The showdown is finally afoot.
The long-awaited battle in the Class 5A girls state cross country race between three-time state champion Lauren Gregory of Fort Collins and Aurora challenger Brie Oakley of Grandview is officially set for Oct. 29.
Oakley won the 5A Region 2 meet Oct. 20 at Cherry Creek State Park and Gregory topped the 5A Region 5 meet a day later at Spring Canyon Park in Fort Collins to qualify for the 5A state meet at the Norris Penrose Equestrian Center in Colorado Springs.
“I’m really ready,” Oakley said after she turned in a time of 17 minutes, 13 seconds, for an easy regional victory.
Gregory also eased her way through regionals with a time of 18:31 to earn her chance to go after a cross country state championship four-peat.
But Oakley — who lost to Gregory by just two seconds at last season’s state meet — is a major threat. The recent University of Cal-Berkeley commit won the last head-to-head race between the two when she finished eight seconds ahead of Gregory at the Liberty Bell Invitational on Sept. 9, while she also won when the two battled in May at the 5A state track meet.
Oakley owns the top girls time in Colorado of 16:44, while the best thus far for Gregory — who has worked her way back from injury — is a 16:52.
In the week before regionals, Oakley took a day off to give her legs a break and only did some light swimming, a strategy she also planned to employ before state to be in top shape for battle against a competitor she’s really enjoyed going against in the past year.
Unless someone makes a major move from their times during the season, Oakley and Gregory should be significantly in front of the field.
Oakley also wants to put down a big result for her team, which has top-three aspirations. The Wolves won the Region 2 race with junior Caroline Robbins in second and sophomore Kaitlyn Mercer in eighth, while juniors Erin Ellington and Peyton Dailey — who missed the Centennial League championship meet a week earlier — gave the team a big boost.
Robbins has the 12th-best time in 5A this season and appears primed to challenge for a top 10 spot.
From the same regional, the Cherokee Trail and Regis Jesuit girls also earned state team bids with top-four finishes. Senior Jordan Herrera took fourth individually and earned her fourth career state trip for the Cougars, while freshman Isalina Colsman came in fifth to pace the Raiders, who have had a strong year.
Colsman owns the 22nd-fastest time in 5A and is eager to make her state debut.
Smoky Hill’s Amelia Johannes is Aurora’s lone individual qualifer in the 5A girls race, while Smoky Hill also has the city’s only individual qualifier for the 5A boys race in senior Jemil Kassahun, the Region 1 runner-up.
While Monarch’s Isaac Green looks strong in his bid to win a second straight title, Cherokee Trail senior Rylan Wallace is a wild card in the title chase.
Wallace has reached a new level this season after he finished 97th at last season’s state meet.
A week after he won the Centennial League championship, Wallace beat Cherry Creek’s Kyle Moran by 20 seconds in the Region 2 race.
“This is the second time I’ve run state; last year I wasn’t too sure about where the hills were and where to start pushing, so I probably didn’t perform as well as I could,” Wallace said. “I remember it now, so hopefully that will help. There will be a lot of people going fast.”
Senior Chris Liston and Grandview also earned a boys state team bid, while Mason Brown-led Eaglecrest came out of Region 1 to return to state as a team.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
AURORA 2016 CLASS 5A STATE CROSS COUNTRY QUALIFIERS
Oct. 29 at Norris Penrose Equestrian Center
5A girls race — Noon, 5A boys race — 1:20 p.m.
BOYS
Cherokee Trail: Mitchell Garcia, jr. (Bib #1051); Hunter Glasgo, sr. (Bib #1052); Bryson Nelson, sr. (Bib #1054); Aaron Redman, jr. (Bib #1055); Carter Stevenson, jr. (Bib #1056); Rylan Wallace, sr. (Bib #1057)
Eaglecrest: Christian Branson, soph. (Bib #1079); Mason Brown, jr. (Bib #1080); Scott MacLean, jr. (Bib #1081); Andrew Mills, sr. (Bib #1082); Gavin Morgenegg, jr. (Bib #1083); Charles Odden, sr. (Bib #1084); George Rykovich (Bib #1085)
Grandview: Jordan Craig, jr. (Bib #1110); Matthew Fox, jr. (Bib #1111); Colton Gates, jr. (Bib #1112); Dan Karny, soph. (Bib #1113); Chris Liston, sr. (Bib #1114); Caleb Randolph, jr. (Bib #115); Matt Vafides, jr. (Bib #1116)
Smoky Hill: Jemil Kassahun, sr. (Bib #1165)
GIRLS
Cherokee Trail: Soonhe Han, fr. (Bib #892); Jordan Herrera, sr. (Bib #893); Alexis Linhardt, sr. (Bib #894); Caitlyn McConnell, soph. (Bib #895); Kyra Stevenson, soph. (Bib #896); Charlotte Thomas, sr. (Bib #897); Liz Thomas, jr. (Bib #898)
Grandview: Peyton Dailey, jr. (Bib #945); Erin Ellington, jr. (Bib #946); Denika Hallin, soph. (Bib #947); Kaitlyn Mercer, soph. (Bib #948); Brie Oakley, sr. (Bib #949); Caroline Robbins, jr. (Bib #950); Anna Swanson, fr., (Bib #951)
Regis Jesuit: Isalina Colsman, fr. (Bib #983); Clare Davidson, fr. (Bib #984); Kelly Grubaugh, jr. (Bib #985); Sydney Lindquist, jr. (Bib #986); Elizabeth Somer, fr. (Bib #987); Catie Vitella, sr. (Bib #988); Julia Vitella, sr. (Bib #989)
Smoky Hill: Amelia Johannes, soph. (Bib #1004)