AURORA | Since it joined the Aurora City Championship meet a quarter century ago — and especially in recent years — the Grandview boys cross country team had found plenty of success going against the rest of the city.
The Wolves had won four of the last seven team titles coming into Thursday’s annual meet at the Aurora Sports Park, but they had never had an individual winner.
That changed with the performance of senior Colton White, who pulled away from the smallish field (with only five teams present) on the opening stretch and ran alone the entire way for a victory in 15 minutes, 58.5 seconds.
Teammates Evan Valencia and Josh Tobin were next to cross the finish line as coach Brian Manley’s Grandview team swept the top three positions and eased to its second straight Aurora City Championship title and seventh since 2000.
Paced by fifth-place finisher Kimi Bulto, Rangeview finished as the city runner-up with Eaglecrest — led by Cody Campbell, who grabbed the last All-City first team spot in seventh place — took third. Sophomore Brandon Pearcy of Vista PEAK Prep was next across the finish line behind the Grandview trio and helped the Bison to fourth place, while Aurora Central came in fifth.
White finished second behind graduated McKay Larsen of Cherokee Trail at last season’s city meet (which was run at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds), but without the Cougars, Regis Jesuit and others, there was nobody who could stick with him on this day. He was the lone runner to crack the 16-minute mark, though he did not touch his PR of 15:21.90 set at last season’s Liberty Bell Invitational.
Valencia and Tobin were seventh and eighth at the city meet last season, so both made big rises in the standings.
An even bigger rise was from Pearcy, who was 35th in the race in 2023, but ran a strong race and set a PR with his time of 17:40.60. His previous best time came late last season with a 17:43 at the Pat Amato Classic, which was one of two sub-18 minute efforts. Bulto (16th a year ago) ran a 17:43.5 and was followed across the finish line by teammate Abdinasir Hassan (17:52.4).
Campbell blew away his previous PR of 18:30 from last season’s Steve Lohman Invitational with a 17:53.70 that made him the first of three Raptors in the top 11.
Note: Four programs that ran in last season’s Aurora City Championship meet — Cherokee Trail, Lotus School For Excellence, Overland and Smoky Hill — did not compete this season, while Gateway, Hinkley and Regis Jesuit were also absent. …Cherokee Trail had its streak of individual championship snapped after McKay Larsen won in 2022 and 2023 after Hunter Strand took the 2021 crown. …Historically, Grandview is the ninth city program to have an individual boys champion since the meet began in 1981. Aurora Central (2), Cherokee Trail (3), Eaglecrest (3), Hinkley (1), Overland (4), Rangeview (4), Regis Jesuit (2) and Smoky Hill (11) all have had at least one winner.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2024 AURORA CITY CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS (BOYS)
Aug. 22 at Aurora Sports Park
Boys team scores: 1. Grandview 26; 2. Rangeview 53; 3. Eaglecrest 68; 4. Vista PEAK Prep 78; 5. Aurora Central 145
Top seven individuals (first team All-City): 1. Colton White (Grandview), 15 minutes, 58.5 seconds; 2. Evan Valencia (Grandview), 16:29; 3. Josh Tobin (Grandview), 17:02.8; 4. Brandon Pearcy (Vista PEAK Prep), 17:40.6; 5. Kimi Bulto (Rangeview), 17:43.5; 6. Abdinasir Hassan (Rangeview), 17:52.4; 7. Cody Campbell (Eaglecrest), 17:53.7; Placers 8-14 (second team All-City): 8. Colin Meeks (Grandview), 18:25.8; 9. Evan Keppy (Eaglecrest), 18:26.5; 10. Gabriel Kaliher (Rangeview), 18:36.8; 11. Finn Smith (Eaglecrest), 18:39; 12. Anthony Gerarde (Grandview), 18:39.9; 13. Michael Corral Rascon (Vista PEAK Prep), 18:50.3; 14. Blake Taylor (Grandview), 18:50.7
Full Aurora boys team-by-team results, here
