The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“Our fastest times have been from that course”
By Than Acuff
The Crested Butte Titans cross-country coaching staff carried a scheduling template over from last year, one that head coach Shari Sullivan-Marshall used to do years ago with the program, scheduling meets for the team two days in a row. The Titans headed to the Delta Pantherfest on Friday, October 4 and then to Salida for their second meet in two days on Saturday, October 5.
“It’s a fast course on Friday and a harder course on Saturday,” explains Sullivan-Marshall. “It’s a great way to get extra volume and it’s great for their mental toughness.”
The Delta Pantherfest course is a speed showcase with the Titans setting most of their fastest times over the years there and this year was no exception as they laid down seven personal record (PR) times and three season best (SB) times and the boys team placed third in a surprisingly big and tough field.
“It’s still about racing but really it’s about a great chance to put down a great time,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
The girls lined up in a field of 190 runners and Eva Loflin led the charge for the Titans setting a new PR and taking
two minutes off her time on the same course last year.
“Her race was a thing of beauty,” says Sullivan-Marshall. “She figured out the mental game.”
Ali Johnson tried some new race tactics and was the next Titan to cross while Ilo Hawley and Jacey Deroche earned themselves PRs as well. Other Titan runners showed additional signs of progression while some had some mid-race issues to overcome but still pushed through to finish.
“A couple suffered but overall, they raced great,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
The boys then stepped to the start line with 174 total runners and rose to challenge as Giles Billick cracked the 17-minute mark for the second time to place seventh and Cody Pleak not far behind in 10th place. Max Sullivan kept the Titan team train rolling with a PR time to finish 15th while Flint Hoyt came through in 25th place and Colby Smith’s result helped secure the team’s third place finish.
“Their confidence as a team and their understanding of the team concept has really clicked,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
Meanwhile additional Titans took the opportunity to post fast times as well and the Titans rested, recovered and then headed back out on the road on Saturday bound for Salida, an entirely different beast of a course with a flat first mile, a steep climb and descent in the second mile and then a slight uphill to the finish line in the final mile of the race.
“It’s a perfect course to practice for the state meet,” says Sullivan-Marshall. “The great thing about racing the next day is there are no expectations.”
The girls dug deep with Tazzy Pozner leading the way to place in the top 20 as a freshman. Meanwhile Sophia Bender continued to build on her fitness on a course that suits her strengths to put in her best race of the season.
“She thrives on a course like this,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
Hawley, Deroche and Josie Feier stepped up as well as the girls team finished the day in sixth place.
The boys had a bit tougher conditions as the wind picked up smacking them in the face in the final mile to the finish line.
Once again, team tactics were on point for the boys as they ran to a third-place finish for the second day in a row as Billick and Pleak cracked the top 10 again placing sixth and ninth. Sullivan pushed hard in the final stretch to finish in 12th, Hoyt came in 16th place and Smith was the final Titan to score points for the team.
“It was just a really fun day,” says Sullivan-Marshall.
The team has a scrimmage meet with Gunnison this week and then heads into the October Break. While the break can leave teams at the school short athletes as families head out for vacation, the cross-country team has several runners staying in the valley as they head to the Eric Wolfe Invite in Monte Vista on Saturday, October 18. The meet also doubles as the Titans league meet and the Titans will have enough athletes there to field full girls and boy’s teams.
