LAKEWOOD — Niwot sophomores Addy Ritzenhein and Rocco Culpepper are the children of former Olympic runners — but they say that’s not the focus in their households.
Through two days at the state track and field meet, the 16-year-olds have added to their own running legacies — and yet they still refuse to make it their entire identity.
Well-rounded as the track they’ve built acclaim, perhaps. On Friday, the second of three days at Jefferson County Stadium, Ritzenhein won the Class 4A 3,200-meter run for a second time, hours before Culpepper landed his first individual gold in the 800.
Saturday, they’ll end the spring season with the 1,600 — then it’s straight to the mall for Ritzenhein. “I have a shopping addiction,” she snickered. Culpepper will even have some time to get to the skate park now that it’s summer. He’s long enjoyed skateboarding but said he doesn’t during the running seasons because “it’s pretty injury-prone.”
“I just do the typical things a teenager does,” Ritzenhein said. And the same can be said about Culpepper.
Typical — just not in running.
Ritzenhein, the daughter of the former 5,000-meter American record-holder, Dathan Ritzenhein, has gone from local to national star after winning the Nike Cross Nationals and Gatorade’s national girls’ cross country runner of the year award over the past six months.
On Day 2 at state, she won the two-mile in 10 minutes and 28.54 seconds and finished third in the 800 (2:13.39). Thursday, she was a part of the winning 4×800 (9:07.21) for Niwot’s girls’ team, which is well on its way to winning its fifth straight title.
The son of Olympians Alan and Shayne Culpepper, meanwhile, anchored the boys’ 4×800 (7:43.92) to a 4A state meet record the day before he won the 800 (1:55.23). He, like Ritzenhein, picked up running late and has since made it his own. “I’m all-in,” Culpepper said. “It’s my thing.”
The outside stuff — pressure from success and name — is just something they try to keep in perspective.
“There is definitely pressure at times, but I don’t let it get to my head at all,” Ritzenhein said. “I kind of just let myself live.”
Culpepper said he leans on his Christian faith through good times and mistakes. “Just stay with the Lord, stay relaxed and just be with the team and don’t make it individual and about me.”
Elsewhere …
Peak to Peak’s Kourtney Rathke won her second state title of the spring, the sixth of her career, setting the Class 3A pole vault record at 13 feet, 10 inches on Friday.
Saturday, she’ll aim to three-peat in the 3A long jump and run the 100-meter hurdles, where she finished first in prelims.
But first — another race — through pats on the back and interview requests, she did her best to get to the Jeffco Stadium parking lot immediately after her late finish, hoping to make it to part of her high school graduation.
“It’s only like 40 minutes away,” she smiled. “But it started 15 minutes ago.”
On Thursday, the Michigan pole vault commit won the triple jump (36-9.75).
Holy Family sprinter impressing after leg injury
Senior Griffin Eastman tore his ACL in football and said he only started running about a week before the spring season.
Fast-forward to Day 2 Friday, he anchored the Tigers’ 3A 4×200 to a third-place finish (1:29.06).
Saturday, in the meet’s conclusion, he’ll be the top seed in the 3A 100 after he ran 11.03 in prelims.
Niwot wins girls’ 4A 4×200
The Cougars won the event they were disqualified in a year ago.
No prelims mishap this time. With three new faces to this year’s relay, juniors Eliana Henriques, Simocea Esquibel, Kate Schmidthuber and Reese Kasper won in 1:40.67.
“We’re all just grateful and just happy for each other,” said Henriques, who is Niwot coach Maurice Henriques’ daughter.
Silver Creek’s Ruth takes second in 800
Junior Cloe Ruth took silver in the 4A 800 (2:12.81), behind winner Lauren Raley of Cheyenne Mountain (2:10.49) and in front of Niwot’s Ritzenhein (2:13.39).
“It’s great to just be amongst so many great athletes and realize that I’m one of them,” Ruth said.
Saturday, she’s in the 400 and 1,600.
Boulder’s Kiki Vaughn nabs school record in 800
The Panthers senior reached the podium in the 800 for a second-straight year, moving up from fourth to second. She broke her own school record (2:11.33), finishing less than a second behind winner Rosie Mucharsky of Denver East (2:10.37).
Her final high school race will be the 5A 1,600 on Saturday.
“I’m so grateful to be here,” she said. “I think tomorrow, of course, I’d love to PR and love to place well. But just taking in the moments of my last high school race is important.”
Longmont wins 4A girls’ sprint medley
The Trojans’ relay of Makenna Smith, Jordan Johnson, Ella Pears and Terra Brubaker won the event in 1:48.66.
Longmont — with all but Pears in it — finished ninth a year ago.
Notables
– Lyons’ Miles Dumbauld took second in the 2A triple jump (44-4).
– Legacy girls finished second in the 5A sprint medley (1:45.99).
– Niwot’s Quinn Sullivan took third in the 4A boys’ 800 (1:56.53).
– Holy Family girls took third in 3A 4×200 (1:44.46).
– Longmont boys were third in 4A 4×200 (1:30.20).
![While Monarch and Centaurus each got its second straight win under a new coach, top-ranked teams Broomfield (4A) and Holy Family (3A) began their seasons with an emphatic victory of their own. […]](https://www.bocopreps.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DCC-L-RileyMontemayor_MJ28062-1.jpg?w=467 "While Monarch and Centaurus each got its second straight win under a new coach, top-ranked teams Broomfield (4A) and Holy Family (3A) began their seasons with an emphatic victory of their own. […]")
