VIDEO: Interview with Heather Bates
VIDEO: Start of the Class 4A Girls Race
RESULTS: CHSAA.org

As Heather Bates crossed the creek with 800 meters to run in the Class 5A State Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Bear Creek Park, cheers turned to gasps of disbelief.

Nobody believed any runner could break away from the competitive girls pack, which included Cherry Creek's defending state champion Jordyn Colter. But Bates ran alone - and she noticed the crowd's reaction.

"Some people were like, 'who is that, where's Jordyn?' Honestly, I never thought I'd win. I didn't even know if I'd make the Top 3."

Bates jumped across Bear Creek and strided powerfully to the finish to win in 18:16.5, about 45 seconds ahead of second-place Emma Gee of Legacy.

"I still can't believe it," Bates said after receiving her champion's medal. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Though she surprised herself, it's not like she's a newcomer to running. Bates is a two-time state track champion in the 3,200-meter run, and was chosen as a member of the U.S. Junior Mountain Running team this year, though she didn't compete because of illness.

Bates' time was the fastest of all 613 girl finishers in the four classifications at the state meet.

The park's 5K course is tough with a gallop through two horse barns, followed by a sharp climb to a high mesa that overlooks downtown Colorado Springs. A long and jarring descent shakes the runners before they jump across Bear Creek and burn their legs on two short-but-stinging inclines . It al ends in a loud and raucus Penrose Stadium.

But every runner remembers climbing zombie-like, as if Halloween came early, to the top of the big hill about half way through the race. 

"I haven't run a course as challenging as this one so," Bates said. "I was a little nervous for it. The about a mile into the race I realized I felt pretty good today and tried to not get ahead of myself and take it one step at a time."

Bates chased Colter up the steep climb then opened up her stride.

"At about the 2 mile mark I took the lead and I felt pretty good," she said. "I ddn't know who else was right there so I just tried to keep going and thought maybe I could win."

Colter, a sophomore, had shocked everyone a year ago when she won the state title. She was about 15 seconds ahead of Bates on the hill, but ran until she collapsed and failed to finish. There were unconfirmed reports that she may have passed out. Bates was unaware of the drama unfolding behind her.

"Jordan is an amazing athlete, an amazing runner. There are a lot of amazing runners in 5A this year," she said.

Only one other runner from the Colorado Springs area, Palmer's Hannah McMcIntyre (19th, 20:00.9), cracked the Top 20.

In the Class 4A girls race, Air Academy freshman Katie Rainsberger ran with the heart and determination of a much older runner. She battled Niwot's Elise Cranny for most of the distance before taking a narrow lead with half a mile to go.

But she ran out of gas as she entered Penrose Stadium. Cranny, with nothing to lose, found one more gear and caught and passed Rainsberger at the finish line, where only .1 seconds separated them. Cranny's official finishing time was 18:41.3.

"I didn't know how close she was," said Rainsberger. "If I had known she was there I may have found one more step in me, but I was just dead."

Cranny, a junior, said she thought the race was over when Rainsberger surged ahead before the final crossing of Bear Creek.

"We pushed that pace hard," she said. "I thought she had won it."

Colorado Springs teams make a statement

Runners and coaches from around the state know Colorado Springs teams are tough to beat. That fact held true again as two teams - the Coronado Boys and Classical Academy girls - won state titles, and two more - Cheyenne Mountain's boys and Coronado's girls - claimed second place.

It was a special win for Coronado's boys. No Cougar team had ever won a state cross country championship.

Coronado's Doug Hugill beamed with pride as his boys team accepted the state championship trophy. The Cougars dominated the meet, placing all five of its scoring runners in the top 22 to tally 65 points to Cheyenne Mountain's 106. 

"The thing about the kids on this team, they helped each other," said Hugill, who also coached  a state championship team at Wasson in 1995. "These guys would not let another teammate get away. They stuck together all year."

Coronado ran with confidence and a simple strategy: "We decided we were going to own that hill. We were going to make it ours," Hugill said. "That's what they did."

Coronado runners finished like this: 2. Bailey Roth (jr), 16:40.67; 10. Dan Egger (sr) 17:14.52; 16. Andres Petrucci (sr) 17:26.97; 17. Adam Egger (so) 17:27.47; 20. Schuyler Vandersluis (sr) 17:34.57; 28. John Booten (sr) 17:46.32; 38. Stefan Rodriguez (jr) 18:00.72.

Classical Academy's girls have been unstoppable. The Titans who moved up from Class 3A to 4A this year - and still won their 10th consecutive team championship by placing five scoring runners among the top 51. That's not easy to do. What's the secret? The girls say it's coach Alan Versaw who demands a team effort.

"We all run for each other," said TCA senior Megan Brunette.

The TCA team break-out looked like this: 6. Megan Brunette (sr) 19:39.9; 7. Lauren Hamilton (jr) 19:44.7; 16. Maddie Mullen (so) 20:18.9; 18. Hannah Williams (so) 20:19.4; 51. Brittany Droogsma (sr) 21:18.5; 64. Brianne Hoglin (jr) 21:33.7; 99. Megan Percy (so) 22:09.6.

A little recognition for the Cheyenne Mountain boys (when two teams from the west side of Colorado Springs place 1-2 at state ... well, that's just cool). The Indians' second-place lineup finished like this: 7. Josh Fowler (sr) 17:00.67; 12. Zach Kuzma (se) 17:20.87; 22. Tirtan Pelto (jr) 17:35.47; 23. Ben Fox (sr) 17:37.52; 42. Alex Baer (sr) 18:03.42; 46. Tristan Myers (jr) 18:06.77; 165. Rafael Darras (sr) 19:32.47.

Coronado's girls placed liked this: 13. Gabby Roth (so) 20:12.3; 15. Sylvia Hayes (sr) 20:17.9; 22. Lauren Akers (jr) 20:36.7; 36. Shannon Young (sr) 21:00.8; 41. Olivia Babeu (so) 21:04.6; 42. Madeline Boehlke (sr) 21:05; 75. Kristen Hernandez (jr) 21:44.2.

Area runners who placed in the Top 10. Something interesting: Pikes Peak-area teams produced one individual state champion and four who placed second.

2A Boys: 2. Jake Erickson (so) Peyton, 17:04.8; 90. William Mayhew (so) Vangauard, 17:47.3.

4A Boys: 2. Bailey Roth (sr) Coronado, 16:40.7; 7. Josh Fowler (sr) Cheyenne Mountain, 17:00.1; 8. Conner Wilburn (jr) Classical Academy, 17:00.8;

4A Girls: 2. Katie Rainsberger (fr) Air Academy, 18:41.4; Ali Deitsch (jr) Palmer Ridge 19:31.4; 6. Megan Brunette (sr) Classical Academy, 19:39.9; 7. Lauren Hamilton (jr) Classical Academy, 19:44.7; 8. Aubrey Till (so), Canon City, 19:45.3.

5A Boys: 2. Clayson Shumway (jr) Liberty, 16:30.7.

5A Girls: 1. Heather Bates (sr) Pine Creek, 18:16.5