craigdailypress.com

Sometimes, too much snow is a good thing.

With the Colorado state cross-country championships postponed from Oct. 31 to Saturday, the Moffat County High School boys varsity cross-country team used the extra week to get healthy.

Coach Todd Trapp said the team was nursing several injuries, and the snow delay helped his runners get better.

"After the regional meet, Corey (Wojtkiewicz) was hurt, and if we were to run on (Oct. 31), there was no way he would have been able to," he said. "With the extra week, we've been working him back in and he's healthy and able to run."

Wojtkiewicz's return will give Moffat County one of the more balanced teams running Saturday at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins.

Junior Chris Zirkle paced the team this year, running to a first overall finish at the Oct. 24 regional meet in Aspen.

With the progression of Alfredo Lebron and Wojtkiewicz, along with the addition of Rene Molina and Alex McCoy, the team was able to win at the regional meet in Aspen.

For some, state is a chance to ramp up their effort against the best in division 4A.

"State is a lot more important than the regular season," Zirkle said. "You have to go all out."

Trapp said the team will be competitive so long as the runners don't try to change their philosophy.

"It's really important we stay with our training and continue to do what we've been doing," Trapp said. "They just need to stay focused on the meet and run their race."

Goals

Zirkle will be going to his second state meet in as many years, and looks to rebound from what he called a disappointing finish in 2008.

"Last year, I wasn't quite ready for all the intensity, but I think I'm ready for it this year," he said. "I took 49th last year, and I don't think I had a very good race."

This year, Zirkle said his timing is better, and he is ready to run full speed in Fort Collins.

"I kind of peaked early last year, and I think I'm still ready to peak this year," he said. "I just need to run a smarter race and not get so freaked out."

For Molina, it will be his first trip to state.

"I want to do my best," he said. "I want to be about 30 seconds from our fourth runner."

Like Molina, McCoy is traveling to state for the first time after having played football last year.

The senior said he plans to make his first and only trip to state memorable.

"I just want to run the best I can and try to keep up with our number one runner," McCoy said. "Hopefully, I'll do well. I'm shooting for the top-25."

Having been to state once before, Lebron said he knows what to expect and how to compete.

"I need to move up one by one," he said. "Last year, I was nervous to see all the teams on the line, there were so many people."

Lebron, a sophomore, finished 96th last year.

This year, he's hoping to cut that number in half.

"Hopefully, I'll come in about where Chris was last year," he said.

The competition

With Cheyenne Mountain, Greeley West and Thomson Valley High School, Moffat County has tough competition on the course.

"Some of those teams are ranked right above us," Zirkle said. "If I see one of those guys, I want to go get them."

Zirkle also will have to pick his way past Greeley West's Kody Leach, Thompson Valley's Gus Waneka and Fossil Ridge's Ed Cleary.

Some Bulldogs will be running against one another for bragging rights.

"I'll be looking for Alex," Lebron said. "Just to say I beat him."

Like the girls squad, the boys will run the same race they have all year, Trapp said.

"We just need to run our type of race," he said. "Let Chris get out front and have Alex and Alfredo pack-up, and if Corey is healthy he can work his way up there."

Extra week

The extra week allowed the banged-up Bulldogs to rest injuries while picking up more conditioning

"I think it helped me," Lebron said. "I was hurting last week, but I'm feeling a lot better now."

The extra week helped reinvigorate some of the Bulldogs late in the season.

"I think it's helped us," Zirkle said. "Corey has been hurt, so it has given him one more week to recover, and get back to his old self."

For McCoy, another week meant more adjustments.

"Individually, I think it helped because I got more practice in," he said. "I've been progressing the whole year, and I keep getting better."

Molina also appreciated the extra time leading to state.

"I think it helped me - I was hurting a little bit," he said.

The one drawback to the delay was that the team was ready to romp in Fort Collins.

"The kids were down a little bit because they were ready to run," Trapp said. "But with the good weather we trained hard, had a great workout Saturday and everyone is excited going into the state meet."

Ben Bulkeley can be reached at 875-1795 or bbulkeley@craigdailypress.com.