COLORADO SPRINGS – The Colorado High School Activities Association hosted the annual state cross country meet Saturday at the Norris Penrose Event Center.

Class 3A boys

The Alamosa High School boys team finished in fourth place with 172 points. It finished behind state champion The Classical Academy with 110 points, Salida with 113 and Manitou Springs with 126.

Leading the Mean Moose was sophomore Ethan Merrick who finished in second place in 16:06.9. He finished almost 12 seconds behinds The Vanguard School’s Max Miller, who ran the course in 15:55.00. He edged Lamar’s Joel Davis by less than a second.

“I felt really comfortable until Max made the move,” Merrick said. “I just couldn’t match it. It was his day today, but I’m going to try to get him at NXR.”

Being a sophomore, the second-place finish has motivated him to try to win the individual championship the next two years.

“This whole year I was looking to win it,” Merrick said. “It’s definitely motivation for the next two years. Not just doing it on the state podium, but a national podium.”

Merrick will now focus on track and field this spring where he is a defending state champion in the Class 3A 3,200-meter run.

“I just want to run faster,” Merrick said. “Any runner’s next thing is the next PR. Training hard to get that next PR.”

Also scoring for the Mean Moose were Jeremiah DeLaCerda who was 15^th in 16:52.4, Cael Canaan who was 50^th in 17:33.9, Brody Artaechevarria who was 62^nd in 17:49.1, and Jayce Johnson who was 72^nd in 17:59.0.

Also running for Alamosa were Jack Daniel Lopez who was 111^th in 18:55.1, and Cody DiCamillo who was 113^th in 18:57.8.

Centauri had one runner qualify for state as Lincoln Bagwell finished in 42^nd place in 17:25.3.

Class 3A girls

The Mean Moose took sixth place in the Class 3A girls race with 220 points.

They were led by Hannah DeLaCerda who placed 16^th in 20:05.3. Olivia Formisano was 42^nd in 21:03.8, Vanessa Villalva was 55^th in 21:31.0, Victoria Gifford was 77^th in 22:07.5, and Braelyn Cisneros was 78^th in 22:09.8.

Other Alamosa girls runners included Abigail Adams who was 109^th in 23:21.4, and Daelyn Jackson who was 120^th in 24:10.7.

The Classical Academy also won the girls team title with 24 points. Manitou Springs was second with 85, and Salida was third with 133.

Eaton’s Delaney Reuter won the individual championship for the second straight year in 17:41.8.

Cass 2A girls

Monte Vista High School’s Shae Romero was the San Luis Valley’s top female runner in Class 2A as she took third overall in 19:06.7.

Del Norte was seventh in the girls race with 132 points. The Tigers were led by Scarlett Maxwell who took eighth place in 19:43.8.

Other runners for Del Norte included Faith Crowder who was 35^th in 21:29.7, Indie Howe who was 48^th in 21:56.8, and Brianna Kaufman Brigham who was 76^th in 22:46.5.

Another Tiger runner was Ella Cowett who was 100^th in 23:53.7.

Ridgway was the state champion with 38 points, followed by Lake County with 77 and Denver Christian with 88.

Ridgway’s Natasha Hessler was the individual champion in 18:49.2.

Sargent had one state qualifier in Madeline Mitchell who placed 44^th in 21:51.2.

Class 2A boys

Del Norte finished in fifth place in the Class 2A boys race with 140 points.

The Tigers were led by Mads Kreutzer who was 18^th in 17:31.5. Also scoring for Del Norte were Cruz Matta who was 37^th in 18:01.8, Landon Crowder who was 69^th in 18:45.4, and Jax Lester who was 72^nd in 18:48.0.

Other Del Norte boys runners were Corbin Horrocks who was 116^th in 20:00.7, and Zach Daniel who was 118^th in 20:03.4.

Golden View Classical Academy won the Class 2A boys championship with 30 points, edging Thomas MacLaren with 34. Forge Christian was third with 41.

St. Mary’s Ethan Kiptui was the individual champion in 16:20,1. He edged Soroco’s Nick Clark by 0:00.1 seconds.

Unified race

Merrick wasn’t the only Alamosa runner with a high placing as Matthew Holligsworth finished fourth in the unified race in 12:10.8.

Class 3A boys team scores

The Classical Academy 110, Salida 113, Manitou Springs 126, Alamosa 172, Frontier Academy 191, Jefferson Academy 245, Moffat County 257, Banning Lewis Prep 283, Coal Ridge 274, Stradburg 275, D’Evelyn 283, Prospect Ridge Academy 299, Liberty Common 310, Lamar 343, DSST: Cedar 345, Englewood 353, Academy of Charter 386, Aspen 389, Estes Park 420, Resurrection Christian 423.

Class 3A girls team scores

The Classical Academy 24, Manitou Springs 85, Salida 133, Woodland Park 170, St. Mary’s Academy 199, Alamosa 220, Peak to Peak 224, Coal Ridge 234, Aspen 243, Banning Lewis Prep 252, Kent Denver 253, Jefferson Academy 278, Basalt 305, Liberty Common 326, Frontier Academy 388, Prospect Ridge Academy 410, D’Evelyn 439, Eaton 461, Estes Park 534, Eagle Ridge Academy 626.

Class 2A boys team scores

Golden View Classical Academy 30, Thomas MacLaren 34, Forge Christian 41, Crested Butte 137, Del Norte 140, Heritage Christian 162, Wiggins 168, Clear Creek 173, Liberty Tree Academy 182, Dolores 184, Caprock Academy 191, Colorado Springs Christian 218, Ignacio 236, Rocky Ford 253, Lake County 253, Rye 255, Olathe 278, Rangely 288, Platte Canyon 315.

Class 2A girls team scores

Ridgway 38, Lake County 77, Denver Christian 88, Heritage Christian 91, Thomas MacLaren 92, North Fork 125, Del Norte 132, Caprock Academy 146, Byers 160, Golden View Classical Academy 185, Nederland 194, Wray 201, Colorado Rocky Mountain 210, Crested Butte 220, Ascent Classical Academy 245, Colorado Springs Christian 260, Rocky Ford 261, Swallows Charter Academy 307.