Boys track preview: Monarch’s Isaac Green a unique blend of size and power in distance running

Monarch’s Isaac Green. (Courtesy of Ashley Green

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]nitially, Isaac Green wasn’t sold on the idea of being a distance runner.

Despite the fact Green’s parents both competed in track at California Polytechnic State University, and his sister Claire was among the state’s finest runners for Monarch before taking her talents to the University of Arizona, Isaac was more interested in competing in other sports before high school began.

“My sister kind of dragged me out to cross country,” the junior at Monarch said. “I didn’t really like it that much. I had swim practice in the morning and then I had to leave swim practice early to run. I ended up being alright in cross country my freshman year, so I figured I would stick with it.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to do swimming or track in the spring of freshman year and I ended up doing track. I guess it paid off.”

At 6-foot-1 and over 170 pounds, Green is an awe-inspiring blend of power and speed. And he still does compete in other sports, just coming off a season for the Monarch basketball team. He also excels in the high jump, clearing a personal best of 6-foot-4 last spring, certainly a rare event for a distance runner to pursue.

Courtesy of Ashley Green

In the end, Green’s size, while on the larger end of the spectrum for a distance runner, not only makes him a rare breed, an unusual physical presence lined up to lean figures in short shorts and singlets, but also allows him to dominate in a number of disciplines.

“He has incredible range,” Monarch cross country and track and field coach Kent Rieder said. “He was second in the 800 last year and the state champion in the 5k. That’s pretty darn good range. He ran 1:52 in the 800. I think he’ll obviously run faster than that this year. I think his goal is the state record.”

The sport has grown on Green just as he’s blossomed into one of the nation’s premier runners for his age. From a Class 5A runner-up finish in the 800-meter run (1:52.62) to a state championship in the 1,600 (4:19), his first state crown, to now a 5A title in cross country, the junior is already etching his name among the best Colorado distance runners in recent memory.

“He’s the best to come out of our school and that includes a guy who held the record in the 800 in Kirk Webb a few years back,” Rieder said of the former 5A state meet record holder. “He won state in cross country and in the 800 and 1,600 as a senior. I think Isaac will surpass him in all those events.”

Green carries lofty expectations on his broad shoulders — he has goals of going undefeated in the 1,600 and running sub-1:50 in the 800 this season — but also a confidence that brews from a history of championship success. In the fall, it took until the final few strides to decide a champion at the state cross country meet on the trails of the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs.

Boulder County and Front Range League rival Jake Mitchem, a senior, finished just over one second (16:04.80) behind Green (16:03.60).

“I knew all the guys in the front pack really well personally,” said Green, who also ran a personal best time of 14:55 in cross country last fall. “That made it even more intense. After the last river crossing, I thought I had it in the bag. I had gapped Jake and Paxton (Smith) by 20 or 30 feet. I was going into the stadium thinking I had it, but then I saw Jake’s shadow and heard him breathing behind me.

“That was a crazy experience. I’ve never had a kick as intense as that. It was a really good race.”

Coming off the final turn, Mitchem opened up a stride that allowed him to close on Green, but the big runner, in both stature and mental grit, held the senior off in a tremendous finish for a cross country championship.

“He’s got a will to win,” Rieder said. “That’s something you can’t coach in athletes. He’s got that mentality and that is something that is kind of rare in athletes.”

Rieder is equally impressed by Green off the track.

“He’s not just a great athlete,” the long-time Monarch coach said. “He’s also a very great teammate. He’s inspiring to the teammates he runs with. He’s a very good student as well. He’s getting recruited by Ivy League schools. Academically, he’s a very bright kid.”

Boys track and field preview

• Regular season begins: March 10
• Regular season ends: May 14
• State meet: May 19-21, Jeffco Stadium (Lakewood)

Class 5A

• Defending champion: Fountain-Fort Carson
• Returning all-state athletes: Green, junior, Monarch (1600 meters, 1st team); Dan Hamson, junior, Cherry Creek (4×800 relay, 1st team); Christian Lyon, senior, Fountain-Fort Carson (4×100 relay, 4×200 relay, 1st team); Kyle Moran, junior, Cherry Creek (4×800 relay, 1st team); Braden Smith, senior, Lakewood (long jump, 1st team).

Class 4A

• Defending champion: Palmer Ridge
• Returning all-state athletes: Conlan Berger, senior, Longmont (4×100 relay, 1st team); Trevor Cook, senior, Longmont (4×100 relay, 1st team); Gianni Espinoza, senior, Longmont (4×100 relay, 1st team); James Espinoza, junior, Palmer Ridge (4×800 relay, 1st team); Logan Goodner, senior, Longmont (4×100 relay, 1st team); Vince Hood, junior, Valor Christian (4×200 relay, 1st team); Noah McGhee, junior, Littleton (100 meters, 1st team); Caleb Ojennes, senior, Palmer Ridge (200 meters, 400 meters, 4×400 relay, 1st team); Brandon Pappas, junior, Palmer Ridge (4×400 relay, 4x800relay, 1st team); Anthony Peters, senior, Vista Ridge (triple jump, 1st team); Danny Rambo, junior, Valor Christian (4×200 relay, 1st team); Kyle Rex, senior, Palmer Ridge (pole vault, 1st team); Bailey Rosenstrauch, senior, Palmer Ridge (4×400 relay, 1st team); Ben Waters, senior, Valor Christian (4×200 relay, 1st team).

Class 3A

• Defending champion: Lutheran
• Returning all-state athletes: Sunday Abarca, junior, Aspen (400 meters, 1st team); Ben Butler, senior, Skyview Academy (3200 meters, 1st team); Austin Chavez, junior, Sterling (high jump, 1st team); Bryce Coop, junior, Manitou Springs (4×100 relay, 1st team); Isaiah DeLaCerda, junior, Alamosa (4×800 relay, 1st team); Cooper Eggleston, senior, Buena Vista (300 hurdles, 1st team); Tyler Gard, senior, Vanguard (4×400 relay, 1st team); Kharon Hall, senior, Lutheran (triple jump, 4×200 relay, 1st team); Matt Hanson, senior, Lutheran (110 hurdles, 1st team); Kent Harris, senior, Lutheran (4×200 relay); Miles Hatton, senior, Vanguard (4×400 relay, 1st team); Parker Jones, senior, Platte Valley (shot put, 1st team); Jared Keul, junior, Manitou Springs (4×100 relay, 1st team); Oscar Martinez, junior, Alamosa (4×800 relay, 1st team); Josia Simons, senior, Vanguard (4×400 relay, 1st team); Chris Youngs, senior, Lutheran (4×200 relay, 1st team); Victor Zimmerman, junior, Sterling (pole vault).

 Class 2A

• Defending champion: Lyons
• Returning all-state athletes: Evan Anderson, senior, Resurrection Christian (4×100 relay, 1st team); Cameron Cross, senior, Lyons (4×800 relay, 1st team); Cooper Daniels, senior, Vail Christian (pole vault, 1st team); Shane Finegan, junior, Wiggins (400 meters, 1st team); Shane Gates, senior, Cedaredge (300 hurdles, 4×200 relay, 1st team); Jack Holling, senior, Resurrection Christian (4×100 relay, 1st team); Bryce Klaseen, senior, Cedaredge (4×200 relay, 4×400 relay, 1st team); Brendon Klaseen, junior, Cedaredge (4×400 relay, 1st team); Ivan Mendoza, senior, West Grand (110 hurdles, 1st team); Chad Mikelson, junior, Sedgwick County (triple jump, 1st team); Garrett Quintana, senior, John Mall (discus, 1st team); Paul Roberts, senior, Lyons (1600 meters, 3200 meters, 4×800 relay); Joel Such, senior, Lyons (4×800 relay, 1st team); Isaac Swoffer, junior, Cedaredge (4×200 relay, 1st team); Cooper Ward, senior, Resurrection Christian (200 meters, 4×100 relay, 1st team).

 Class 1A

• Defending champion: Springfield
• Returning all-state athletes: Dallas Balderas, sophomore, Baca County (4×400 relay, 1st team); Andy Borunda, senior, Springfield (shot put, discus, 1st team); Micah Crane, sophomore, Baca County (4×400 relay, 4×800 relay, 1st team); Morgan Crane, senior, Baca County (4×800 relay, 1st team); Luke Duggan, senior, Pawnee (3200 meters, 1st team); Erick Enriquez-Acosta, junior, Idalia (800 meters, 1st team); Rafe Hutches, senior, Springfield (4×200 relay, 1st team); Caden Parker, junior, Eads (long jump, 1st team); Christian Strozier, senior, Pikes Peak Christian (4×100 relay, 1st team).