If Kelly Christensen isn’t careful, they’re going to name the whole award after him.

The Palmer Ridge coach is the Gazette’s cross country Coach of the Year for the second straight year, in addition to having won the track and field version of the award in spring. Not bad for a guy who began coaching the Bears barely two years ago as an assistant coach, after enjoying success at Thompson Valley in Loveland.

“It’s not me,” he said. “It’s the kids, and the parents who give them great support.”

Nevertheless, his latest achievement was guiding the Bears boys to a runner-up finish at the Class 4A state meet, after winning their first championship the previous year. The Palmer Ridge girls finished fourth, after tying for third in 2014.

Palmer Ridge finished just two points behind Durango in the boys race, a margin made more agonizing because the Bears’ top two runners finished within 0.30 seconds of a Durango athlete at the end of a 3.1-mile course at the Norris-Penrose Event Center.

If either had finished ahead of the Durango runner, the Bears would have won – or at least, tied – for a second straight championship. Still, Christensen said he doesn’t dwell on the result, except to feel bad for the athletes who worked so hard but came up short.

“It’s going to build resiliency,” he said. “They’re more hungry than ever.”

And they lose only one senior. Same time next year, coach?