In her first competitive race, surrounded by older and more experienced runners at the starting line, Ralston Valley’s Kaitie Vanatta had no idea what to expect.
In the final race of her freshman season, the Class 4A cross country championship, Vanatta had no idea she would run so far past the pack and claim a state title, finishing nearly a full minute ahead of the competition.
But the signs for success were there, and the most obvious was a framed newspaper article dating to 1984 that hangs in the Vanatta’s home office.
“Both my parents are big runners,” Vanatta said.
To say the least.
That framed article is a reminder of the day Kaitie’s parents, Mike and Chris, won Division II cross country national championships, running on the same day for the same school, Southeast Missouri State.
“It was a nice springboard for beginning our lives together,” said Chris Vanatta, who coaches the boys cross country team at Ralston Valley.
Chris, Kaitie’s mother, won six high school state titles in track and cross country, as well as the national title in college. Mike Vanatta also won a cross country state title in high school and was a scorching mile runner. He then went on to win three national titles in the steeplechase and another in cross country before competing in the Olympic Trials in 1984.
All the trophies, plaques and prizes, however, were stored somewhere in the Vanattas’ attic. Kaitie and her brother Kurt, who finished sixth in the boys race as a junior last season, already had the genes; they didn’t need the pressure of living up to their parents’ accomplishments.
“We try to keep it low-key with the kids. We don’t want their lives to be defined by running,” Chris Vanatta said.
Only in running circles will Kaitie Vanatta’s life be defined by running. Now a sophomore who said she would like to continue her reign as state champion throughout high school, Vanatta has a 4.0 grade-point average, sings in the choir, plays the flute and volunteers in the community.
But with the cross country season beginning today, and the state championships for all three classifications scheduled for Oct. 28, Vanatta and her running are the focus.
Vanatta’s state championship time of 18 minutes, 7.6 seconds on the 5-kilometer course was the fastest in all of the classifications. The top returners in 5A, seniors Ellie Rastall of Rocky Mountain and Meredith MacGregor of Fairview, finished second and third, respectively, with times of 18:35.2 and 18:37.5. The 3A state champion, Platte Canyon’s Kristin McGlynn, beat her field by nearly a minute (18:31.5).
All three are talented runners, but Vanatta appears to be at the head of the class. Still, she is the first to point out that surprises can be just around the corner, just as she surprised the state as a freshman last season.
“No one anticipated that I would win a state title, so I can’t say who is going to come up,” Vanatta said. “You never know who’s out there.”
But does she worry that she might be her own best competition on the course?
“In my head, there is always someone chasing me,” Vanatta said.
Girls cross country
Class 5A
1. Dakota Ridge; 2. Fairview; 3. Fort Collins; 4. Rocky Mountain; 5. Littleton
Class 4A
1. Mountain View; 2. Thompson Valley; 3. Greeley Central; 4. Cheyenne Mountain; 5. Battle Mountain
Class 3A
1. The Classical Academy; 2. Colorado Springs Christian; 3. Denver Christian; 4. Brush; 5. Platte Canyon
Runners to watch
Lisa Baity, Denver Christian, Sr.; Brianne Beemer, Mountain View, Jr.; Erin Brunko, D’Evelyn, Sr.; Lauren Dorsey-Spitz, Centennial, So.; Leigh Ann Ganzar, Littleton, Sr.; Kendra Gerk, Greeley West, Jr.; Lisa Johnstone, Cherry Creek, Sr.; Jessica Laue, Bayfield, Jr.; Meredith MacGregor, Fairview, Sr.; McKynzie Maher, Rocky Mtn., Sr.; Kristin McGlynn, Platte Can., Sr.; Kristin Milberg, Rock Can., So.; Molly Palmer, Coronado, Sr.; Ellie Rastall, Rocky Mtn., Sr.; Casi Reckard, Greeley C., Sr.; Alexa Rogers, D. Ridge, Jr.; Natasha Rogers, D. Ridge, So.; Alexis Skarda, Fairview, Jr.; Laura Thweatt, Durango, Sr.; Kaitie Vanatta, Ralston Valley, So.
