With the usual Varsity and JV1 runners preparing for a pair of high profile, highly competitive meets, some East runners without varsity experience got to toe the line in varsity competition, while some JV runners got a chance to score in JV competition for the first time. It has been a few years since East Cross Country has sent its JV into Varsity competition; given how well these runners raced at the Denver West Cowboy Classic, it will happen more often in the right situations. 

The East Angels were led by ninth graders in both Varsity races. For the girls, it was Daniela Maldonado-Ramos who placed 12^th overall in 23:42. She was followed closely by sophomore Ella Terch in 13^th 23:43. Seniors Eleanor Goldstein and Siena Berry were 15^th in 24:04 and 16^th in 24:19 respectively. Sophomores Grace Taub and Yelena Konowal closed it out for East with 17^th and 19^th place finishes of the 52 runners in 24:19 and 24:34. The East Girls were 4^th of 6 scored teams with 73 points, just a few points behind 2^nd place Rangeview and 3^rd place Eagle Ridge. For the Boys Varsity, Abraham Morginsky led the way for the Angels with his 8^th place finish in 20:00. Fellow freshman Mason Harper was 10^th in 20:11, while sophomore Donovan Aggeler was just 2 seconds back for 12^th, finishing alongside junior Carson Lerner who was 13^th and a few strides ahead of sophomore Noah Shurz in 14^th to close out the scoring. Freshman Isaiah Springer was 22^nd in 21:11 and sophomore Ben Parish 23^rd in 21:13. The Varsity Boys totaled 57 points for 3^rd place of 8 teams, just eight points back of the winning score from Rangeview High School. 

The full depth of East Angels Cross Country was on full display in the JV races. The JV Girls were led by junior Emma Pieracci who finished 6^th in 24:55. She was followed by sophomores Rae Tatel and Franny Hebbard in 26:33 and 26:36 for 7^th and 8^th place and Campbell Hefty in 10^th place in 26:39. Senior Lillian McGlothlen came through in 26:56 for 11^th. Because the first five runners in the JV Girls race were not on fully scored teams, the Angels ended up with a near perfect team score of 16 points for an easy first place win of the five scored teams. In the Open Boys, sophomore Oliver Gustavson led the Angels with a 4^th place finish in 20:32, followed by his classmate Caleb Woodman in 5^th in 20:44. Freshmen Kyle Kojima and Liam Taylor were 6^th and 13^th in 20:55 and 21:55 respectively, while sophomore Ranier Coggins closed out the scoring for the Angels with his 22:19 for 18^th place of the 93 runners. The Angels totaled 41 points for the win over 8 other teams in the JV race. 

All of these runners will join their teammates to race at the St. Vrain Invitational on Saturday. Look for many of these runners to be asked to step-up to the Varsity or JV-1 level of competition in the weeks ahead at the North Viking Invitational and the Northfield Nighthawk Invitational.