The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Boys take another team win
Coach Connie Hayden called it last week when asked about the upcoming Gunnison Invite.
“We’re back to a flat course so we’re looking for speedier times and to continue the momentum,” said Hayden.
That’s just what the Titans did as almost everyone posted faster times and the boys’ team continued its momentum, winning its second team title in a row.
“The kids rocked it,” says Hayden. “It was soggy and yet we raked in the speedy times and PR’s.”
Sophomore Ian Boucher continues to tear up the cross-country scene, winning the Gunnison Invite with a time of 16:52 on the five-kilometer course. His mark was a new personal record time for Boucher—over a minute faster than his time on the same course last year—and set a new Crested Butte Community School record.
Senior Matt Galley joined Boucher for most of the race and appears to be acclimating quite well as he placed third in Gunnison with a time of 17:14.
The two Titans dropped the lead pack by the first mile, Galley pushed Boucher through the second mile, and then Boucher kicked into one extra gear to take the win.
“It was Crested Butte in the front from the get-go,” says Hayden. “It was just amazing how well they worked together.”
Sealing the deal on the boys’ team title were sophomores Forrest Smith and Danny D’Aquila. Smith started out slow but spent most of the race picking off opponents to push his way into ninth place by the finish line with a personal record time of 18:22.
“He was loving the cold weather,” says Hayden. “He really pushed and for him to get top 10 at the Gunnison Invite is strong.”
D’Aquila followed suit posting his personal record time of 19:16 to finish in 18th place.
“Danny’s top-20 finish was awesome—he’s really hitting his stride,” says Hayden.
Sophomore Kyle Boyle and freshmen Jack Duryea and Zen Powers all joined the PR showcase as well with their times in Gunnison.
Hayden and her assistant, Shari Sullivan-Marshall, have junior Amber Scott on a new strategic program this season and Scott made additional strides in Gunnison.
“She’s learning the ropes of the dynamic up-front,” says Hayden. “She’s just getting used to it. When the time comes she’ll be able to pull it out of her purse.”
Scott had a tough start but reeled in the lead pack early and ran her way to a third-place finish with a time of 20:32.
“She was a little off but even so she ran 1:19 faster than last year,” says Hayden.
Sophomore Mina Moscatelli battled shoe issues for almost the entire race, including stopping to tie her shoe mid-race. Moscatelli came into the final stretch kicking hard to the finish line. So hard in fact that she tossed a shoe with 400 meters to go but didn’t hesitate to hold her spot and take 13th place with a time of 22:21.
“She had an awesome race,” says Hayden.
Senior Jessie D’Aquila ran “the smartest race she’s run since 2009,” according to Hayden, to take 32nd place with a new PR of 24:02. Senior Shelby Kopf posted a time of 25:05 as the girls’ team finished fourth overall.
“They both ran super steady races for the first time,” says Hayden.
Senior Natalie Barefield came in right behind Kopf with a time of 25:20, shaving 30 seconds off her previous fastest time.
The Titan runners head to new territory this Saturday to compete in the Salida Invitational for a look at some of their opponents from other parts of the state.
“We should see some Front Range competition at this one,” says Hayden. “We have no idea what to expect—we just know it’s going to be more 5k fun.”
