The Ignacio boys cross country team was anxious to see if they’d performed well enough to qualify as a group for the upcoming 2023 CHSAA State Championships.
The Bobcats knew they were guaranteed at least two representatives at the supreme spectacle, and they were elated to hear they placed fourth in the team standings at the 2A Region 4 championships and would all be traveling to Colorado Springs for Saturday’s grand finale at Norris-Penrose Event Center.
“All nine of my boys ran very hard this season. We had personal-bests, took home plaques … had great races. So I’m not upset about anything,” said Ignacio coach Karri McCarter. “I am so proud of my entire team.”
Powered by freshman Cayson Burcham’s fifth-place finish in 19 minutes and 13.88 seconds and sophomore James Martin’s 12th-place finish at 20:01.80, Ignacio amassed 77 team points and ultimately ranked behind Olathe (76), Grand Junction Caprock Academy (56) Crested Butte Community School (39). Crested Butte Community School won the Region 4 team title.
Carbondale-based Colorado Rocky Mountain School (93) edged state hopeful Dolores (105) for the fifth and last team ticket to State.
“This course was pretty tough; it’s hard to kind of keep the same pace,” Burcham said. “I think that at Jack-a-lope Acres (site of IHS’ Ignatius Invitational) … you have the ‘up’ and then the ‘down.’ This one’s kind of just ‘up’ and then up … and up, then you kind of go down very slowly. And then you go back up again; it’s tough.”
Martin said the course’s hills at regionals “are more up-and-down rather than just up-and-up.”
“From the start, my legs were in pain and I will say that last 800 meters was, like, the worst in my life,” he said.
Judah Ashley (21:11.80) took 28th overall, and senior Corey Gomez (21:37.09) completed Ignacio’s scoring quartet with a 37th-place finish. Sophomore Trace Crane (21:46.79) was close behind in 39th, while senior Phillip Quintana (22:24.90) and sophomore Dillon Brann (23:26.25) placed 51st and 65th, respectively. Freshman Thunder Windy Boy gutted out a time of 28:57.47 and finished 101st out of 105 entrants.
Rangely junior James Talbot won the boys race with a time of 18:23.92, followed by Parachute Grand Valley junior Craig Cotter (18:57.30), CRMS senior Ben Oldham (18:59.07) and CBCS sophomore Cody Pleak (19:02.35).
Lake County senior Keira King brought the Region IV girls’ title back to Leadville, as her time of 21:36.53 bettered that of junior teammate Ella Bullock, who placed second overall at 21:43.23.
Ignacio senior Lauren deKay finished 67th with a time of 28:50.28, and teammate Moriah Ashley placed 69th overall with a time of 29:08.73.
“It’s kind of bittersweet, you know? You’re glad that you’re done running 5Ks, but you’re also really sad because you’re going to miss the team,” said deKay, reflecting briefly on the conclusion of her Lady Bobcat XC days. “I really fell in love with this sport – running is really hard – but it’s the team dynamic that I really love.”
“Those girls started this with me, so both have really special places in my heart,” said McCarter. “It’s been an emotional meet for us – our last cross-country race together – but I’ll have them both in track … and then we can cry really hard.”
