Getting Six Runners in the Top 25 ‘an Impressive Accomplishment’

TELLURIDE – The Telluride High School boys’ Cross Country team is sitting pretty at the top of the 2A rankings this week, following a commanding finish at their most recent event in Bayfield, Colo.

The Miners placed second at the Bayfield Invitational meet Saturday, Sept. 11, beating out all other Colorado competitors. New Mexico 5A powerhouse Piedra Vista proved to be the only team able to climb ahead of the mixed Telluride-Norwood team.

NHS’ Ty Williams blew the old course record out of the water, crossing the line in 17:55 – 17 seconds under the old course record – to take first place. Telluride senior Colten Rogers raced into the top ten in eighth place overall, despite a debilitating injury that kept him out of his running shoes last spring. “Colten is just starting to get back into shape.  He is going to start really beating up on people in the coming weeks,” said THS cross country coach Keith Hampton.

Telluride’s remaining scorers came into the finish as a very strong pack with Nathan Loomis in 20th, Brooks Rogers in 22nd, Cameron Bowman in 23rd and Gabe Torres in 25th.

“Getting six runners in the top 25 is an impressive accomplishment,” said Hampton.  “Now we just need to push that group up a little higher in the scoring.”

The girls’ team also delivered a strong performance finishing fourth, ahead of Cortez, Durango and Bayfield. Rachel Hampton led the Lady Miners in fourth place (22:12,) followed by Josephine Bush in sixth place (23:36,) and Jessie Hild in 16th place (25:10.) “Our top three girls are really making it tough on people,” said Hampton.

The Telluride Middle School Cross Country team also competed at Bayfield, racing to their best-ever meet with five top-25 finishes. Katherine Bush (eighth grade) led the charge for the Mini-Miners with an overall second place finish. “Bush ran a very smart race, being patient over the first 800m,” Hampton said. “From there, she just kept picking off runners all the way to the finish.” Seventh grader Anna Fake also had an exceptional finish for the team, taking eighth place overall.

For the Middle School boys, Zack Nunn had a great race finishing in 16th place out of 77 runners.  He was followed closely by Jack Plantz, Taggert Mueller, and Luke Marshall. “The future of Telluride Cross Country looks pretty bright if this an indication of the talent we have moving up,” Hampton said.

The middle and high school teams will travel to Gunnison this Saturday for the Gunnison Invite, featuring many teams from central and western Colorado including Salida, Buena Vista, Crested Butte and Glenwood Springs.