It was a meet full of upsets that I am sure everyone who saw it will surely say something about.
For me the most noteworthy was a young freshman girl, from I think Ralston Valley who ran 18:35 and beat a footlocker finalist and another favorite for state this year to take top honors in one of the smartest and most tactical races I have ever seen run.
Vanatta surprises field at Patten Invitational
Fort Collins boys upset Denver South
By Erik Heinonen, For the Camera
September 3, 2005
There will be no flying under the radar for Ralston Valley freshman Kaitie Vanatta. No avoiding the spotlight. No going unnoticed.
Whatever cliche you prefer, scrap it.
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Running a heady race, the ninth-grader from Arvada dispatched three of the best 5A runners Colorado has to offer, winning the Pat Patten Invitational at Viele Lake in a quick time of 18 minutes, 31 seconds.
"Best freshman in the state?" Smoky Hill head coach Greg Weich said after watching the Mustangs freshman patiently work her way up from fourth place at the mile. "She might be one of the best freshman in the country."
Weich would know. He's coached six athletes to Foot Locker National Championships appearances in the last five years.
Among those left in arrears on a warm Friday afternoon were Smoky Hill's Keara Sammons, 11th at the national meet last December, and Fort Collins' Katie Follett, the defending Pat Patten champion, who ran 35 seconds faster than a year ago yet had to settle for second.
"You never know the first meet of the year," Follett said. "Everyone is coming off a hard summer of training and you never know where everybody is going to be exactly."
The athlete most surprised by Vanatta's run? Probably the Ralston Valley freshman herself.
"I did not expect this," said Vanatta, who has competed in road races regularly since middle school but was making her prep cross country debut Friday. "I expected top 10 or something along those line."
No problem there.
After hanging 25 meters back while MacGregor, Follett and Sammons set a hot early pace — they reached the mile in 5:45 — Vanatta began to reel in the leaders.
"I didn't even hear the time (at the mile); I was focused on the race," Vanatta said. "I just played it smart, played it by ear."
As the runners pushed up the course's final climb towards the three-mile mark, Vanatta broke away from Follett, the leader for much of the race, and continued to stretch her margin to the line. Follett held off Sammons for third, with the pair clocking 18:42 and 18:45, respectively.
MacGregor, who ran much of the last two miles by herself, was fourth in 19:20.
"(Meredith) was a little disappointed with it, but I though she ran fine," Cady said. "She ran 10 seconds faster than last year."
Fairview's Morgan Stumb finished a spot behind MacGregor to help the Knights, who were without sophomore Alexis Skarda, claim second in the team race with 57 points. Fort Collins put its scoring five in the top 13 to take the win with 42 points.
"Under CHSAA rules, Alexis need to have nine practices to race; she's got eight because there was some paperwork that didn't get turned in on time," Cady said. "She's doing fine though. She'll be right there with Meredith next week."
Denver South's Mohammed Ige, the decided 4A state title favorite, took off early in the boy's race, intent on breaking the 15:48 course record set by former Smoky Hill and current University of Colorado harrier Ryan Deak.
The goal proved a little too ambitious.
Ige hit the mile mark in 4:52 but couldn't hold the pace and had to settle for a win in 16:10. "No excuses," Ige said. "I don't think I had a good attitude coming into this I guess."
Ige's mood certainly wasn't helped by his seeing his team, ranked sixth in the nation by The Harrier magazine, upset by Fort Collins 46-54 and nearly clipped by Smoky Hill (61).
Running a breakthrough race, Fairview's Justin Briggs knocked nearly a minute-and-a-half of his best time on the course in placing fourth (16:49).
"That's how Justin trains, and today he was able to race as well as he trains," Cady said.
Fairview was fourth in the team score with 94 points with Boulder in fifth (157).
Pat Patten Invitational GIRLS
Team scores — 1. Fort Collins 42; Fairview 57; 3. Smoky Hill 69; 4. Boulder 92; 5. Ralston Valley 141; 6. Arvada West 141; 7. Northglenn 196; 8. Denver East, 211; 9. Centaurus 216; 10. Standley Lake 216; Frederick 326.
Top individuals — 1. Kaitie Vanatta, Ralston Valley, 18:31; 2. Katie Follett, Fort Collins, 18:42; 3. Keara Sammons, Smoky Hill, 18:45; 4. Meredith MacGregor, Fairview, 19:20; 5. Morgan Stumb, Fairview, 20:11;
Other local finishers — 10. Emily Lawrence, Boulder, 20:53; 11. Sara Cocco, Fairview, 20:55; 15. Kate Osborne, Fairview, 21:24; 16. Helen Hartman, Boulder, 21:40; 18. Mallory Awres, Boulder, 21:50; 21. Heather Beserra, Boulder, 22:06; 22. Erica Smith, Fairview, 22:08; 25. Sabina Kunz, Fairview, 22:20; 27. Emily Trudell, Boulder, 22:29; 33. Annika Petah, Fairview, 22:44; 35. Rachel Baum, Boulder, 22:54;
BOYS
Team scores — 1. Fort Collins, 46; 2. Denver South, 54; 3. Smoky Hill, 61; 4. Fairview, 94; 5. Boulder, 157; 6. Centaurus, 177. 7. Ralston Valley, 185; 8. Arvada West, 206; 9. Ridge View Academy, 235; 10. Wiggins, 259; 11. Denver East, 298; 12. Standley Lake, 351;
Top individuals — 1. Mohammed Ige, Denver South, 16:10; 2. Tyler Abbey, Fort Collins 16:35; 3. Eiger Erickson, Smoky Hill, 16:45; 4. Justin Briggs, Fairview 16:49; 5. Grant Duin, Smoky Hill 16:53;
Other local finishers — 11. Darin Hasley, Fairview 17:24; 16. Cal Delamere, Boulder 17:57; 25. Aidan Rush, Fairview, 18:35; 27. Kyle Wilshusen, Boulder, 18:38; 29. Alex Trellinger, Fairview, 18:40; 30. Casey McCarthy, Boulder, 18:41; 39. Ryan Scott, Boulder, 19:04; 40. Brandon Buse, Fairview, 19:07; 42. Dan Howard, Fairview 19:18; 50. Zach McCabe, Boulder, 19:54; 53. Ryan Tsien, Boulder, 20:04; 61. Neal Gerber, Boulder, 20:31.
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