Cross-country boys thrive in Cheyenne Stampede seeded race

Manitou Springs cross-country coach Andy Sherwood decided that his team was up for a challenge in its first meet of the season.

Running at the Norris Penrose Event Center, site of the state meet, Sherwood entered the Manitou boys into the seeded race, which aims to feature the best overall teams in the competition.

The Mustangs were the only Class 3A runners in the field and blew away all expectations, finishing in eighth place on Sept. 2.

That effort was led by an eighth-place individual finish from Cody Kelley, who crossed the line in 16 minutes, 36.3 seconds. Cody Wyman was less than a minute behind Kelley at 17:31.2 and Connor Cassidy finished in 18:41.7.

For reference, Kelley’s time would have been good enough to win the 2A/3A individual title and the Mustangs would have had three runners finish in the top 12 overall.

At first glance, this boys team is the real deal.

“It was a true simulation of what they’ll see from a competition perspective at the state meet,” Sherwood said. “They have a ton of confidence now and, dare I say, a little swagger.”

For Kelley, the result is a significant improvement from the same event last year. He ran the course in 18:15.8, nearly two minutes slower than his effort on Friday.

That’s an encouraging standard to set in the first meet of the year. He believes that, with continued work between now and the end of the season, he could contend for a top-five finish at state in October.

“I had a goal to get a little faster,” Kelley said. “I wasn’t thinking two minutes faster, especially in the first meet of the season. You never know how it’s going to go.”

The Mustangs brought just three girls to the meet, which was not enough for them to score as a team. Freshman Ellen Lowe, a runner Sherwood has high hopes for, was the first Manitou girl to finish. Her 25:25.5 put her in 28th place in the 2A/3A race.

Gaia Drotar finished 72nd and Anya Nelsestuen finished 104th. The girls team’s youth and inexperience certainly showed at the Stampede, but that means there’s plenty of room to make improvements. That’s what Sherwood is excited to see in the next two months.

“Ellen did quite well, considering the conditions were as hot as they’ll be in Colorado in September,” Sherwood said. “She was tough, and she held her own out there.”

The Mustangs have a few weeks off before heading to Crested Butte for the Emma Coburn Elk Run on Sept. 24.