The Classical Academy cross country continued its dominance Saturday to sweep the Colorado High School Activities Association 3A state championship team titles. 

The Titan girls put four runners in the top five at Norris Penrose Event Center to take their third-straight team title with 24 points. Junior Vivian Jack led the team with a second-place finish in a time of 17:58.8, followed by sophomore Ellie Askew in third in a time of 18:39.0. 

Manitou Springs was second with 85 points. 

A year after placing fourth, TCA boys won a close battle for the team title with 110 points ahead of Salida’s 113. It is the Titan boys’ fourth title in five years and 10th title overall. 

“To sweep means a lot for the program,” coach Matt Norton said. “I want kids who are part of TCA cross country, no matter how fast, to feel like they are part of it. We have a strong family right now and they enjoy one another. When we’ve been around 25 years, those are the thing that matters.”

A sea of TCA supporters, the last in the arena, filled up the stands to watch the team’s receive their trophies. A perfect example of the Titan family Norton mentioned.

Junior Braden Yarmer led the way for the Titans with a fifth-place finish in a time of 16:18.7. Last season, Yarmer placed 31st in the state championship after missing a large part of the season to injury.

Yarmer’s late kick Saturday was a large factor in the team’s victory. 

“I’m so happy for Braden, he loves running, loves his team, loves competing,” Norton said. “Just this whole season, he has gotten stronger and stronger and smarter and smarter and tougher and tougher. He was eight or ninth with about 600 meters to go, so with the three-point difference, his performance was huge.”

“I have to give it all to the coaches,” Yarmer said. “ I am so proud of the team’s whole season, we got pack running down to do what we did today. Everything is for the team and God. He gives us all the strength to run and it’s great we get to use his gift every day for his name.”

The Titan girls also used pack running to their advantage Saturday, as well as a unique chemistry from being friends since middle school. 

“We run for each other every year,” Jack said. “It’s really special how good of a pack we are. It’s amazing to see how our team chemistry stays together and how close we can still be in a year and be more excited than last year but go in with the same expectations.” 

With the TCA girls’ third straight title, it will move from 3A classification to 4A next season, and the girls feel excited and ready for a new challenge. 

“The girls executed a great race today, I’m super proud of all of them,” Norton said. “I’m happy to see their smiles, it’s always gratifying. Next year will be a great challenge. I think it will be fun to see what we are going to do. We aren’t going to shy away from it, that’s for sure.”