3A Girls Cross Country: Depth Propels The Classical Academy to Title

COLORADO SPRINGS – A Colorado high school team title in cross country can often be won with depth, but this year’s Class 3A girls race was an example of that strategy in the extreme.

At Norris Penrose Event Center on Saturday, The Classical Academy won the championship while placing only one runner on the podium, and in 10th place at that. Peak to Peak finished runner-up despite having no state medalists at all and Holy Family took third despite having only one – in 7th place.

“It was so surreal standing up there with my team,” The Classical Academy’s Joy Ahnfeldt said. “They’re such an amazing group and everyone contributed so much to winning the team trophy. We all push each other so hard and I’m so grateful for the amazing coaches that we have too. We’ve just always tried to pack run together and we’re all so even that we just know who’s the strongest a given day and who’s going to lead us, and we just do it together.”

The Classical Academy’s final point total was 69. Peak to Peak finished with 133 points and Holy Family was just behind the Pumas at 134.

The individual title once again went to Liberty Common senior Isabel Allori, who won the title last season, setting the Class 3A state meet record (17:10.3) in the process. Her winning time was 17:32.4 on Saturday. Allori went unbeaten this season and gave her all on the chilly final day of 2023, barely able to scale the podium steps in order to accept her second consecutive title.

Stargate senior Allison Piper finished runner-up with a time of 17:52.6. Alamosa’s Elizabeth McQuitty, whose Mean Moose won the team title last season, took third with a time of 18:37.0. Gunnison junior Madelyn Stice was fourth, coming in at 18:44.9. Timnath freshman Izzy Schimmelpfennig placed fifth with a time of 19:04.3.