COLORADO SPRINGS – In their first state appearance as a team, the Dolores Bears boys cross-country team made quite a first impression. The girls, meanwhile, made sure that their second straight appearance solidified their status as a powerhouse program in small school cross-country.
Their inaugural appearance with both the boys and girls qualifying for the state’s showcase event at the Norris Penrose Events Center gained acclaim for both teams, as head coach Angela Lowe’s Bears took 13th in the boys race and 14th in the girls 2A championships.
A pair of Bears cracked into the top 50 individually on the five kilometer course, as Bears freshman Joseph Padilla took 46th in the boys race to pace their effort, while senior Elia Lowe capped her sensational career with a 50th place run in the girls race.
Padilla’s time of 18:20 on the tough state course ranked him third among freshmen in the field, and patient running served him well, as he moved up nearly 15 spots from his positioning after the opening mile. Sophomore Owen Lowe charged in 13 places later (59th) in a time of 18:39 after having run alongside Padilla for most of the opening half of the race.
Junior duo Aaron Nielson and Bridger Beyhan took 91st (19:11.5) and 92nd (19:11.7), respectively to close out the Bears scoring pack, as DHS finished with 208 points in a tightly packed middle of the state field. Sophomores Orin Samulski (121st, 20:13) and Corvin Smith (123rd, 20:20) both gained valuable experience with their state debuts, as the Bears closed out an unprecedented season.
For the girls, the Bears both celebrated the class of seniors that elevated the program to new heights, while also shining a light on the excitement for years ahead. Sisters Elia and Maya Lowe went one-two for the Bears for yet another meet, with Elia’s top-50 performance sitting as the best of her state appearances (22:42).
Maya Lowe also bettered her state standing from a year ago, taking 78th overall in 23:45, while freshman Emilynn handled her first state appearance with aplomb, taking 85th (24:00).
Senior Keira LaRose capped off her cross-country career by crossing two positions after Hill (24:10) as the Bears totaled 238 points in the meet. Freshmen Emma Nielson (111th, 25:59) and classmate Heidi Beyhan (114th, 26:17) joined Hill in making their first races on the state level, as the Bears wrapped up a season that sets a new high-water mark for the program.
Golden View Classical Academy won the boys race with all four scoring runners inside the top 25, while the Heritage Christian girls ran away with the team title with four runners in the top 15. Rangely’s Taya Wren won the girls individual title in 19:02, while Colorado Springs Christian’s Andrew Bel won the boys race in 15:57.
