COLOADO SPRINGS — As Andrew Bel crossed the finish line in the 2A boys cross country state championship, he realized that the journey was worth it.

A senior at Colorado Springs Christian, Bel won the race with a time of 15:57.7. The win is Bel’s second individual championship in a row.

“It’s hard to put into words how great it feels to come back with what I’ve gone through over the past year,” Bel said. “I want to give glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’m thankful for what he’s allowed me to do.”

The result — gold — was the same on Saturday as it was in 2023. But the year in between championships was far from easy.

Just weeks after winning the cross country solo title, Bel began looking ahead to track season. As he trained, Bel felt discomfort in his knee, forcing him to slow down his pace.

It turned out to be an injury to his patellar tendon, which forced him to miss nearly the entire track season. He did compete at the state meet, finishing third place in the mile run.

Bel still earned a podium finish, but his goals were loftier.

“I was broken,” Bel said. “I had some great goals for that season, and it didn’t end up happening.”

After the meet, Bel put aside the pain — both mental and physical — and began his recovery process. He underwent physical therapy and slowly increased his running volume.

Bel was ready for the Lions’ first week of practice. His times got better and better throughout the season, which culminated in his second state title in a row.

“This whole season, I’ve just been working myself back in, doing really low miles,” Bel said. “It’s amazing that my God has allowed me to come out here and allow me to do this.”

In the team race, Golden View Classical Academy won the state title with 47 points. Crested Butte finished in second place with 66 points, just two in front of Thomas MacLaren.

Senior Bobby Kiesewetter had the Sentinels’ best time, finishing eighth at 16:56.8. Huckleberry Hale and Luke Wahl also finished in the top 20, placing 15th and 19th, respectively.

“It feels great,” Hale said. “We trained hard, and it’s awesome that it paid off.”

The Sentinels’ other three runners were Peter Langedyk (22nd), Anthony Acocella (47th) and Adam Hehn (89th).

Kiesewetter said the team battled illness throughout the week leading up to state. The senior said the win proves how strong and together the Sentinels are as a team.

“Luckily, a lot of the guys pulled through,” he said. “We caught the W. If one guy’s doing bad, there’s always someone to catch us up.”

The state title is GVCA’s second in a row and the Sentinels’ second in program history.

Loveland Classical and SkyView Academy rounded out the top five with 119 and 138 points, respectively.