The GHS cross country team lit up the 2024 regional cross country meet in Colorado Springs on Oct. 24. The girls team, led by senior speedsters Madelyn Stice, Catalina Schwab and Elora Jones secured state qualifications. On the boys side, senior captain Jackson Dalleck galloped to a fourth-place finish, and qualified for state individually.
Dalleck and the girls team will make the trip to the Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs for the 3A state championship on Nov. 2.
“To have three girls in the top 15 was amazing,” said Head Coach Lance Betts. “It was a great team performance, and made the difference in qualifying for state.”
Heading into the regional meet, the Cowboys were missing key runner Jemma Petrie due to injury. Still, the girls team put together an impressive performance. Stice continued her strong final season, leading at the front of the pack. The senior finished in second place, 27 seconds behind Elizabeth McQuitty of Alamosa, with a time of 18:57.47.
Schwab was hot on Stice’s tail, and finished seventh overall in 20:11.66. Jones took 15th place with a time of 20:57, and Brooke Terry and Sam Jones finished 31st and 41st to round out the leaderboard. As a team, the girls finished fourth overall, behind Woodland Park, Salida and Manitou Springs.
Dalleck led the boys team, taking fourth place with a final time of 16:41.59. Ian Baker finished 33rd, Beck Schwab took 43rd and Damian Funk wrapped up his senior season in 49th. The collective results earned the boys team a seventh-place finish.
Now, all eyes are on the season finale on Saturday, as a stacked girls team seeks state glory, and Dalleck aims to represent GHS from the front of the pack.
“We’re excited to go out at state, see what we can do and surprise some people,” Betts said. “Coming out of regionals as the fourth-place team, I think we’ll be under the radar a bit.”
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@gunnisontimes.com.)
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