Grandview junior Brie Oakley, shown here on her way to second place at the Class 5A state cross country meet on Oct. 31, 2015, at the Norris Penrose Events Center, has qualified for the 2015 Nike Cross Nationals race scheduled for Dec. 5 in Oregon. (Photo by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel)
Grandview junior Brie Oakley, shown here on her way to second place at the Class 5A state cross country meet on Oct. 31, 2015, at the Norris Penrose Events Center, has qualified for the 2015 Nike Cross Nationals race scheduled for Dec. 5 in Portland, Oregon. Oakley placed fourth in the Nike Cross Southwest Regional in Casa Grande, Arizona, to earn a spot in the national race. (Photo by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel)

Aurora’s newest cross country phenom is ready to take her act national.

Still just a few months since coming to the sport, Grandview junior Brie Oakley has fared well against established runners in state and now out of state.

Less than a month after her second-place finish at Colorado’s Class 5A state championship meet, Oakley ran in a 239-athlete field at the Nike Cross Southwest Regionals in Casa Grande, Arizona, on Nov. 21 and finished fourth. Running unattached, Oakley finished in a top-five group that included a combined four state champions from Colorado, New Mexico and Utah and ran a personal best time of 17 minutes, 30.7 seconds.

By finishing in the top five, Oakley secured a berth to run in the Nike Cross Nationals set for Dec. 5 at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Oregon. Former Grandview star Erin Norton (now at Iowa State) finished eighth in the Nike Cross Southwest Regional in 2013.

Part of a large Colorado contingent that entered the Nike regional race that also included teams and individuals from Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, Oakley navigated the course at the Grande Sports Academy better than all but three other racers — two Colorado state winners in Katie Rainsberger (the 4A state champion from Air Academy) and Lauren Gregory (the 5A state champion from Fort Collins), plus New Mexico state champ Amanda Mayoral.

While Rainsberger won the race by 20 seconds, Gregory finished in 17:26.9 and Mayoral in 17.29.3, just ahead of Oakley. Courtney Wayment, a state champion from Utah, placed fifth with a 17:31.6.

Oakley’s achievements continued to build on a fantastic debut season that saw her become a league and regional champion and state runner-up.

A couple of Oakley’s Grandview teammates — freshman Kaitlyn Mercer and sophomore Erin Ellington — competed in the girls’ large school open race at the same venue in Arizona.

Mercer ran a time of 19:59.4 to finish 70th in a field of 411 runners, while Ellington’s 20:02.7 put her 79th.

Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel

2015 NIKE CROSS SOUTHWEST REGIONALS

Nov. 21 at Grande Sports Academy (Casa Grande, Arizona)

Championship girls race, top 10: 1. Katie Rainsberger (Kadets CO), 17 minutes, 7 seconds; 2. Lauren Gregory (Fort Collins XC Club CO), 17:27; 3. Amanda Mayoral (Storm XC Club NM), 17:29; 4. BRIE OAKLEY (UNATTACHED CO), 17:31; 5. Courtney Wayment (Davis XC Club UT), 17:32; 6. Lexi Reed (Unattached), 17:35; 7. Megan Mooney (Unattached), 17:36; 8. Whitney Rich (Unattached), 17:39; 9. Sara Musselman (American Fork XC UT), 17:44; 10. Kate Hunter (Team Provo UT), 17:51

Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor and photographer with Sentinel Colorado. A Denver East High School and University of Colorado alum. He came to the Sentinel in 2001 and since then has received a number...