The Denver East Angels Cross Country season officially came to an end at the Colorado State Cross Country Championships this past Saturday. It was an unseasonably hot day at the Norris-Penrose/Bear Creek cross country course in Colorado Springs, and both the 5A Girls and 5A Boys would run at the warmest point in the day.

The 5A Girls ran first. Representing East, juniors Nell Salzman and Samantha Skeen negotiated their way through the course in excellent fashion. Engulfed in clouds of dust, the two ran close together in the middle of the large field of runners throughout the 5000m race. They held their positions well throughout their runs; Salzman would eventually finish 122^nd and Skeen 128^th. They will each be among the top-100 returning girls in Colorado, ready to lead the Angels at the State Meet in 2017.

Junior Harrison Scudamore, after a crowded and physical adventure off the starting line, was able to establish himself among the top contenders by the end of the first mile. A group of more than 20 went through the mile mark together near 5:00, about 8 seconds behind a lone runner who had gone out fast. The chase pack, thinned to about a dozen runners including Scudamore, was rapidly catching the early leader by the two mile mark. With just half a mile to go, the pack finally blew open, with defending champion Issac Green easily winning his second title. Scudamore would fight to a 5^th place finish – just four seconds separated 2^nd through 5^th; seven seconds separated 2^nd through 7th.

With all of this year’s girls varsity team and most of this year’s boys varsity team returning in 2017, the Denver East Angels look forward to qualifying, not just these three individuals, but the entire team, for next year’s Colorado State Meet. Start your goal-setting now and anticipate a full summer of conditioning for next fall’s cross country season!