Colorado Springs – Mohamud Ige finally reached that top rung.
The South senior finished third as a sophomore, second as a junior and, on Saturday, grabbed the winner’s trophy in convincing fashion in the Class 4A boys state cross country championship at the El Pomar Youth Sports Complex.
Ige, who fled war-torn Somalia with his mother and siblings more than a decade ago, looked like he could have taken another trip around the 5-kilometer course before breaking a sweat. He finished more than 30 seconds ahead of D’Evelyn’s Kevin Williams and Mountain View’s Tommy Walton.
The only pain he felt came in the form of stomach cramps that took hold 800 meters into the race.
“As much as it hurt inside, I knew I had to help my teammates; I’m a leader, I’m a captain,” said Ige, who finished with the day’s fastest time of 15 minutes, 39.8 seconds. “I just want to collapse, but it feels great. I’ve been getting closer and closer to that first place. I was counting down.”
South, despite placing three runners in the top 11 positions, finished in third place in the team race. The top honors went to Mountain View, with Liberty a close second.
Williams, a sophomore standout for D’Evelyn, which won three consecutive titles from 2001-03, heeded his coach’s advice and tried to stay on the heels of Ige.
“(Micah Porter) told me back in August that I had to run with Mohamud. I tried to stay with the lead pack and hang on down the stretch. I kind of surprised myself,” Williams said.
For third-place finisher Walton, who sports a hairdo similar to basketball legend Bill Walton during his UCLA days, a personal victory would have been nice. But the team mattered most.
“That’s the biggest thing – the team win,” Walton said after leading a raucous cheer with his teammates. “I was hoping for the top spot, but I knew Ige would be incredible. There’s nothing wrong with third place.”
CLASS 4A BOYS
CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Team scores – Mountain View 115, Liberty 123, South 131, Greeley West 224, Evergreen 230, Cheyenne Mountain 256, Sierra 286, Broomfield 341, D’Evelyn 345, Battle Mountain 351, Montrose 377, Moffat County 381, Greeley Central 390, Thompson Valley 408, Conifer 412, Niwot 464, Falcon 493, Mullen 555, Steamboat Springs 563, Harrison 571, Alamosa 597, Fountain-Fort Carson 652, Mesa Ridge 692.
Individual results – Mohamud Ige, South, 15 minutes, 39.8 seconds; Kevin Williams, D’Evelyn, 16:11.2; Tommy Walton, Mountain View, 16:12.4; Travis Rasmussen, Sterling, 16:27.5; Tyler Rasmussen, Sterling, 16:35.5; Kurtis Vanatta, Ralston Valley, 16:35.9; Abuid Mojica, South, 16:38.6; Jesse Fassler, Centaurus, 16:41.9; Jonathon Stevens, Battle Mountain, 16:42.3; Collin Eckelman, Thompson Valley, 16:42.7; Derek Munoz, South, 16:43.0; Mike Sickafoose, Sand Creek, 16:44.0; Bobby Potrykus, Conifer, 16:44.8; Frodo Carter, Greeley West, 16:47.8; Shae Wilfong, Liberty, 16:50.6; Travis Swaim, Mountain View, 16:51.9; Jake Miller, Moffat County, 16:52.9; Aaron Alarcon, Greeley Central, 16:54.0; Bryan Eicher, Broomfield, 16:57.8; Greg Pulscher, Liberty, 16:59.5.
