close gaps while Flint Hoyt remained on task with his race plan. Beyer would move his way into a 17th place finish in his first regional race while Hoyt came in just six seconds behind him in 18th place to secure the teams’ second place finish.
Hansen was next for the Titans in 21st place and Cole Wimett climbed his way to a 25th place result, a massive improvement from last year’s regional race where he placed 48th, while Colby Smith finished 27th and Jackson Moore 29th resulting in every Titan runner finishing in the top half of the field.
“Everyone did their best on that day and that’s all we can ask for,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
Thirteen Titans are headed to the state championships at the Penrose Events Center in Colorado Springs on Saturday, November 1. Spedden, Johnson, Pozner, Bender, Hawley and Loflin will be carrying the Titan colors for the girls. Pleak, Sullivan, Hoyt, Beyer, Hansen and Wimett will toe the line for the boys with Smith there as an alternate.
The 2A girls’ race kicks off at 9:40 a.m. with the boys’ 2A race starting at 11 a.m. Info on how to stream the race can be found at chsaanow.com.
“For the girls we’re going to focus on what everyone can do individually, and the team result will come,” says Sullivan-Marshall. “For the boys I would love to see a top five finish and then see how far up in the top five we can finish. I’m really psyched about the six guys lining up, the momentum is great.”
