Great job at Thornton! All teams in the top-5!

All Denver East runners should run 60 minutes easy on Saturday (or Sunday if you prefer) or up 15 minutes less than your longest run of the season. Take the other day off from running. 

Have a great weekend.

Rim Rock High School Classic

Twenty-nine East Angels crossed a fair amount of countryside to get to Lawrence, Kansas this past Friday to inspect the Rim Rock Farm Cross Country Course. By the time the Angels had arrived, nearly 3 inches of rain had soaked the course earlier in the day. Despite being a bit spongy or slick in a couple places, the course was generally in good shape and the team looked forward to competing on this iconic grass and dirt course—over rolling hills and through two covered bridges—with fair weather forecasted for the next morning’s races.

The Angels arrived early Saturday morning at Rim Rock Farm, with their four teams scheduled to compete in the first four races of the day. The JV Girls, defending champions at this meet, took to the course as scheduled at 8:15. The Angels established themselves early among the top-25 runners of the nearly 200 in the race. Ninth-grader Lola Carhart established herself among the top-3 from start, ran shoulder to shoulder for the lead from about 1200m to 4000m, then pulled away up the final hills for a decisive win in 20:46. Senior Avery Ash demonstrated a powerful last 1000m as well, moving from a distant 3^rd to easy 2^nd place finish in 21:00. Junior Lila Cypers battled with the first chase pack to take 5^th place in 21:18, while senior Sasha Bull hung on for 8^th place in 21:52. In the team battle, it looked as if the finish of the 5^th runners for Denver East and Dallas Center-Grimes (Iowa), who had also placed three runners in the top-7, might prove decisive, but when sophomore Meara McBride cross in 15^th place in 22:15, it was clear the Angels had defended their JV title with a mere 30 point total. Sophomore Quinn Dunkin also broke into the top-25 with her 23^rd place finish in 22:39, while her classmates Kairine Brown and Daniela Maldonado-Ramos finished 35^th and 47^th in 23:23 and 23:52 respectively.

The JV Boys lined up for their start as scheduled 50 minutes later, only to be told within a minute of their scheduled start that their race would be postponed due to thunderstorms in the area. Following a one-hour delay, the boys would line up again, at which time another band of storms would role in to force a second postponement, which led to them toeing the line nearly 2-hours after their scheduled start, only to have thunderstorms again come into the area within a couple minutes of their third scheduled start time. At this point, the JV boys were told that their race, originally scheduled for 8:55am, was rescheduled to after 3pm. Weather permitting.

The Varsity Girls, who had started their warm-up no fewer than three times in anticipation of racing immediately after the JV Boys, took to the course next. Girls from more than thirty schools and at least seven states were represented in the Gold Varsity Division. The Denver East Girls were for the most part conservative in their approach to the course, where the toughest hills all come in the third mile. Sophomore Rosie Mucharsky ran from the back of the lead pack through the first mile and held on to finish 8^th in 18:30. Most of the rest of the Angels scoring pack came through the first mile in around 70^th place and had moved up to near the top-50 as they climbed the hills early in the third mile. Ultimately, it was ninth-grader Corrine Kennedy who had one the best finishes of her young career to be the 2nd Angel in 40^th place in 19:44, crossing the line along with sophomore Julieta Ochoa who took 41^st also in 19:44. Ninth-grader Avery Johnson wasn’t far behind, taking 49^th in 20:00, while sophomore Scout Chomas held on for 72^nd place in 20:26, to close out the scoring for the Angels. Senior Sophia Shiroff placed 105^th in 21:06 and sophomore Mary Clare Nussbaum 125^th in 21:24. The Angels totaled 190 points to grab an impressive 2^nd place team finish against a deep field of teams.

The Varsity Boys were offered the opportunity to race next, with 280 runners from at least 40 schools and 7 states racing in the most competitive boys division. Up front, junior Jonas Scudamore would hang close to the top-10 through the mile, battle for places 6^th – 8^th over the second half of the race, and eventually secure 7^th place in 15:46. Senior Connor Beardsley, as he has most of the season, crossed the line as East’s second runner in 17:30 for 122^nd place. The rest of the team hung way back early and moved up substantially by the finish. Sophomore Toby Penner ran 17:46 for 153^rd, while freshman Emery Wagner continued to show good week-to-week improvement with his 189^th place finish in 18:07. Sophomore Isaiah Springer finished 205^th in 18:17 followed closely by juniors Ben Brown 208^th in 18:18 and Beckett Nelson-Gardner in 18:21. The Varsity Boys finished 26^th place in the Gold division.

The Boys JV continued to sit on the sidelines, so to speak, through four more races as the temperature rose from the 70’s to the low 80’s on this very humid afternoon. They had arrived at the course at 7:30am. Finally, at 3:05pm, more than 6 hours past their schedule race time, they got the opportunity to race. It was worth the wait. Sophomore Kyle Kojima wasted no time establishing himself near the top-10 early, eventually sprinting across the finish line in 18:17 for 8^th place, while his classmates Abraham Morginsky and Alexandros Mays moved up to 14^th in 18:41 and 22^nd in 18:55 respectively. Seniors Finn Egan placed 28^th and 47^th in 19:22 and 19:54, followed by sophomore Mason Harper in 71^st in 20:26. When the mud had settled, the Denver East Boys had finished 3^rd of the 20 teams that had had enough perseverance to stick around to race.

North Viking and Northfield Nighthawk Invitationals

The East Angels were well represented in Varsity and JV division races at two DPS hosted meets last week. Highlights at the North Viking Invitational over the hilly Case-Willis Golf Course included Liza Cathey leading the Angels with a 6^th place finish in 22:44 in the Girls Varsity race, followed by ninth-grader Abby Forsberg in 11^th in 23:01 and sophomore Helen Love in 19^th in 24:00. The East Girls finished 3^rd of 10 teams. Senior Linus Cole led the Varsity Boys with his 37^th place finish in 21:14, while junior Donovan Aggeler finished 40^th in 21:23, with the Boys finishing 9^th of 14 teams in the JV division. Junior Abby Purvis dominated the girls JV race, running to a 23:30 win. Ninth-grader Pearl Bussard was the next across the line for the Angels with her 5^th place finish in 25:37, as the JV Girls finished 2^nd of 10 teams. Sophomore Micah Gallantz led the JV Boys to a 5^th place finish of 11 teams with his 6^th place finish in 21:44.

At the Northfield meet at Central Park, the Varsity Girls were led by Forsberg with her 18^th place finish in 21:54. Love finished 44^th in 23:50, followed by a pack of Angels who all finished between 23:59 and 24:05 for places 48^th-54^th: Medea Gregory, Pearl Bussard, Yelena Konowal, Rae Tatel, Grey Johnson, and Franny Hubbard. Together they secured 9^th place of 12 scored teams. The Boys Varsity were led by sophomore Alex Wilkerson’s 61^st place finish in 20:12, followed by seniors Merle Hezel (75^th, 20:31), Cole (78^th, 20:35), and Isaac Ely (80^th, 20:36), as the team finished 12^th of 19 teams. In the Girls JV race, the Angels were again led by Purvis, who finished 4^th in 23:01, with ninth-grader Addy Everhart next across the line for the Angels in 27:05 for 42^nd. The Girls were 4^th of 9 teams. Similarly, Gallantz would again lead the JV boys, finishing 26^th in 20:56 followed by ninth grader Zach Smiles in 49^th in 22:06, and the JV Boys finished 6^th of 12 team.

Friday brings the East Angels to the last meet on the invitational schedule – The Thornton Invitational.

The address for tomorrow’s potluck is 2083 N Glencoe st, not to be confused with south Glencoe. See you tomorrow!

Thornton Invite:

Dismissal from class: 12:15pm

Bus leaves East: 12:30pm

Tent: We need a parent volunteer to bring the tent to the meet at 1:00pm. The runners will help you unload it from your car and set it up. If you can help, please sign up here: Tent Volunteer Sign Up Ben B’s mom will be bringing it from the meet, so all you need to do it bring it there.

Where: Margaret Carpenter Rec Center Campus (108^th & Colorado)

Spectators may park on the west side of the parking lot to the south of the multi-purpose fields (enter at 108th and Colorado). Buses are required to park in the east side of this lot. Overflow parking is also available at the Carpenter Recreation Center and in the lot that can be accessed off 112th Avenue.

Varsity Runners for Thornton (first 10 are varsity, 11th names are alternates):

The following is the schedule:

2:00:   Coaches Meeting               

2:30:   Boys Open (unlimited)

2:40:   Girls Open (unlimited)

3:30:   Boys Varsity (10/team)

4:10:   Girls Varsity (10/team)

Award Information: 

              Open – Individuals – 1st through 10th awarded immediately after the race 

              Varsity – awarded at the amphitheater (north of the finish) at 5:10 pm

Individuals 1^st through 30^th

Team – 1st – 5th team trophies and team ribbons for each individual on the team

Map:Thornton HS Xcountry field map

Senior Designed T-shirt:

Traditionally, our seniors design a cross country t-shirt to celebrate our season.  If you would like to buy the 2023 Senior Designed T-shirt or want to see what it will look like, please let us know by clicking here: 2023 Senior Designed T-shirts Please let us know by the end of the day on Friday, Sept 29 if you wish to purchase one.

Pre-meet Potluck

This week our potluck will be on Thursday, Sept 28, at Avery’s house from 6ish – 8.

2083 Glencoe St 

WHAT TO BRING:
frosh: main dish
soph: sides or salads There is a rumor out there that our athletes won’t eat vegetables. We don’t believe it!  Bring yummy veggies and eat them tomorrow night to dispel this horrible rumor!
juniors: dessert
seniors: beverages

Girls:

Liza, Abby F, Rae, Helen, Medea, Grey, Yelena, Franny and Pearl.

Boys:

Linus, Donovan, Alex W, Isaac, Tomas, Caleb and Zivi

Due to early release today, Wednesday, Sept 20, practice will start at 3:45pm.

This week our potluck will be on Wednesday, Sept 20, at Rosie’s house from 6ish – 8. 1726 Krameria St.

WHAT TO BRING:
frosh: main dish
soph: sides or salads
juniors: dessert
seniors: beverages

Go Angels!

There are not breaks on this Denver East Cross Country schedule. While no meet is as deep from 1^st to 20th as the Liberty Bell Invitational, there was no shortage of nationally ranked talent at the St. Vrain Invitational. No doubt, the winners of the races on Saturday have designs on winning state championships, if not being the outright favorites in their respective divisions (exhibits A-E: Addison Ritzenhein, Benji Anderson, Niwot Boys, Mountain Vista Boys, and Niwot Girls – look them up). It is not an easy thing to be even a little bit off when competing against this level of competition. Fortunately, the Angels largely brought their A-game against this top flight competition. 

It was a picture-perfect day in Boulder County, with fair temperatures and a cloudless sky, to compete over the 3-loop Lyons High School course, which features a modest hill on each loop and great spectating for parents, fans, and coaches. The Girls Varsity were the first on the course and as usual the Angels would count on junior Rosie Mucharsky to lead the team, which she did with a 15^th place 19:02 finish. Senior Grace Todd also broke into the top-20 with her 19^th place finish in 19:26. Sophomores Scout Chomas and Julieta Ochoa came in nearly together for 36^th and 37^th in 20:16 and 20:17, while ninth-grader Avery Johnson held the gap behind that duo at just 7 seconds with her 20:24 for 42^nd. Senior Sophia Shiroff held on for 64^th in 21:11, while sophomore Mary Clare Nussbaum closed excellently to take 73^rd in 21:24 and junior Lila Cypers finished 79^th in 21:39. The Colorado 5A #6 ranked Angels finish 4^th of 19 teams, behind only US #1 ranked Niwot, US #8 ranked Mountain Vista, and US “honorable mention” Fossil Ridge High School.

In the Boys Varsity race, junior Jonas Scudamore bided his time in the middle of the lead pack for most of the race before making an extended surge over the last half mile to take 2^nd place in 16:00, behind only US top-20 Benji Anderson of Mountain Vista. Junior Connor Beardsley ran an aggressive race strategy to a 36^th place finish in 17:04. Junior Ben Brown looked strong on his way to an 82^nd place finish in 18:04, while freshman Emery Wagner and junior Beckett Nelson-Gardner, both in their first year in the sport, showed continued improvement in their 97^th and 99^th place finishes in 18:29 and 18:31. Sophomores Toby Penner and Abraham Morginsky took 107^th and 113^th in 18:40 and 18:46, followed by senior Finn Egan (19:19, 129th) and sophomore Kyle Kojima (19:35, 132^nd). The Angels totaled 262 points to take 8^th of 22 teams. 

For the JV Girls, it was ninth-grader Lola Carhart leading the team, moving up smartly over the 5000m course to take 10^th place in 21:34. Senior Avery Ash and sophomore Meara McBride also broke into the top-25 with 19^th and 22^nd place finishes of 21:59 and 22:11. Ninth-grader Abby Forsberg had her best race of the year thus far with a 31^st place finish in 22:55 while junior Abby Purvis took 36^th in 23:10. Sophomore Daniela Maldonado-Ramos held on to 42^nd place in 23:30, and junior Rae Tatel had a fantastic return from injury with a 52^nd place finish in 24:17. The Denver East JV girls also took 4^th place, behind only the aforementioned nationally ranked programs. 

Sophomore Micah Gallantz raced first across the line among the East JV Boys with a time of 20:03 for 48^th place. Sophomore Alexandros Mays (20:39) followed in 20:39, with senior Linus Cole (20:45) in hot pursuit. Sophomores Mason Harper (20:49) and Alexander Wilkerson (20:52) were immediately behind in 69^th and 70^th, while senior Carson Lerner (20:58) and junior Donovan Aggeler (21:05) rounded out the top-7 for the Angels who took 8^th of 21 teams. 

The Denver East Varsity teams and many of the top-JV runners will focus their efforts this week on the Rim Rock Invitational in Lawrence, Kansas, where the Angels will face many of the best teams from the Heartland Region. The remainder of the JV team will take on one of the best cross-country courses in the area over the Willis-Case Golf Course on Tuesday at the North Viking Invitational and then compete again on Saturday at the Northfield Hawk Invitational on Saturday. 

Reminders:

Don’t forget to share your meet photos with us (and to help with the recaps): https://albums.memento.com/EastXC2023

And of course, you can sign up to volunteer for the League Championship meet we are hosting on 10/10: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E48ACA92BA20-league#/

Who: All JV runners who are not going to Kansas. If you are in this group, but can’t go, let us know by clicking here: Viking Unavailability Form

Dismissal: 11:45am

Bus Leaves East: 12:00 noon

Meet Information:

Where:  Willis Case Golf Course!     

The North Viking Invitational will take place on the very scenic Willis Golf Course at 4999 Vrain St, Denver, CO 80212 in the majestic Highlands of North Denver.  With early fall temperatures this event is spectacular and loved by everyone!  The Viking Invitational is one of the few and only traditional true Cross-Country courses in the state.  The course has rolling hills and is 99 percent grass with a couple of sidewalk crossings. Please plan to bring friends and family members that love to run as we will be allowing coaches, family members and friends to race on the same spectacular course following the high school events!

Directions to Willis Golf Course: From I-70- Take the Sheridan Blvd exit and head North to 52nd street.  You will drive by the Golf Course on your right hand side.  Head East on 52nd Ave to Tennyson St. Turn West onto 50th Ave, and make a left at the fork. (Parking will be available at club house or secondary parking on the street)

SCORING & PLACING:  Please make sure that bib are pinned on the front of your athlete.  

Times:

1:00 pm Coaches Meeting

1:30 pm Boy’s Open Race (unlimited -Top 5 score)

2:15 pm Girl’s Open Race (unlimited -Top 5 score)

3:00 pm Boy’s Varsity Race (7 runners – Top 5 score) 

3:45 pm Girl’s Varsity Race (7runners – Top 5 score)

4:15 pm Middle School Boys (unlimited- Top 5 score)

5:00 pm Middle School Girls (unlimited- Top 5 score)

Folowing the Middle School Girls Race:

Citizens 5k Viking Fundraiser (Awards to top 3 male and top 3 female) $20 donation per entry (100% of the proceeds go to the North High Cross-Country team.)  In the citizens race male and female will be run together. Cash donations for the citizens race will be collected at the event.

The awards ceremony will follow the finish of all events outside the clubhouse.

* Medals will be given to the top 10 runners in each of the varsity and JV races.

* Medals will also be given to the top 10 runners in the Middle School races. 

* The top 3 teams will receive a team plaque.

*JV team champions will be given a team plaque.

* Top 3 male and female in Viking Fundraiser 5k Race will receive individual medals!

Course Map:

//assets.sp.milesplit.com/meets/486166/files/viking5kmap.pdf

NO DOGS ALLOWED ON THE COURSE