St. Vrain Invitational

On another warm September morn, the East Angels traveled half-way to Rocky Mountain National Park, eventually landing at Lyons High School ready for a brand new day and brand new course. The Lyons hosts a number of big meets, and the St. Vrain Invite always draws much of the best talent in the state. The spectator friendly course makes three loops with the first featuring a moderately challenging hill and the latter 2 loops a couple smaller hills. Of all the courses East will run this year, the Lyons course most closely resemble the State Meet course at Norris-Penrose/Bear Creek in Colorado Springs. These are not personal-best setting courses, but courses that will reward you for running a smart first mile with opportunities to move up the field significantly in the second and third miles.

The Varsity Girls took the course first. Ninth-grader Rosey Mucharsky came off the start line in a small pack of girls chasing two of the top girls in the state. Rosie would eventually come across with a hard-fought 7^th place finish in 19:19. Sophomore Grace Todd ran her best (if not fastest) race of the season, moving from 53^rd 1500m into the race up to 26^th at the finish in 20:54, while her classmate Sophia Shiroff has a strong kick to grab 42^nd place in 21:38.  The pack of senior Annabel Filippini (22:23), Sasha Bull (22:34), Ellison Mucharsky (22:42) and Bri O’Meara (22:43) came through 1500m in about 81^st – 85^th place before moving up over the subsequent 3500 meters to finish 63^rd, 71^st, 78^th, and 79^th.  Junior Helen Miller moved up from 127^th to 95^th, junior Eleanor Goldstein from 132^nd to 106^th, and ninth-grader Ella Terch from 140^th to 108^th over the same interval. In all, East’s scoring five runners dropped 43 points over the last 2 miles, finishing with a total of 185 points for 6^th place of 21 teams.  Of the top seven teams at the meet, five of the programs have qualified teams for Nike Nationals in the last six years (22 boys and girls teams qualify from around the country each year).

The East Boys delivered and even larger come back over the last 2 miles, with the scoring five runners dropping 92 points from mile-one to mile-two and another 38 points before the finish, moving from 12^th place as a team one mile into the race to 8^th place of 27 teams with 264 points at the finish. The Angels were led by senior Eamon Nussbaum who moved up from 54^th place to 25^th in 17:40. Frosh Jonas Scudamore charged out early and held on to a strong 58^th place finish in 18:21.  The pack of juniors Ian Logan (18:36) and Ben Hopper (18:41), and seniors David Anderson (18:46) and Owen Congdon (19:15) went through 1500m between 103^rd and 124^th before moving up to grab places 64, 67, 72, and 95^th respectively. Junior Garrett Johnson ran 19:36 in his varsity debut, moving up from 141^st to 99^th while classmate Charlie Keglovitz (19:50) went from 178^th to 120^th, and sophomore Kai Luna went 152^nd to 138^th in 20:08. 

The JV Girls placed three runners between 28^th and 31^st and the next three between 52^nd and 58^th to take 5^th of 18 teams.  Frosh Lila Cypers led the team with a time of 24:07, followed by junior Evelyn Higgins in 30^th in 24:24 and Anna Rothman-Haji in 24:26.  Junior Clara Artley finished 52^nd in 25:16, sophomore Avery Ash 53^rd in 25:16 and senior Gemma Haller 58^th in 25:28. The JV Boys finished 3^rd of 17 teams, led by the standout performance of junior Corbin Hobert who finished 18^th in 19:39.  Seniors Jack Kriekels and Charlie Kruger finished together in 20:15 for 28^th and 29^th, while freshman Oliver Gustavson cracked the top-40 with a 39^th place finish in 20:52. 

On Tuesday the Angels travel across town to the Denver North hosted Viking Invitational at the Case Willis Golf Course – the weather looks more seasonable, but the hilly route run over golf course rough and fairways will still be a challenge. Fall running can still make you feel that way.

East Angel Invitational

It was a relatively small gathering of teams at City Park on Tuesday, with most teams attending emphasizing development of JV runners over pushing their varsity runners in between larger weekend invitationals. The weather was nearly ideal for racing and touring East’s Championship Course which will host the DPS League championships in four weeks.

The Angel JV Girls flexed their depth in the first race of the afternoon taking seven of the first eleven places, led by 9^th grader Lila Cypers who ran a 23:22 for 3^rd.  Junior Evelyn Higgins (24:39) took 5^th, leading a pack that included sophomores Isabella Raworth-Erazo (24:48) and Avery Ash (24:50) 6^th and 7^th, senior Gemma Haller (24:51) 9^th, junior Clara Artley (24:52) 10th, and sophomore Anna Rothman-Haji (24:54) in 11^th.  The JV Girls totaled 30 points, easily ahead of second place Eaglecrest High School with 49. 

The Angel JV Boys were equally dominant taking four of the first five places and six of the top-10.  Senior Charlie Kruger moved up aggressively in the second half of the race to place second with a time of 19:33. He was followed closely by the pack that included juniors Corbin Hobert (19:35), Julio Dominguez-Perez (19:36) and freshman Finley Steed (19:50).  Making their first return to racing following injuries, seniors Allen Harder and Jack Kriekels took 8^th and 10^th respectively in 20:04 and 20:05.  The Angels scored a total of 22 points, ahead of Eaglecrest High School with 52 and Denver South High School with 56.

The East Varsity teams were instructed to run the first 2 miles at a controlled workout pace before being given the green light to close out the last mile at race pace. Ninth grader Rosie Mucharsky led the Angel Girls, closing the lead of South’s lead runner of nearly 2 minutes at 2-miles to just 50 seconds at the finish. The rest of the East team similarly moved up nicely after intentionally giving up a lot of ground to the competition in the first 2-miles.  Sophomores Grace Todd and Sophia Shiroff moved up to 3^rd and 5^th respectively, while junior Bri O’Meara finished 7^th, senior Annabel Filippini 9^th, sophomore Sasha Bull 11^th, senior Ellison Mucharsky 12^th, juniors Eleanor Goldstein and Helen Miller 14^th and 15^th, and ninth grader Ella Terch 16^th.  Despite running the race as a workout, the Angels managed a 26-32 victory over league rival Denver South.

The East Boys ran the first 2-miles of their race/workout even more conservatively than the East Girls had. None-the-less, senior Eamon Nussbaum stormed back over the final mile to threaten for the win, eventually settling for 3^rd behind two Denver South runners. Junior Quinn Higgins ran for 5^th overall, followed by a parade of five Denver South runners before East freshman Jonas Scudamore led the Angel pack through the finish for 11^th place followed by juniors Ian Logan and Garrett Johnson, senior Owen Congdon, and junior Ben Hopper. One additional South runner crossed the line before sophomore Kai Luna and junior Charlie Keglovitz finished for East in 17^th and 18^th.  Though East ran the meet as a workout, Denver South looks to be a formidable opponent for the league championship, finishing with a mere 21 points to take the Angel Invite title.

Saturday brings the St. Vrain Invitational, which will bring together twenty-nine 4A and 5A schools including all of East’s toughest regional opponents (Boulder, Broomfield, Fairview, and Monarch) and a couple nationally ranked programs (Mountain Vista and Niwot).

We need someone to bring the tent back from St. Vrain and also more parents to sign up for meets for the remainder of the season. You can sign up at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pUboaS6PL8TM3Fn6WQl4CbPqEKj-p3fY9htOHQQI1bw/edit?usp=drivesdk

Its easy and the runners do the set up and pack up for you! Questions? Text Jennifer: 303.725.7900

Go Angels!

Car Parking:  Our meet hosts will direct cars to Bohn Park first, then to the LDS church, then into the neighborhoods north and then east of the school. Bohn Park payment is optional during the meet. Space is going to be at a premium. Most of the car parking will be a 5 to 10 minute walk to get to the course.

Handicap/Elderly Parking: There are about 50 spaces in the south parking lot for handicap and elderly drivers. Parking staff will assess who qualifies for that lot. 

Concessions will be available.

Results will be available at www.rapidresultslive.com as soon as each race is finished. A hard copy of the results will be posted on the west side of the concession stand, 

Team Camps should be located on the grass around the northeast corner of the track on the east and north sides of the jump runways. There will be 15 porta-potties located on the north end of the field and off the northwest corner of the track. Thanks to Longmont HS, there wil be a Water Monster on the northeast side of the track for runners to fill their water bottles. 

Spectators and Coaches MUST stay off the infield during the races. Please help with crowd control. When we create space at the finish, it allows for a better viewing experience.

We will have a trainer on site should any medical needs arise. Mackenzie from OCR will be set up under the north goal posts in the white tent.

Trash bags will be provided. Please clean up area before leaving.

Go Angels!!

Arrive at East: 6:15am

Bus Departs: 6:30am

Location: Lyons High School, 100 McConnell Drive, Lyons, CO 80540

No dogs allowed on school property. Please leave your pets at home.

Race Schedule:

8:05 National Anthem

8:25 – HS Girls Varsity 2A/3A – Run Unlimited, Score 4

9:00 – HS Boys Varsity 2A/3A – Run Unlimited, Score 4

9:30 – HS Girls Varsity 4A/5A – Run 10 Score 5

10:00 – 2A/3A Varsity Awards @ East Grandstand

10:05 – HS Boys Varsity 4A/5A – Run 10, score 5

10:30 – HS Girls JV

11:05 – HS Boys JV

11:35 – 4A/5A Varsity Awards @ East Grandstand

High School 5K Map:

This is the new map with a change in the first and second loop of the course.https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1VTwZjYifoKUOLutJ31Qaffd0tDTZcciE&usp=sharing

Runner Unavailability: If you cannot attend the St Vrain Meet, please fill out this form: XC Unavailability Form

Want to cheer on your favorite cross country team in style? Order your East CC (Guardian) Angel shirt now. They are set to arrive Sept 28, but you can pre-order in our gear shop: https://2021-cross-country-store.cheddarup.com (unisex sizing: medium , large, XL)

Date: Tuesday, Sept 14, 21

Class dismissal: 1:15

Arrive at City Park: 1:30pm

Schedule:

2:00  Coaches Meeting

2:30  Girls open race (unlimited entries)

3:15  Boys open race (unlimited entries)

4:00  Girls Varsity 5K (limited to 10 entries, top five score)

4:30  Boys Varsity 5K (limited to 10 entries, top five score)

5:00  Awards Ceremony at Start Line

Course: Angel Invite Course Map

Tent Camp: Our tent will be northwest of the starting area, between the course and the road.

Volunteers: We still need volunteers and would really appreciate having two more volunteers on mountain bikes to lead and/or sweep each race. Please click here if you can help: East Angel Invitational Volunteer Sign Up This includes parents and families of athletes, alumni athletes and parents, current athletes who cannot race and fans of East XC!

All volunteers should check in with Ruth or the volunteers at the check in table. Those volunteers are: Sara S, Lisa O or Jim O. If you have an official pink EA t-shirt, please wear it. If you don’t, we will give one to you.

Runner unavailability: If you cannot run at the Angel Invite, please fill out this form for your coaches. Runner unavailability form

Kona Ice Fundraiser It’s true! The Kona Ice truck will be at the Angel Invite. Our team will receive a portion of the sales made at the meet. Remember to bring some money if you want a Kona Ice and want to support the team!

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. 

The East Angels have qualified to be in all of the sweepstakes divisions. Here is where you will run:

Sweepstakes A:

Eamon Rosie

Quinn Grace

David Sophia

Jonas Ellision

Ian Sasha B

Owen Bri

Ben H Annabel

Sweepstakes B:

Kai Helen

Garret Lila

Charlie Ke Evelyn

Charlie Kr Anna

Julio Clara

Finley Gemma

Devin Ella

Sweepstakes C:

Everyone else.

If you can’t run this race, please let us know by clicking here: Runner Unavailability Form

If you have questions, please ask one of the coaches. Remember to bring water and a snack to eat after your race.

Go Angels!