Top Boys to Watch
Sean Ankarlo, Jr., Holy Family: Finished 27th at 3A state meet last year and is eager to improve upon on that.
Kyle Becker, Sr., Alexander Dawson: He posted a 10th-place finish at the 2A state meet a year ago.
Ryan Boucher, Jr., Lyons: His 15th-place finish in 2A last year helped Lyons finish second as a team.
Sean Flynn, Sr., Lyons: A ninth-place finisher in 2A last year, he leads the Lions’ title hopes.
Ben Forsee, Sr., Broomfield: He’s looking good already after a 33rd-place finish at the 4A state meet in 2010.
Nick Harris, Sr., Niwot: He finished 13th in 4A last year, making a top-10 finish this year quite possible.
Chandler Reid, Jr., Centaurus: A 14th-place finisher in 4A last year, he leads a talented group of Warriors.
Tyler Taydus, Sr., Fairview: Finished 43rd in 5A last year and will lead the Knights this fall.
Connor Timms, Sr., Skyline: Helped the Falcons get to the 4A state meet as a team and then finished 46th at state.
Kirk Webb, Sr., Monarch: A year ago, he was 22nd in Class 5A. He’ll be looking for a top-10 finish this year.
Top Girls to Watch
Kenzie Atkins, Sr., Erie: Finished 91st in 4A last year, but is ready to make a giant leap this fall.
Lindsay Chavez, So., Holy Family: Finished eighth in 3A as a freshman and could be a state title contender.
Elise Cranny, So., Niwot: Finished a great freshman year with a 10th-place finish in Class 4A.
Claire Green, So., Monarch: Seventh-place finisher from last year gives Coyotes hope for great season.
Isabelle Kennedy, So., Fairview: The top returning runner for the Knights, she was 42nd in 5A.
Sam Lewis, Sr., Boulder: Despite battling an illness, she was 20th at the 5A state meet in 2010, after finishing fourth in 2009.
Morgan Lu, So., Mead: In Class 3A, she finished 36th at state, showing the potential for a top-25 finish this year.
Erin McLaughlin, So., Boulder: As a freshman, she finished 31st in Class 5A.
Halle Peterson, Sr., Centaurus: Helped the Warriors finish fifth in 4A last year by placing 23rd individually.
Olivia Raspotnik, Jr., Lyons: Finished 12th in Class 2A last year and should challenge for the top 10.Miriam Roberts, So., Lyons: Just one returning girl in 2A finished higher than Roberts, who was fourth last year.
Kelly Robinson, Sr., Nederland: Defending 2A state champ hopes to guide Panthers to another team title, too.
Postseason Information
State meet is Oct. 29 at Arapahoe County Fairgrounds.
5A Region 3 (Boulder, Fairview, Monarch) is Oct. 19 at Aurora Sports Park.
4A Region 1 (Centaurus) is Oct. 21 at City Park in Denver. 4A Region 2 (Broomfield, Erie, Frederick, Longmont, Niwot, Silver Creek and Skyline) is Oct. 20 at Lyons High School. 3A Region 3 (Holy Family, Peak to Peak) is Oct. 21 at Holy Family High School.
3A Region 4 (Mead) is Oct. 20 at Lyons High School. 2A Region 1 (Alexander Dawson, Lyons, Nederland, Shining Mountain) is Oct. 20 at Lyons High School.
Team-by-Team capsules
ALEXANDER DAWSON MUSTANGS
Coach: Steve Brittenham, 5th year
Last year: Boys placed 5th at 2A state meet and 2nd at 2A Region 2 meet; Girls placed 6th at 2A Region 2 meet
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — Kyle Becker (Sr., 10th place); Ryan Howarth (Sr., 24th); Robby Keown (Jr., 75th); Forest Oden (Sr., 78th); Jake Rothman (Sr., 30th). Girls — None.
Others to watch: Boys — Alec Timpe (Fr.); Chase Walden (So.). Girls — Bella Brookes (Jr.); Erin O’Kelley (So.); Alondra Perea (So.); Montana Tucker (So.).
Outlook: The boys team returns all of its state runners from a year ago and has high hopes for another top-five finish, if not better. Although there are no returning state runners on the girls side, Brittenham said he likes the talent he sees in that group.
BOULDER PANTHERS
Coach: Monique Guidry, 16th year
Last year: Boys placed 6th at 5A Region 3 meet; Girls placed 2nd at 5A state meet and 2nd at 5A Region 3 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — None. Girls — Erin Davidson (Jr., 59th place); Sam Lewis (Sr., 20th); Madi Lohmann (Jr., 115th); Erin McLaughlin (So., 31st).
Others to watch: Boys — Satchel Caldwell (Fr.); Tucker Hampson (Sr.); Torin McDonald (So.); Naataanii Todea (So.); Max Worthy (Jr.). Girls — Emma Merryman (So.).
Outlook: The girls finished second in state last year and, by season’s end, may have the goods to finish that high again. Lewis ran a gutsy race at state last year, placing 20th despite being ill. She was fourth in 2009 and should be a legitimate contender for top individual honors this fall. On the boys side, Hampson moved in from New York. He and Caldwell will combine with a solid group of returning varsity runners. The goal on the boys side is to get to state as a team.
BROOMFIELD EAGLES
Coach: Greg Weich, 2nd year
Last year: Boys placed 4th at 4A state meet and 2nd at 4A Region 2 meet; Girls placed 15th at 4A state meet and 5th at 4A Region 2 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — Ben Forsee (Sr., 33rd place); Joe Mitchem (Sr., 86th); Matt Sarno (Jr., 71st); Kory Skattum (Sr., 79th). Girls — Katie Forsee (So., 76th); Abby Gardner (Sr., 120th); Macy Miller (Jr., 134th); Cherokee Rohrbaugh (So., 84th).
Others to watch: Boys — Cody Armstrong (So.); Andrew Dewey (Jr.); Ethan Gonzales (So.). Girls — Ally Malecha (So.).
Outlook: The Eagles are loaded this year and setting big goals. Several of the boys made dramatic improvements since last year, including Ethan Gonzales. Weich believes the boys could contend for the state title. The girls are better, too, and have the talent to take a shot at a top-10 team finish.
CENTAURUS WARRIORS
Coach: Devin Rourke, 1st year
Last year: Boys placed 12th at 4A state meet and 2nd at 4A Region 1 meet; Girls placed 5th at 4A state meet and 2nd at 4A Region 1 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — Alani Estrella (Sr., 175th place); Jack Marshall (Sr., 55th); Sam Patzer (Jr., 140th); Kyle Peterson (Sr., 157th); Chandler Reid (Jr., 14th). Girls — Hannah Davinroy (Jr., 63rd place); Katie Dishman (Jr., 51st); Halle Peterson (Sr., 23rd); Sady Swanson (Jr., 137th); Erin Twaddell ( Jr., 57th); Kelsey Wood (So., 45th).
Others to watch: Boys — Logan Goodrich (Sr.); Tyler Menger (Jr.). Girls — Rachel Moline (Jr.); Nikki Montoya (Sr).
Outlook: After a great year in 2010, the Warriors return a lot of state runners, on both the boys and girls sides. Reid could challenge for a top-10 individual finish, while the girls have the talent to once again finish in the top five as a team.
ERIE TIGERS
Coach: Scott Leiding, 10th year
Last year: Boys placed 10th in 4A Region 2 meet; Girls placed 13th at 4A state meet and 4th in 4A Region 2 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — None. Girls — Kenzie Atkins (Sr., 91st place); Amelia Sease (So., 74th).
Others to watch: Boys — Sam Kennedy (Sr.); Dylan Larkin (So.); Kyle Leahy (Fr.); Cole Lewis (Jr.); Brennan Manion (Jr.); Reece Melton (So.); Matt Moore (Jr.); Michael Pelser (Sr.); Dane Stotts (Jr.); Kyle True (So.). Girls — Marissa Atkins (So.); Kaitlyn Clark (Fr.); Nicole Hulet (Sr.); Emily Lee (Sr.); Chelsea Martus (Jr.); Jaclynn Ward (Sr.).
Outlook: Graduation took five of the top seven girls from last year, but Leiding said there are several girls ready to take on a varsity role. On the boys side, the Tigers are young and could improve because of the tough competition within the squad.
FAIRVIEW KNIGHTS
Coach: Josh Glaab, 1st year
Last year: Boys placed 11th at 5A state meet and 4th at 5A Region 3 meet; Girls placed 11th at 5A state meet and 2nd at 5A Region 3 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — Ricardo Kaempfen (So., 88th place); Kyle Lund (Jr., 77th); Tyler Taydus (Sr., 43rd); Bridger Tomlin (Jr., 115th). Girls — Margot Clyne (Jr., 146th place); Isabelle Kennedy (So., 42nd); Kelsey Piper (Sr., 57th); Shelby Reaves (Jr., 156th); Kristen Witt (Sr., 86th).
Others to watch: Boys — Tim Brown (Jr.); Cory Munsch (Jr.); Rich Sanchez (So.); Brad Ziegler (Sr.). Girls — Kate Cuddington (Jr.); Kendall Richarz (So.).
Outlook: A year ago, both squads narrowly missed the top-10 at state. This year, Glaab said, “I’m hoping for quite a bit better than that.” The boys and girls are both deep with talent and should fare well in most meets. Individually, Kennedy could be in for a huge jump after working so hard over the summer.
FREDERICK WARRIORS
Coach: Stephanie Osborn, 5th year
Last year: Boys placed 14th in 4A Region 2 meet; Girls placed 14th in 4A Region 2 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — None. Girls — None.
Others to watch: Boys — Brady Dill (Sr); Chris Erwin (So.). Girls — Alex Godinez (Sr.); Grace Lahrs (Jr.); Angela Yang (Jr.).
Outlook: The Warriors are young and inexperienced, but there is good talent. “I think we’ll do better than years past,” Osborn said. There are nearly 25 runners out for the team this year, the second straight year with such high numbers.
HOLY FAMILY TIGERS
Coach: Dave Good, 17th year
Last year: Boys placed 11th at 3A state meet and won 3A Region 1 championship; Girls placed 15th at 3A state meet and 4th at 3A Region 1 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — Sean Ankarlo (Jr., 27th place); Sam Hillman (Sr., 35th); Erich Hixson (So., 74th); Kyle Willis (Sr., 94th). Girls — Ashley Burk (Sr., 97th place); Lindsay Chavez (So., 8th); Danielle Medearis (Jr., 49th); Lauren Olivia (Sr., 110th); Brooke Sanders (Sr., 92nd).
Others to watch: Boys — Dillon Roddy (So.); Tristan Smith (Jr.); Yaphet Tahahede (Sr.). Girls — Cassie Gills (Sr.); Cassidy Hemp (Fr.); Jessica Talamantes (Fr.).
Outlook: Both the boys and girls return four state qualifiers from teams that had great success a year ago. Good said he thinks both teams have improved since last year. Chavez could make a run at the 3A state title.
LONGMONT TROJANS
Coach: Jim Hallberg, 4th year
Last year: Boys placed 12th in 4A Region 2 meet; Girls placed 8th in 4A Region 2 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — None. Girls — None.
Others to watch: Boys — Nat Britten (So.); Nick Knutson (Sr.). Girls — Jamie Cropp (So.); Anna Schell (So.); Kathryn Schell (So.)
Outlook: The Trojans are in a bit of a rebuilding mode, as they look to several sophomores to lead the way. With good talent in the younger classes, Longmont hopes to improve upon last year’s regional results.
LYONS LIONS
Coach: Mark Roberts, 16th year
Last year: Boys placed 2nd at 2A state meet and 1st at 2A Region 2 meet; Girls placed 2nd at 2A state meet and 2nd at 2A Region 2 meet
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — Ryan Boucher (Jr., 15th place); Sam Crowley (Jr., 19th); Sean Flynn (Sr., 9th). Girls — Kelsey Miner (Jr., 44th place); Olivia Raspotnik (Jr., 12th); Miriam Roberts (So., 4th); Izzy Solman (Sr., 43rd).
Others to watch: Boys –Levi Stone (Jr.); Marcel Such (So.); Reed Test (Sr.). Girls — Jenna Anderson (Fr.); Emma Cisar (So.); Hazel Myers (Jr.); Anna Sundrud (Fr.).
Outlook: After state runner-up finishes by the boys and girls last year, plenty of talent returns to give the Lions a shot at the top spots. The boys return three runners that finished in the top 19 at state, while the girls return two top-12 finishers, including Roberts, who was fourth last year (second among returning runners).
MEAD MAVERICKS
Coach: Phil Hodgkinson, 2nd year
Last year: Boys placed 11th at 3A Region 4 meet; Girls placed 9th at 3A Region 4 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — None. Girls — Morgan Lu (So., 36th).
Others to watch: Boys — Jake Grasinger (So.); Eric Rademacher (Sr.); Tommy Reeves (So.); Josh Yuhas (So.). Girls — Kelsey Contouris (Sr.); Brianna Hallmark (Jr.); Acacia Stephen (So.)
Outlook: The Mavericks have a entirely new boys team and several new girls out for the squad. Participation numbers are way up from last year (16 this year, 10 in 2010), and Hodgkinson said this season is about “getting into the untapped potential.” He expects Stephen to push Lu and give the Mavs a good 1-2 punch on the girls side.
MONARCH COYOTES
Coach: Kent Rieder, 7th year
Last year: Boys placed 5th at 5A state meet and won 5A Region 3 championship; Girls placed 4th at 5A state meet and won 5A Region 3 championship
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — Collin Lowe (Sr., 67th place); Michael Reese (Sr., 180th); Kirk Webb (Sr., 22nd). Girls — Kaitlyn Benner (So., 43rd place); Taylor Floming (Jr., DNF); Claire Green (So., 7th); Rebecca Richmond (Sr., 168th).
Others to watch: Boys — Daniel McComas (Jr.); Nolan McCoy (Sr.); Jacob Micklin (Sr.); Wyatt Reis (Jr.); Michael Rooney (Sr.); Parker Sitton (So.); Kyle Swanson (Sr.); Matt Tubbs (So.); Kingston Wagner (Jr.). Girls — Anna Hogan (So.); Ashley Litoff (So.); Elissa Mann (Fr.); Karina Mann (Fr.); Alyssa Reese (So.); Virginia Spong (Jr.); Stephanie Teissier (So.).
Outlook: After top-five state finishes a year ago, the boys and girls both lost key talent to graduation. However, great talent remains and with the depth that has built up over the past few years, Rieder believes the Coyotes will bounce back.
NEDERLAND PANTHERS
Coach: Ken Robinson, 8th year
Last year: Boys placed 9th at 2A state meet and 3rd at 2A Region 2 meet; Girls won 2A state championship and 2A Region 2 championship.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — Parker Landry-Murphy (Sr., 60th). Girls — Rebecca Hermann (Sr., 5th); Bailey Kuechenmeister (So., 10th); Jenna Mahon (So., 15th); Jess Ousley (Sr., 13th); Kelley Robinson (Sr., 1st).
Others to watch: Boys — None. Girls — Dyani Chapman (Sr.); Gillian Nasty (Fr.); Rosemary Pineau (So.); Makenzie Radant (Fr.).
Outlook: Once again, the Panthers are loaded. Kelley Robinson is the defending state champion and the Panthers have five top-15 state finishers back to take aim at another team title. The boys lost several state runners to the soccer and football teams.
NIWOT COUGARS
Coach: Doug Duffy, 14th year
Last year: Boys placed 5th at 4A state meet and 3rd at 4A Region 2 meet; Girls placed 7th at 4A state meet and won 4A Region 2 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — Kevin Bueno (Sr., 83rd place); Scott Everett (Sr., 165th); Ryan Faulkner (Sr., 184th); Nick Harris (Sr., 13th); David Schahrer (Sr., 82nd); William Zimmerman (Sr., 89th). Girls — Elise Cranny (So., 10th); Haley Dennerline (Sr., 124th); Madi Dolifka (Jr., 101st); Madie Jalbert (Sr., 49th); Kaiti Shepherd (Sr., 36th).
Others to watch: Boys — Elijah Fisk, Alejandro Garcia; Austin Schuler. Girls — Haley Bergeson; Leanna Hirsh; Amber Liu; Megan Tatusko; Mariah Wahl.
Outlook: As usual, Niwot expects to compete with the best teams in the state. The boys return six runners from a 5th-place finish in 2010, and Harris could challenge for a top-5 spot. The girls have five girls back from a 7th-place finish, including Cranny, who was 10th overall. Add 15 new freshmen to the mix and the Cougars should have another great year.
PEAK TO PEAK PUMAS
Coach: Richard Hansen, 2nd year
Last year: Boys placed 12th at 3A state meet and 2nd at 3A Region 1 meet; Girls placed 5th at 3A Region 1 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — Cameron Healy (Jr., 49th); Justin Rodenberg (Jr., 68th); Riley Rodenberg (Jr., 62nd); Stephen Rice (Jr., 61st). Girls — Katie McMenamin (Sr., 53rd).
Others to watch: Boys — Jhamal Fanning (So.); Liam Healy (So.); Kyler Meehan (So.); Pieter Mundhenke (Jr.). Girls — Dallas Frisbee (Fr.); Jill Mitchell (Sr.); Mallory Oveson (So.); Chase Robbins (Jr.).
Outlook: The Pumas have set lofty goals this season. The boys believe they can make a run at the top five at state, while the girls are aiming for a top-10 finish.
SHINING MOUNTAIN LIONS
Coach: John Hamilton, 7th year
Last year: Boys placed 7th at 2A Region 2 meet; Girls placed 5th at 2A Region 2 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — None. Girls — Birdie Hutton (Sr., 21st).
Others to watch: Boys — None. Girls — Sabina Flandrick (Jr.).
Outlook: Hutton and Flandrick may wind up as two of the better individuals in Class 2A. As a team, the Lions aim to grow in a lot of areas, including team bonding and relationship building, Hamilton said.
SILVER CREEK RAPTORS
Coach: Barb Keith, 10th year
Last year: Boys placed 8th in 4A Region 2 meet; Girls placed 10th in 4A Region 2 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — None. Girls — None.
Others to watch: Boys — Carl Albano (Jr.); Connor Christoffersen (So.); Austin Gunnarson (Jr.); Marcus Holliday (Jr.); Brendon Naftel (Fr.); Hamilton Nelson (Jr.); Thomas Puentis (So.). Girls — Danielle Dageenakis (Sr.); Danielle DePas (Sr.); Gabriela Koski (Jr.); Samantha Koski (Fr.); Angela Mathias (Sr.); Gabriela Perez (Sr.).
Outlook: Although the Raptors don’t have any returning state qualifiers, they do have talent to get there this year. Keith said she really likes what she saw from the boys and girls during a preseason scrimmage last week.
SKYLINE FALCONS
Coach: Mary Monk, 2nd year
Last year: Boys placed 18th at 4A state meet and 4th at 4A Region 2 meet; Girls placed 11th at 4A Region 2 meet.
Returning state qualifiers: Boys — David Bocim (Jr., 133rd place); Nathan Johnson (Jr., 196th); Chris Meduna (So., 158th); Braden Richards (Jr., 101st); Connor Timms (Sr., 46th). Girls — None.
Others to watch: Boys — Sam Berg (Fr.); Ryan Helgeland (So.); Seth Hovestol (So.); Samuel Obando (So.); Travis Stuvel (So.); Jordan Wright (Fr.). Girls — Brianna Hauck (Jr.); Sydney Richards (Fr.).
Outlook: This could be one of the Falcons’ best seasons in recent memory. Monk said the runners had a strong summer and she expects a “very competitive roster.” The boys have the ability to get back to state as a team and the girls show a good deal of talent at the top.
Brian Howell, BoCoPreps.com
