Despite having one of the fastest teams in the nation, Chuck Schwartz said he’s “even-keel” about Saturday’s race.

Ahead of the 5A girls state cross country meet, where the girls will compete at 12:20 p.m. Saturday at Norris Penrose Event Center, Schwartz said the Kadets will do what they’ve done all season: focus on their role.

“We’re going to do the best job that we know how,” Schwartz said. “We’re not focused on winning. Last year when we were in Portland (at the Nike Cross Nationals) it was the same philosophy. We said, ‘let’s not worry about the outcome.’ Every person just needs to do their job and come ready to give everything they’ve got for every person on the team. We’ll let the score sort itself out.”

In 2023 at the state meet, that score sorted out to 26 points, nearly 100 points better than second place Fossil Ridge, which finished with 120 points. The Kadets had five runners in the top 8 and all of their scorers in the top 25.

This season, Air Academy enters the meet ranked second in the state behind No. 1 Mountain Vista and holds the four spot in national rankings, two spots behind the Golden Eagles, who rank second nationally.

During the 5A Region 5 race at Monument Valley Park on Oct. 24, the Kadets placed all of their scorers in the top five for 15 points, the best possible score, and first place.

Schwartz, who has coached cross country for 29 years, said he doesn’t get worked up for meets how he did earlier in his career.

But performances like the Kadets’ work at regionals puts a smile on Schwartz’s face.

“We try not to focus on winning. We focus on giving our athletes 100% for a cause bigger than themselves,” Schwartz said. “Their job is to run a smart race and finish the 5K knowing that you left everything out there. You want to walk away knowing that you gave it everything and that you couldn’t have given much more. That’s a tough thing to obtain but that’s what we shoot for.”

Tessa Walter led the Kadets’ charge at the 5A regional race and clocked in at 17 minutes, 35.02 seconds.

Walter placed second during last year’s state competition, behind Denver East’s Rosie Mucharsky, who clocked in at 17:28.80.

Schwartz said he didn’t “want to talk too much about winning” as the girls battle for their third consecutive title. But Schwartz said that he’s proud of the Kadets’ growth from the start of the year.

“We try to treat it like every other race,” Schwartz said. “I know it’s not like every other race but we do treat it like that. I tell them that what makes me proud is all of the hard work you do when everybody isn’t looking. I feel like they need to know that I see it and I believe in them. Obviously, I’ll be happy for the kids if they have a successful day on Saturday. But I’m already proud of them. It never comes down to just one race. I’m always happy for them.”

TCA boys, girls looking for (more) titles

After The Classical Academy swept 3A’s state meet in 2023, the Titans are ready to do so again.

For the boys’ team, with a victory this weekend, this would be their fourth consecutive title. Since 1993, no 3A team has accomplished that feat and, across other classes, only Mountain Vista (5A – 2012-15) and Lyons (2A – 2012-15) have done so.

The Titan boys enter Saturday’s event ranked No. 2 and are sandwiched between No. 1 Salida and No. 3 Banning Lewis.

Salida’s boys team last won a state title in 2009 while Banning Lewis hopes to earn its first title in school history.

Titans coach Matthew Norton, who took over TCA’s cross country program in 2022 after former coach Alan Versaw retired, appreciates how the team hasn’t become complacent.

“Winning a title is a unique challenge but winning them back-to-back is a challenge,” Norton said. “The boys need to run their best race, learn what that is, try to execute what that is and understand that whatever happens is great.”

The girls, who enter state ranked No. 1 ahead of Manitou Springs and Salida, hope for their sixth title in seven seasons.

Since earning the top spot in the preseason Milesplit rankings, the Titans haven’t budged from the position and three of their runners – Vivian Jack, Ellie Askew, Joy Ahnfeldt – are in the top 10 for fastest 5K times this season.

“This is a young team we have on both sides,” Norton said. “Of the 14 we have running, 11 of them are freshmen and sophomores. … Some of them ran last year, but a lot of them didn’t. So this is about helping them stay calm and not letting the moment get too big for them. They need to learn what this experience is about, too.”

If the Titan girls do manage a victory in 3A to give them their sixth title since 2018, it’d mark their second-best stretch in team history. From 2003-2012, the girls won 10 championships in a row.

“I took over for Alan in 2022 and I’m very proud to have been gifted a program that he built from scratch and turned into one of the best in the state,” Norton said. “I’m a competitive person and it’s always fun when you have the opportunity to compete for high stakes. This chance to compete for boys and girls titles is built on the backs of the hard work from these kids.”

Cheyenne Mountain, Coronado boys to battle for 4A championship

Niwot thwarted the Red-Tailed Hawks’ opportunity for three consecutive boys titles and sent Cheyenne Mountain home as runners-up in 2023.

Now, Cheyenne Mountain, powered by Aiden Le Roux and Brogan Collins, looks to run away with the 4A crown.

For majority of the season, Le Roux has reigned atop all classes and his best time, a 14:45.47, which he ran Sept. 20 Warrior Lincoln Park Classic “Mountain States Challenge” at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Grand Junction, remains his best mark.

Collins has also paced the Red-Tailed Hawks and is second on the team 14:55.31, which he also ran in Gran Junction.

The Red-Tailed Hawks enter the state meet ranked first in 4A boys, but Coronado, which is second, also hope to fight for a championship.

The Cougars won their only boys cross country title in 2012 and are ready to end the drought.

Oliver Horton has a top five time in 4A at 15:10.30, which the sophomore ran Sept. 7 at the Cherry Creek Steve Lohman Invitational in Greenwood Village.

Horton finished ninth at the state meet at 15:49.40 as a freshman and was the only ninth grader in the top 15 in 4A.

Boston Potts hopes to push the Cougars to the top spot in 4A in his final season. Potts placed 18th last season at state at 16:08.50 and has run sub-16 three times this year including a career-best 15:18.30 on Sept. 27 at the Desert Twilight.

Both teams have all six of their runners in 4A’s top 50 for best times this season.

Repeat individual champion in 2A boys?

Colorado Springs Christian’s Andrew Bel has finished first in three 5K races this season and set a personal-best time of 15:48.50 at the 2A regional race.

Bel won the state championship last season as junior after placing ninth as a sophomore.

Should Bel place first at Norris Penrose on Saturday, he will have earned the top spot in each of his 5K runs this season.

State schedule

4A boys at 9 a.m.

3A girls at 9:40 a.m.

4A girls at 10:20 a.m.

3A boys at 11 a.m.

Unified race at 11:40 a.m.

5A girls at 12:20 p.m.

2A boys at 1 p.m.

5A boys at 1:40 p.m.

2A girls at 2:20 p.m.