BOULDER, CO- Colorado Christian Cross Country got their season going at the CU Time Trials at the Buffalo Run Cross Country Course. Not only did they get the chance to compete with a storied and successful division 1 program in CU Boulder, but the Cougars also squared off against RMAC rival Colorado School of Mines, ranked #1 and #3 in the men's and women's national polls respectively. 

The women got the morning started with a 5.3k race which equated to three laps around the course. From the jump, Shannon King and Paige Tack looked strong as they headed into the lead pack. Tack rode this all the way to a 13th place finish as she came in with a time of 19:23.5. King followed closely in 17th with a mark of 19:51.2. Lucy Pidek, Zanzie Demco, Molly Miller and Michelle Burroughs all finish within the top 25 to cap a highly successful race for CCU as they got a chance to see what the team is made of for the 2023 season. 

Right after the women's race, the men took part in the 7.08k. There were some issues with the amount of runners from the three teams getting off cleanly, and the race had to be restarted three times as several falls occurred in the middle of the group. Once the runners got off, the Cougars ran extremely well. Taking on some of the stiffest competition he will see all year, Alex Vance found a new level in the final 1k as he ran his way to victory with a time of 21:45.1. It was an incredible result against the #1 team in DII in Mines and the #7 team in D1 in CU Boulder. 

Trent Cochran found his way into the top 20 with an 18th place finish with a run of 22:31.4. Freshman Zach Vance claimed a 27th place finish, while Luke Meyer came in 31st. It was a successful first race of the year as the team learned some lessons and saw what they are capable of moving forward. 

The Cougars will stay local for their next meet, which will take place on September 16 at Wash Park in Denver, Colorado. 

Women's Top-10: 1. Samree Dishon (UNA-CU) 18:53.0; 2. Emily Covert (CU) 18:53.2; 3. Katie Doucette (UNA-CU) 18:53.2; 4. Karrie Baloga (UNA-CU) 18:53.4; 5. Clare Peters (Mines) 18:53.7; 6. Holly Moser (Mines) 18:58.9; 7. Grace Strongman (Mines) 19:00.6; 8. Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge (Mines) 19:02.5; Molly Maksin (Mines) 19:05.8; 10. Whitney Valenti (CU) 19:07.7

Colorado Christian Women: 1. Paige Tack: 19:23.5; 2. Shannon King: 19:51.2; 3. Lucy Pidek: 19:59.1; 4. Zanzie Demco: 20:06.8; 5. Molly Miller: 20:10.9; 6. Michelle Burroughs: 20:26.2; 7. Kaylie Bookout: 21.12.3; 8. Beth Pierantoni: 21:24.4; 9. Alysia Wagner 21:30.9; 10. Anna McLaughlin: 24:02.1; 11. Sierra Hellman: 24:48.6

Men's Top-10: 1. Alexander Vance (CCU) 21:45.1; 2. John O'Malley (Mines) 21:52.9; 3. Elias Lindgren (UNA) 21:54.7; 4. Andrew Kaye (Mines) 21:59.6; 5. Isaiah Givens (CU) 23:03.0; 6. Noah Hibbard (CU) 23:03.1; 7. James Overberg (CU) 23:03.3; 8. Grady Rauba (CU) 22:03.7; 9. Paul Stafford (UNA-CU) 22:03.8; 10. Austin Vancil (UNA-CU) 22:04.0

Colorado Christian Men: 1. Alex Vance: 21:45.1; 2. Trent Cochran: 22:31.4; 3. Zach Vance: 23:10.6; 4. Luke Meyer: 23:19.2; 5. Caleb Hershey: 23:20.6; 6. Isaac Roberts: 23:21.5; 7. Klay Grant: 23:23.1; 8. Clayton Ackley: 23:24.2; 9. Sam Schwarting: 23:26.6; 10. Ethan Wampler: 23:28.5; 11. Mateo Luna: 23:36.5; 12. Jay Wood: 23:51.1; 12. Kale Edmonds: 24:02.9; 13. Tate Fletcher: 24:18.6