This week, on Tuesday the 15th, the Littleton Cross Country held their annual Lions Classic Invitational at DeKoevend Park, where they ran along a 3.1-mile course filled with hard hills, multiple different terrains, and huge moments of adversity. They raced against their primary competition: Arapahoe, Lakewood, and teams from across Colorado. Varsity Boys brought home a 1st place win with a total of 66 points, and Varsity Girls came in 3rd with 85 points. The lower amount of points in XC, the better.
During this race, some key runners were seniors Tyler West, Milo Vanmatre, and Zander Davis. On the girls side, sophomore Lucia Bovo and freshman Anais Broitet had stellar performances as well. The meet had high spirits, with both varsity and JV bringing energy and giving it their all.
“That race went really well, I think. You know, I held onto that top group, and I’m happy about where I placed,” said West.
West placed 4th overall, Vanmatre in 6th, and Davis in 15th. They gave it their all and really showed up for their team. The race was filled with PRs, season bests, and just an overall feeling of accomplishment throughout the team.
“That was a really good race; it was super fun, and I placed the highest I’ve ever placed in a race before. So I’m pretty happy about it, though it was kinda brutal,” said Vanmatre.
This course was a difficult one, having not just dirt, but concrete grass, and a massive hill nicknamed “Death Hill” known for its steep uphill that makes runners really dig deep in order to get through it.
Bovo commented on the race, “I think I did pretty good, but I got into this mindset that it was awful and didn’t even want to finish, but I’m proud that I was able to push through.”
Both Bovo and Broitet had amazing races, placing 5th and 13th overall, with Junior Gillian Glover close behind, placing 15th.
Most of these people have been running for a good part of their high school career, and some are just starting, but they know that running is a very mentally challenging sport. Not only about getting your body in shape to do those hard interval sprint sets or long distances with little breaks, but it also takes a person with a strong will to accomplish great things. And not only does it give you a sense of accomplishment after finishing a race, but it also gives you strong bonds with the people on your team. The people of Littleton have all commented on how amazing the cross-country team is and how it makes running the best part of their day.
Vanmatre, “I really love this team. The team is truly my favorite aspect of this sport.”
This is a great win for the Boys and an amazing place for the Girls Varsity team. And Littleton High School is getting ready to race in the Arvada Invite on Friday the 18th.
