Winters wins 2A state championship

Cross Country season wrapped up in Cheyenne last weekend and the Huskies had a strong finish as a team and with Kellen Winters finishing as the 2A champion. 

Winters is a repeat overall 2A winner. “I was so proud of Kellen this year,” said Coach Ryan Olson. “Sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated, day after day and do the little things that make champions, especially on a smaller team. But Kellen has always had the discipline to do what’s needed, even on tough days. He was pushed a little on Saturday by a kid from Wright, but he ran with the same toughness and determination that’s carried him through the year.” 

Connor Hoyt placed 7th in the 2A boys’ race. “Connor finished his senior year with his fourth All-State award. We’ll sure miss him, as well as seniors Bryant Casey and Brian O’Barr. They’ve all ran cross country since middle school, and they were all great leaders this year. Freshmen, Jaxon Buck and Spencer Hamilton were our other top four scorers.” 

The future looks bright for the Huskies. “More of our points came from freshmen and sophomores this year. We’ll also be getting some 8th graders from our middle school region champion team and hopefully we’ll find a few more in Burlington and Riverside that will catch the vision of how fun and exciting cross country can be,” said Olson.

STATE RESULTS 

2A BOYS – 1, Kellen Winters, 16:20.50. 7, Connor Hoyt, 17:52.40. 34, Jaxon Buck, 20:25.00. 37, Spencer Hamilton, 20:49.80. 49, Bryant Casey, 22:11.30. 54, Ariel Cordova, 22:59.60. 59, Tanner Dunlap, 23:36.20.