Colorado Springs – All it took was a little tweak of Steve Flint’s offseason workouts to go from the middle of the pack to the perch of the Class 3A boys state cross country podium.
OK, so boosting his offseason workout to 60 or 70 miles a week is more than a minor adjustment. But running courses through the veins of the Bayfield junior, and he would not have it any other way.
“It runs in my family,” said Flint, whose father, Jim, once qualified for the Olympic trials in the marathon.
Flint finished fifth last season behind four seniors, but he was 42nd as a sophomore before installing the new workout regimen. His winning time of 16 minutes, 27.6 seconds on the 5-kilometer course at the El Pomar Youth Sports Complex beat Trevor Waliszewski of The Classical Academy (16:40.1) and Victor Montoya of Rocky Ford (16:46.3).
More important for Flint and the Wolverines was Bayfield’s one-point team victory over Colorado Springs Christian School. It is the third state title in school history for Bayfield, a town of fewer than 2,000 people about 20 miles east of Durango.
“I was looking to win this thing. It was my motivation all year,” Flint said. “About a mile-and-a-half into it, my plan was to throw in a three-minute surge, to go as hard as I could. It worked.”
Waliszewski, a sophomore, stayed back at the start, believing the pack had set too fast a pace.
“I thought the leaders were out too fast and that I could go get them. But then Flint broke out,” Waliszewski said.
Lake County’s Alex Willis (16:50.0) and Colorado Springs Christian’s Brandon Reed (16:53.4) took fourth and fifth, respectively. Bayfield’s winning team was comprised of Flint, James Sundblom (17th), and brothers Jake (24th) and Jesse Krueger (30th).
CLASS 3A
Team scores – Bayfield 72, Colorado Springs Christian 73, The Classical Academy 95, Basalt 167, Rock Canyon 168, University 173, Rocky Ford 189, Lyons 208, Faith Christian 230, Monte Vista 231, Aspen 244, Lutheran 275, Lake County 280, Pagosa Springs 284, Peyton 296, Estes Park 299, Rye 304, Platte Canyon 330, La Junta 340, Gunnison 347, Jefferson Academy 372, Buena Vista 398, Olathe 399, Roosevelt 409, Wiggins 424, Kiowa 461, Clear Creek 492, Erie 520, Holy Family 534.
Individual results – Steve Flint, Bayfield, 16:27.6; Trevor Waliszewski, The Classical Academy, 16:40.1; Victor Montoya, Rocky Ford, 16:46.3; Alex Willis, Lake County, 15:50.5; Brandon Reed, C.S. Christian, 16:53.4; Joel Kienitz, Rocky Ford, 16:55.3; Andrew Roberts, Lyons, 17:08.6; Saul Martinez, Center, 17:13.7; Noah Hoffman, Aspen, 17:13.9; Collin Stewart, Basalt, 17:20.9; Andy Eberhard, University, 17:22.2; Riley Weber, Valley, 17:22.6; Matt Provencio, Lutheran, 17:23.3; Wade O’Rourke, Del Norte, 17:24.5; Casey Weaver, Basalt, 17:29.5; Jeremy George, The Classical Academy, 17:31.7; James Sundblom, Bayfield, 17:32.0; Troy MacDonald, Platte Canyon, 17:33.1; Branson Bartlett, Peyton, 17:33.5; Michael Williams, C.S. Christian, 17:34.2.
