With little left to prove, Riley Stewart focused on Bruins’ team success in 2021
By Benjamin Parris/CHSAANow.com
Photo: Brad Cochi/CHSAANow
Riley Stewart has practically done it all during her first three years at Cherry Creek.
Now a senior, Stewart is already a two-time Gatorade Colorado Cross Country Player of the Year and has Gatorade Track and Field Player of the Year honors as well. Stewart has won back-to-back cross country state championships as an individual and led the Bruins to victory as a team in 2020.
“I just want to stay humble and just go for my team,” Stewart said. “Definitely trying to get that state title again, for the team.”
After finishing runners-up as a team in 2018 and 2019, Cherry Creek captured the 5A team championship last season, unseating defending state champion Arapahoe.
“When you’re running, you’re trying to do it for your team,” Stewart said. “That was my motivation.”
Stewart finished almost a half-minute faster than the next competitor at state last year, and her time of 17 minutes, 33.8 seconds was the fastest at the state meet since former Grandview standout Brie Oakley ran a 17:07.83 in 2016.
Considering what she has accomplished over the past three seasons, Stewart doesn’t exactly need a confidence boost heading into her senior campaign. It’s clear that a state championship would mean more for the Cherry Creek senior than another Gatorade Player of the Year Award or setting any sort of state record.
“It’s a whole new year, [the Gatorade Player of the Year honors] are definitely a confidence booster but heading into it I’m excited to go back with my team,” Stewart said.
Cherry Creek’s lineup has not changed much since Stewart’s freshman year. The senior group of Shelby Balding, Addison Laughlin, Claire Semerod and Abigail MacLean have all run varsity meets for at least the last two seasons. Those five, in addition to Junior Addison Price, were ranked the No. 1 girls cross country team in the nation by Milesplit.com. They won every single race they ran in 2020 and were all named to the 2020 CHSAA All-State team.
“Maybe head down to the national races and try to win those… who knows,” Stewart said when asked how she could go out in the biggest way during her senior season. “Definitely trying to get the state title again for the team… and maybe individually.”
