Races Heat Up at Liberty Bell Invitational

How hot were things at the Liberty Bell Invitational? Well, both the Girls and Boys Sweepstakes races featured the top-12 ranked teams in 5A in Colorado and 2 of the top-5 teams from each of 4A and 3A divisions; six of these teams (2 boys teams and 4 girls teams) are ranked in the top-25 in the nation. Also, it was nearing 80 degrees when the varsity races took to the course, in the high 80’s when the B division (JV-1) raced, and a blistering 90 degrees under cloudless skies when the C division (JV-2) finally hit the traditionally fast road/hard packed dirt course circling the neighborhood around Heritage High School. So, it was pretty hot.

The Varsity Boys were the first to line up shoulder to shoulder, literally and figuratively, with the stiffest competition they will face until the Colorado State meet. With all 7 runners buried deep in the pack, it can be hard to decipher how well or poorly the team was running. Senior co-captain Eamon Nussbaum moved up over the last 2 miles to finish in 65^th in 16:48, shaving a few seconds off his personal best. Junior Quinn Higgins joined the sub-17 club with a 16:53 personal best for 75^th, also moving up substantially in the last 2 miles.  Senior David Anderson and freshman Jonas Scudamore sprinted together to personal bests by over 20 seconds of 17:24, for 110^th and 111^th respectively.  Junior Ian Logan (17:34) and senior Owen Congdon (17:48) each ran personal bests for 124^th and 131^st and junior Ben Hopper ran a seasonal best 18:08 to finish 140^th.  East finished with a total of 477 points for 18^th place of 23 teams.

The Varsity Girls gave chase to the boys’ race 3 minutes later.  Super frosh Rosie Mucharsky came through the mile just outside the top-10 and was able to hold on to 12^th place in 18:02. Sophomore Sophia Shiroff ran under 20 minutes for the first time with a 19:56 for 74^th place, while classmate Grace Todd ran 20:08 for 87^th.  Senior co-captain Ellison Mucharsky ran a seasonal best (and altitude pb) 20:54 while her co-captain Annabel Filippini ran a seasonal best 21:04. Sophomore Sasha Bull ran 21:30 for 138^th and junior Bri O’Meara 21:39 for 141^st.  The Angels totaled 387 points for 17^th place of 22 teams.

As temperatures continued to rise, personal best times became more elusive. None the less, the Angels continued to compete with the best teams gamely in the JV divisions. In the Boys Sweepstakes B race, juniors Charlie Keglovitz and Garrett Johnson managed 45^th and 55^th place finishes respectively in personal bests of 18:31 and 18:45.  Sophomore Kai Luna and senior Charlie Kruger finished soon after in 18:50 and 18:51 for 57^th and 58^th.  Junior Julio Dominguez-Perez (71^st, 19:12) and freshman Finley Steed (77^th, 19:21) each ran personal bests and sophomore Devin Morse was the 7^th runner for East in 19:59 for 95^th.  The East Angel boys totaled 281 points for 10^th of 19 teams in the Sweepstakes B race.

The JV-1 girls were led by juniors Helen Miller and Eleanor Goldstein who ran 22:28 for 44^th place and 22:56 for 50^th place respectively. 9^th grader Ella Tersch managed a personal best 23:08 for 49^th while sophomore Anna Rothman-Haji ran 23:28 for 60^th, junior Clara Artley a personal best 23:32 for 63^rd, 9^th grader Lila Cypers 23:49 for 70^th, and senior co-captain Gemma Haller 73^rd in 23:58.  In the Girls Sweepstakes B race, the East Angels totaled 251 points for 10^th of 17 teams. 

Probably the most impressive performance coming out of the Open Sweepstakes race (unscored, JV-2) was turned in by junior Corbin Hobert who ran a personal best by nearly a minute of 19:12 despite the sizzling heat. Sophomore Finn Egan also ran a personal best 20:56, followed closely by senior co-captain Marcus Burnett in an identical time. Running her first official high school race at a 5K distance, sophomore Avery Ash ran 24:24. 9^th grader Franny Hebbard ran 25:05 and junior Siena Berry 25:36.  

Click here for complete results: Liberty Bell Results

On Tuesday the Angels will race with a jaunt around the home course at the Angel Invite, which is shaping up to be a smaller meet in 2021. (Volunteers still needed for this preview of hosting DPS League Championships next month). Click here to volunteer. Saturday brings the St. Vrain Invitational, the second in a series of three very competitive weekend meets that will test the Angels against the best teams in East’s State Qualifying region.