Tessa Walter got her start as a runner when her mother, Connilee, would enroll her into random fun runs for kids where everyone would get an award upon completion.

Years later, Walter still loves those fun runs and even participated in a Thanksgiving Day Turkey trot with her cross country teammates from Air Academy.

She said that she and her friends took a slow pace on the November holiday but slow is relative when you’re one of the fastest runners in the state.

The girls’ cross country Peak Performer of the Year for the second straight season, Walter and the Kadets blazed through the course at the Colorado High School Activities Association 5A cross country meet at the Norris Penrose Events Center in late October to capture a second consecutive state title.

The Kadets placed five runners inside the top 10 with Walter finishing second individually with a time of 17:46.1, the fastest finish on the team.

Last year, Walter finished with a time of 17.50.3, good for a fifth-place finish. Only Walter and teammate Bethany Michalak placed in the top 10. This year Walter, a junior, and Michalak, a senior, were joined by three others including freshman Mariah Hook who took third place overall.

Air Academy cross country runner Tessa Walter poses for a portrait in her starting stance on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. Walter is The Gazette’s 2023 girls cross country Peak Performer. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette)

Parker Seibold

For an athlete who described practice as an opportunity to hang out with friends with some running involved, it’s only natural that Walter’s individual growth and the growth of the Air Academy girls’ cross country program go hand in hand.

“It’s definitely a good feeling to watch the places go up,” she said. “It definitely was all because of my coach and my teammates. My coach was focused on getting my mental game there when we needed to have it the most obviously at state. And my teammates, if I didn’t have them there, then I wouldn’t be able to push near as hard as I do in every workout.”

Walter was also one of four Kadets named to the CHSAA All-State first team alongside Michalak, Hook and freshman Chamorra Cooper. Junior Emily Beers made the second team and sophomores Jordan Banta and Lauren Myers were honorable mentions.

The group’s success is rooted in genuine love for each other and not rivalries or individual accolades, Walter said.

“We’re all really close. When my teammate passes me, I don’t care. I’m like, ‘Wow, there’s my (teammate) going and working for the team,’ and it doesn’t really affect me because they’re literally my best friends and they’re practically family to me,” she said. “And so every day we go to practice and it doesn’t really matter what place someone’s in, it’s just that we all want to really push to be the very best that we can altogether.”

That feeling of connection helped Walter run a personal best this season at the Liberty Bell Invitational in Littleton back in September. She attributes her best performance to the “vibe” the team felt that day. The Kadets were happy and excited to compete in a big meet featuring more than 150 athletes, she recalled.

Walter said she wasn’t nervous at the starting line which allowed her to give it her all which led to a finish with a time of 16.55.8 for third place, the highest among her teammates.

In addition to the Liberty Bell Invitational and winning at state, Walter shared a third great memory with her team this year though it occurred after the season:

Winning the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore., earlier this month.

“Going in we were ranked second so we didn’t really think we were going to win, we didn’t really care that much. We were like, ‘Oh wow second would be incredible,’ but we got there and our coach told us that we need to look each other in the eyes and tell each other that we’re running for each other today. And then that’s exactly what we did,” Walter said. ”Literally, I crossed the line and I turned around and all of my teammates were coming straight at me and Bethany had already crossed the line so it was a really incredible feeling.”

The Kadets beat out Niwot for the top spot thanks in part to Michalak who finished second in a field of more than 200 athletes. Walter placed inside the top the 30 and the entire team placed inside the top 100 for the victory.

But there’s more to Walter as an athlete than just the camaraderie she shares with her friends.

So what makes her an elite athlete?

It could be the superstitions. Walter said she wears certain bracelets, rings and necklaces for every race and a special hairstyle in which she puts her partially braided hair into a ponytail.

Or it could be getting the details right.

Like many athletes, she places a premium on treating her body properly by going to bed early, and weight training. Bench press is one of her favorite weight training activities but she also squats even if it’s not the most fun exercise.

But ask mom or Coach Chuck Schwartz what makes Walter special and it’s her determination.

“She’s really physically strong, she’s a strong kid,” Schwartz said. “But she’s also super gritty, she’s a really gritty runner and she is definitely the kind of kid that she’s very consistent. Even if she has a really off day it’s usually not much, she grits things out really well.”

“She’s always had a strong mental mindset and persistent spirit and she’s always had speed,” Connilee said. “She noticed (how special she was) in herself first. She went in middle school cross country and would just win a race and the next race she wouldn’t win it and she’s like, ‘Wait a minute what would it take to continue to improve?’”

Now, as she approaches her final year of high school, Walter is grateful to represent herself, her team, her coach and her community, and she’s having fun while doing it.

“I obviously love Air Academy and I love Coach Schwartz he’s probably one of the best coaches I’ll ever have,” Walter said. “It’s amazing getting to represent him and Air Academy at every race. It’s just a dream practically.”

Air Academy cross country runner Tessa Walter poses for a portrait on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. Walter is The Gazette’s 2023 girls cross country Peak Performer. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette)

Parker Seibold