Ritz Culpepper Goucher - Sons of US Olympians all compete at 2025 Colorado HS state xc meet

Yes, the 2025 Niwot team is the real deal. They average 15:18 without Culpepper (who is very fit but had an off day). Additionally, Robbie was looking strong and on pace to break 15, but had a big fall in the creek with 400 meters to go (still managed an incredible 15:16). Their average could have been even faster. They typically peak in December, so it will be interesting to see what they can do.

Meant to say Robbie still managed an incredible 15:06.

Gabriel Marshall was Niwot 5th at the state meet and ran 15:27. I looked for someone who ran runninglane in 2021 and also ran close to 15:30 at the CO state meet for perspective. Erik LeRoux ran 15:31 at Co state, then 14:42 at Runninglane.

I know it's a rough comparison but Newbury Park's 5th guy at runninglane ran 14:44, so there is a good chance that Niwot 2025 has a faster 5th man than Newbury did in 2021, and it probably wouldn't be super close if Culpepper had his normal day. Of course Newbury 1-4 is pretty untouchable but it might be close in a big race where the 5 matters more.

It was typical conditions. He (and Adams) just literally smashed it. Now, compared to pre-state this year, it was better. At pre-state, there was a thunder-storm between JV and varsity that delayed the varsity race and the rain made the course, and especially the slippery water crossings that are pretty steep and muddy gulches, a menace. The kids running in the super shoes were slipping all over. The state meet was dry but colder (a good thing because pre-state is usually scorching hot).

That is an amazing time for this course

An easy comparison: Zane Bergen ran 15:17 at the 2021 Colorado state meet and then broke up Newbury Park’s top four at the 2021 RunningLane, running 14:09. Cheyenne Mountain averaged 15:47 at the 2021 state meet and had a team average of 14:49 at RunningLane (#2 to Newberry Park). Niwot this year averaged 15:18 for their top five. When adjusted for course differences, their times convert to roughly a 14:14 RunningLane average, putting them virtually on par with Newbury Park’s legendary 2021 team, an incredible performance, especially considering Culpepper had an off race and Robbie fell hard at the creek crossing.

I don't think you understand what the word "ostensible" means. If my life is ostensibly so empty, then it actually isn't. So.... thank you? Also, as a long time high school coach in both track and XC, it's kind of my job to understand what is happening at the high school level. And as a lifelong participant and fan of the sport, it would be weird if I only started paying attention to pro athletes. High school and college are, in many ways, more fun to watch than the pro leagues. Far more variability and unpredictability, drama, heroics, etc. Sorry that you don't have that depth of interest in the sport.

Owen Powell has set the bar high for all of these nextgen runners

Sean Carlson should be working these kids’ parents - when he’s not banging his assistant.

I used the word “ostensibly” correctly, in that it means “to all outward appearances,” or “apparently but not necessarily so,” and so when I said that your life is “ostensibly so empty” what I was saying, and I hate to dumb it down, but I have to, is that your life is “to all outward appearances” so empty that…As far as your years as a coach, well you have performed a valuable service, as long as you didn’t teach English.

I will also add that if you indeed have been a longtime coach, you should be somewhat sensitive to the notion of not placing undue pressure on these kids. I became a better runner than possibly any athlete you coached, and my parents never ran, and I wasn’t even running yet at the age of the young freshmen in this thread. I didn’t feel much pressure because initially nothing was expected of me. These kids shouldn’t have to deal with the added pressure of constantly being compared with each other. But anyway it will happen and it is not really your fault at all.

Theo Quax just left NAU. His dad won the New Zealand senior championships in the 1960s.

Wasn’t Kara also doing a big lead in to a race against Colt (or trying to beat Colt’s 5K or something) last year? That made me a bit nauseous, TBH.

Dick Quax was over 50 when he sired Theo.

While Colton would ostensibly attend Boulder High based on residence, Adam is currently one of several assistants at Fairview. Incidentally, Shayne Culpepper is on staff as a counselor there, to boot.

I actually think this is a very good post and not sure why it got so many downvotes. Even though with names like Goucher and Ritzenhein the pressure and recognition is impossible to avoid, my personal story is exactly what you just wrote. And I think it’s a very good, very salient point.

But no need to quibble about it either. We all love running and have varying degrees of investment and commitment👍