COLORADO SPRINGS | Kidus Begashaw put his family’s name on the map in running circles when he won the Class 2A state championship in 2020 for Lotus School For Excellence (see story, here) and his younger brother nearly added another for the family.
Ultimately, senior Biruk Begashaw could not prevent Colorado Springs Christian School’s Andrew Bel from winning a second straight 2A title Saturday at the Norris Penrose Event Center, but he sprinted to second place.
Begashaw outkicked Monument Academy’s Matthew Start on the final stretch inside the arena that held the finish line to finish in 16 minutes, 16.3 seconds. Bel had come across the line in 15:57.7 to repeat atop 2A.
“Second wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but I went out, ran hard and had fun and that’s all that matters,” said Begashaw, the lone qualifier from Lotus School For Excellence, a tightknit K-12 with just over 900 students. “ I was trying to stay up with No. 1 right there (Bel) and I was trying to light him up, but I couldn’t get him,” he added.
Begashaw said his brother — who won the 2020 race in a time of 16:17.8 and is now a redshirt junior who runs cross country and track at Adams State — texted him before the race and told him to “show them what Begashaws do.”
He did that with a state race that went very much according to plan, though he said he felt “a little woozy” when he crossed through the water portion midway through the course.
After that, Begashaw said he “woke up” and delivered a fine finish to smash his previous PR of 16:32.70 set at the Denver West Cowboy Classic Sept. 10. Begashaw also made a massive improvement from his junior year, when he finished 33rd at the state meet with a time that was 1:24 slower.
It was Begashaw’s second race of the season on the state course, as he finished fifth at the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede Pre-State race there Aug. 23 when he ran 18:16.60.
“I was just coming out to win and run better than my brother did his last year and I think I did,” Begashaw said. “I’m coming for it during track (in the spring). I’m going to go out hard and perform.”
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
