{"id":2450336,"date":"2019-10-24T23:20:01","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T05:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/bower-leads-basalt-aspen-into-state-cross-country-meet\/"},"modified":"2019-10-24T23:20:01","modified_gmt":"2019-10-25T05:20:01","slug":"sierra-bower-leads-ambitious-basalt-aspen-teams-to-state-cross-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/sierra-bower-leads-ambitious-basalt-aspen-teams-to-state-cross-country\/","title":{"rendered":"Sierra Bower leads ambitious Basalt, Aspen teams to state cross country"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.2432432432432\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-315021-48\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/crosscountry-atd-102419-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/crosscountry-atd-102419-1-1024x731.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | The Basalt High School cross country team will compete at the state meet on Saturday in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.427807486631\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7.6149732620321\">\n<p><strong>The Basalt High School cross country team will compete at the state meet on Saturday in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/bower-leads-basalt-aspen-into-state-cross-country-meet\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/crosscountry-atd-102419-1-1024x731.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/crosscountry-atd-102419-1-1024x731.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/crosscountry-atd-102419-1-1024x731.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"The Basalt High School cross country team will compete at the state meet on Saturday in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/crosscountry-atd-102419-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/crosscountry-atd-102419-1-1-1024x768.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times | The Aspen High School girls cross country team will compete Saturday in the 3A state meet in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.4296875\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7.625\">\n<p><strong>The Aspen High School girls cross country team will compete Saturday in the 3A state meet in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/bower-leads-basalt-aspen-into-state-cross-country-meet\/&amp;image=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/crosscountry-atd-102419-1-1-1024x768.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/crosscountry-atd-102419-1-1-1024x768.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/crosscountry-atd-102419-1-1-1024x768.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"The Aspen High School girls cross country team will compete Saturday in the 3A state meet in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/bower-leads-basalt-aspen-into-state-cross-country-meet\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/bower-leads-basalt-aspen-into-state-cross-country-meet\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">Sierra Bower isn\u2019t really looking at the numbers. She\u2019s simply going to run the race alongside her Basalt High School teammates \u2014 itself a new concept for the BHS junior \u2014 and let the chips fall where they may.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe rankings for times aren\u2019t really measurable because there are different courses for everyone,\u201d Bower said. \u201cSo I\u2019m not trying to put too much pressure on myself. I find I always perform better when I\u2019m relaxed, so that\u2019s kind of the goal going into the race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Bower is among the expected contenders for the girls Class 3A state cross country title, which will be decided on Saturday at the Norris-Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs. The 3A girls race at 12:20 p.m., with the 3A boys getting on course at 1:40 p.m. Both Basalt and Aspen are fielding a full team of seven for the girls race, while only Basalt senior Tucker Bruce will be there to represent the boys.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThere is a lot of potential. I feel good. We\u2019ll see what happens,\u201d AHS coach Chris Keleher said. \u201cThe state course might favor us a little bit more than the regional course. It\u2019s a little hillier. So we\u2019ll see what happens. I hope it comes out really well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Basalt <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/basalts-sierra-bower-repeats-as-regional-cross-country-champion-bhs-and-aspen-girls-finish-1-2\/\">hosted the regional meet last week at Crown Mountain Park<\/a>, taking the girls win with Aspen coming in second. Bower, who said she raced conservatively to better prepare for state, repeated as the regional champion while AHS junior Kylie Kenny came in second.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Both girls squads will firmly be in contention for a top-five team finish, if not more, in Colorado Springs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThey are definitely feeling a bit more pressure than us because we like to be the underdogs. We are trying to fly under the radar,\u201d Kenny said of Basalt. \u201cPersonally, I\u2019m just kind of trying to do better than I\u2019ve done in the past two years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Kenny was the top finisher from either school in the 2018 state meet, taking 17th overall in 19 minutes, 55.2 seconds. Bower was 24th a year ago in 20:12, while senior Kaylee Thompson of The Classical Academy won in 18:19.2.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aspen finished seventh as a team in 2018, while Bower was Basalt\u2019s only runner.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Skiers have a young but still experienced contingent of runners competing Saturday. Along with Kenny will be fellow juniors Kendall Clark, Eva McDonough and Edie Sherlock, as well as sophomore Bronwyn Chesner and freshmen Michaela Kenny and Elsie Weiss. Weiss, an accomplished Nordic athlete, finished a surprising fourth at the regional meet, with Basalt freshman Katelyn Maley coming in third.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The AHS girls have won a state cross country championship before, winning it all in 2002.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cFor most of the team, they\u2019ve seen it all before. So it\u2019s kind of like we are going for business,\u201d Keleher said, giving a vote of confidence to Kenny that she can hang with the top runners on Saturday. \u201cOf course, with that, it\u2019s a little more rarified air to run when running in the front of the pack with the big girls. But I wouldn\u2019t put anything past her. She is tough and she loves to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Basalt\u2019s seven-runner lineup will include Bower and fellow junior Sophia Moon, the lone senior in Lily Gillis, and a freshmen foursome in Maley, Analyn Hoffner, Ava Lane and Sarah Levy. Other than getting to race alongside then-senior Carly Robinson as a freshman, this is the first time Bower has had teammates at the state meet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Bower finished 35th as a freshman at state in 20:23.2.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWhen I was a sophomore, I was ahead of her for a couple of races,\u201d Gillis said of Bower. \u201cBut now she is just so good. I love it. I love her so much and it\u2019s so awesome to see how dedicated she is to the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Bower\u2019s regional title last year was followed by a runner-up finish in the 2-mile race at the state track and field meet last spring in Lakewood. She\u2019s continued to up her game very chance she gets and likely will be near the front of the pack on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cDefinitely more fit going in this year. A little bit more prepared,\u201d Bower said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely a lot easier going into it. It\u2019s less stressful, compared to just being an individual. So it\u2019s definitely been super motivating to watch all the other girls working super hard, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:acolbert@aspentimes.com\">acolbert@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/sports\/bower-leads-basalt-aspen-into-state-cross-country-meet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Basalt High School cross country team will compete at the state meet on Saturday in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times Buy Photo The Aspen High School girls cross country team will compete Saturday in the 3A state meet in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Austin Colbert\/The Aspen Times)Austin Colbert\/The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2450336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 11:56:45","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2450336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450336\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2450336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2450336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2450336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}