Huskies cross-country impresses at St. Vrain

LONGMONT — So to whom did Battle Mountain girls cross-country “lose” on Saturday at the St. Vrain Invitational?

The Huskies finished behind Mountain Vista, the defending Colorado 5A state champion, and Rancho Rio. Haven’t heard of Rancho Rio? Well, that’s a 5A-sized school from New Mexico.

So third at St. Vrain was pretty darn good for the Huskies.

---

---

“We’re very excited about the finish,” Huskies coach Rob Parish said. “Mostly, it’s the progress we’ve made in the last two weeks. I think they’ve made a lot of ground.”

Yes, 4A state champ Air Academy was at St. Vrain, however, the Kadets did not send a full squad, so don’t order those state-champion shirts yet.

---

---

Attending St. Vrain is a departure for Battle Mountain cross-country. This is usually Liberty Bell weekend. The super-fast times at the Liberty Bell are a morale-booster during a season that can become monotonous. But those times can come at cost. The Liberty Bell is mostly on asphalt, which is not good for shin splints. Thus, the Huskies opted for St. Vrain, softer trails and equally fierce competition.

On the boys’ side, Franklin Reilly was busy taking his ACTs, so Ty Willoughby led the way. Nick Williams made the most of his first varsity start, finishing as Battle Mountain’s fourth. The boys finished 12th.

Battle Mountain’s next stop is Gypsum for the Eagle Valley Invite.

Sports Editor Chris Freud can be reached at 970-748-2934, cfreud@vaildaily.com and @cfreud.