Grandview’s Brie Oakley wins cross country’s Liberty Bell with course record
LITTLETON — Brie Oakley couldn’t quite believe it.
“I saw my time and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I broke 17.’”
The Grandview senior, the Class 5A state runner-up to Lauren Gregory in cross country last fall, claimed the win in round one of a showdown between the big schools’ distance goliaths on Friday at the Liberty Bell Invitational.
The two pushed each other to monumental heights in the Division 1 race at Heritage High School, eclipsing Jordyn Colter’s 17:00 course record from 2012 easily as Oakley crossed the line in 16:44 and Gregory in 16:52.
Oakley, donning the blue and black of the Grandview Wolves for the first time last school year, added another record-setting performance to her resume. She shattered Boulder High legend Melody Fairchild’s 5A state track meet record in the 3,200 with a 10:33, while also claiming the 1,600.
In attempting to unseat Gregory, a Fort Collins harrier trying to become one of the only four-time state champions in the sport, Oakley slipped away from Gregory’s grasp after two miles of the 3.1.
“The second mile we broke away,” Oakley said. “Before the third mile, I knew I just needed to go now. I could feel myself breaking away.”
Even at altitude, the tandem ended up with new high-water marks nationally for 2016, passing Ashton Endsley’s (Abilene, TX) 16:56.
“It feels really surreal,” said Oakley, who ran 47 seconds quicker than her previous lifetime best.
Grandview was also the highest Colorado team finisher in Division 1 with 138 points, good for third place behind Jackson Hole’s (Wyo.) 75 and Albuquerque Academy’s (N.M.) 133.
In Division 2, the defending state champion Broomfield Eagles buried the girls field with 39 points. Madison Mooney, a new Eagle who transferred from Horizon, spread her wings and took off from everyone to a winning time of 17:49. She was over 20 seconds ahead of ThunderRidge’s Shae Henley (18:12) and teammate Ivy Gonzales (18:17).
“I’m trying to place a lot higher at state this year,” said Mooney, whose sister, Megan, competes for Florida State University. “I’m going for top five. The course is definitely really difficult. I’m more of a flat-course runner, but after today I know that I can push myself to go to that limit.”
The Silver Creek boys also doubled up on Division 2 titles as Brock Dykema (15:58) won individually, while teammates James Lee (2nd, 16:04) and John Moroney (4th, 16:07) had his back during a comfortable 39-91 victory over Broomfield.
“During the homestretch I was just trying to kick as hard as I could, because I didn’t know where my teammates were behind me,” Dykema said. “I always have to be scared of that, because they’re good too.”
Thomas Chaston (15:57) claimed first in the Division 3 race as his team, Cheyenne Mountain, got past Evergreen 64-85 for the win. Valor Christian’s Keely Jones (18:51) was victorious in Division 3, but Roosevelt (82) got the better of Steamboat Springs (85) and Valor (89) in the team race.
Custer County’s Jerald Taylor, from Class 2A, was wildly impressive in winning Division 4 in a blistering 15:40, the fifth quickest time of the day behind only four top-flight competitors in Division 1. Cole Sprout of Faith Christian, perhaps one of the nation’s better freshmen, was second in 16:00.
Kent Denver’s Sam Schaffer (18:53) scurried away from Buena Vista’s Annie Hughes (18:58) to win the Division 4 girls race, while Holy Family swept the team titles with ease.
