5A State Cross Country: District runners do well
Perfect weather conditions were the rule at the 2024 State Cross Country Championships held on Nov. 2 at Norris Penrose Equestrian Center in Colorado Springs.
In the girls’ race, Cherry Creek High School junior Emily Cohen finished third overall behind Air Academy senior Tessa Walter and State Champion and Niwot junior Addison Ritzenhein. Cohen was pleased with the result.
“I feel good about it,” she said. “It was definitely super tough. I’m so grateful to have all these girls to race against because everybody here is so incredibly talented. The state meet, there’s nothing like it. It’s just so much fun.”
Bruins senior Kinley Wolfe finished 11th.
In the team standings, Creek finished seventh, and Cherokee Trail took 19th.
On the boys’ side, Grandview senior Colton White got on the podium, coming in 10th. Mountain Vista senior Benjamin Anderson was the State Champion, with Golden Eagles teammate and sophomore Benjamin Adams finishing second. ThunderRidge junior Ben Lee was third. Cherry Creek senior Gilbert Alexander came in 21st overall.
The Wolves’ White was ecstatic about his finish.
“I could not be happier,” he said. I’ve been dreaming of this moment since freshman year. I was thinking, ‘It was my last race, and wanted to throw down what I got.’ It’s my first time on the podium, so I’m very happy.”
In the boys’ team standings, the Bruins finished ninth, and Cherokee Trail 13th.
Congratulations to all the student athletes who competed at state this year!
State Field Hockey: Cherry Creek gets to the Final Four
The Cherry Creek High School field hockey squad advanced to the state semifinal round last week. The No. 2 Bruins defeated No. 15 Pine Creek 7-0 on Oct. 29 at the Stutler Bowl. Creek then dispatched No. 7 Mountain Vista-with another shutout-by the score of 5-0. Next, the Bruins (15-2) will take on No. 3 Arapahoe at 5:45 p.m. on Nov. 4 at All-City Stadium in Denver, with the winner getting to the state title match.
Smoky Hill came into the tournament seeded No. 8 and fell in the first round to No. 9 St. Mary’s Academy last Monday at the Stutler Bowl. The final score was 1-0. Grandview was the 16th-seed and had to face No. 1 and undefeated Colorado Academy last Tuesday. The Wolves fell to the Mustangs 9-1. Smoky Hill then hosted Grandview in the quarterfinals of the consolation round on Nov. 1, and the Wolves were eliminated by the Buffs 7-0. Smoky (10-6-1) will next play No. 12 Cheyenne Mountain in the consolation semifinals at 5:45 p.m. on Nov. 5 at All-City Stadium.
See the complete bracket here.
5A State Football: Five CCSD clubs make the playoffs
The 2024 regular season came to a close on Nov. 1 and district teams went 3-3 for the week. Cherry Creek High School won the Centennial league with a victory over Grandview last Friday at the Stutler Bowl. The Bruins improved to 9-1 and the Wolves fell to 5-5. Overland won the 5A Metro North conference with a 5-0 league record with a victory over Northglenn at 5-Star Stadium. The Blazers finish at 6-4 overall. Cherokee Trail defeated winless Smoky Hill on Oct. 31 to finish at 4-6 on the season. Eaglecrest fell to Arapahoe last Friday to finish the campaign at 5-5.
With the regular season in the books, Cherry Creek, Cherokee Trail, Eaglecrest, Grandview, and Overland advance to the state playoffs. The Bruins are the No. 1 seed overall, get a first round bye, and will host next week. Grandview is No. 17, CT is seeded 20th, Eaglecrest 21st, and Overland 24th. Those clubs will all play on the road Friday, Nov. 8.
5A Regional Gymnastics: Overland takes the OHS Regional
The Overland gymnastics team bested Pomona and Cherry Creek at the OHS Regional, earning a trip to the 2024 State Championships. The Bruins also advanced to state.
A total of 10 teams will qualify to compete at the state meet. The team with the top score in each of the three regionals automatically qualifies. The final seven spots are awarded to the teams with the next highest scores, regardless of region.
In the individual competition, Overland junior Ainsley Renner (Grandview) was the all-around winner, with Cherry Creek junior Lauren Becker taking third.
The top two individuals in each event from each regional, who aren’t included on a state qualifying team, will automatically qualify. The final six spots for qualification will be awarded to the top six individuals in each event, regardless of regional (12 total spots).
Posted 11/4/2024.
