It wasn’t even close.
When Summit High senior Ella Hagen crossed the finish line at the 2024 4A state cross-country championships, the runner in second place, Cloe Ruth of Silver Creek, was nearly 48 seconds behind her.
Hagen stayed with the pack until just after mile one, where she turned on the afterburners and left every other 4A state qualifier in the dust.
Hagen called her victory “redemption” for last year’s XC championship race, where she was runner up after first winning the title as a sophomore. And redemption for a track season where she claimed just one state title in the 1,600-meter run.
But that’s how this future CU Buff operates: If she’s not blowing away the competition, she’s not doing it right.
“I wanted to do something special and just enjoy it,” she told Milesplit.com. “Being able to come out here and put one last race together.”
Hagen finished solo and smiling in 17:30.70. It wasn’t the fastest race of the day – that belongs to superhuman junior Addison Ritzenhein of Niwot with a 16:54.62 – but Hagen is happy to know her state XC record still stands. Earlier this season she ran a 16:54.00 at the Liberty Bell Invite, staving off Ritzenhein by six-tenth of a second.
The finish line itself, at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs, holds a special place in Hagen’s heart.
“It’s special,” she says. “Norris Penrose sees you through a lot of different moments. It see syour through the team moments and the invidiaul. There is nothing like the fiish line at Prnseo where you can turn it in and reflect on everything.”
She has a month to reflect before the Next Big Race, Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon on Dec. 7.
Then it’s on to high school Nordic ski season, where Hagen holds another state title. And then it’s track season, where she is hoping to defend the 1,600-meter title and add a few more.
Anything less and it wouldn’t even be close.
Shriver 10th for boys
In the boys 4A state race Summit senior Josh Shriver ran one of his fastest events of the season with a 15:58.93, good for 10th overall.
The Summit girls team took third led by Hagen in first, Avery Eytel (34th), Lily Benbow (39th), Paige Ratliff (44th) and Ashley Adkins (56th).
The Summit boys team was fifth with Shriver in 10th, Jay McDonald (27th), Will Bentley (37th), Carter Niemkiewicz (40th) and Cain Steinweg (56th).