Desert Twilight
When: Friday, September 28, 2018
9:00 pm (MST) Sole Sports Girls Sweepstakes
9:25 pm (MST) Sole Sports Boys Sweepstakes
Who: Kashon Harrison (NM), Cole Sprout (CO), Cruz Culpepper (CO), Samantha Schadler (CO), Morgan Foster (CO), Tatum Miller (CO)
Why: Last year's race went down to the wire in one of the most epic finishes of the year. This year both Valor Christian's Cole Sprout and Kirtland Central's (MN) Kashon Harrison will be back.
Sprout is ranked No. 4 in the MileSplit50 rankings while Harrison is ranked No. 21. Last year Harrison got the win in 14:48.50, Sprout finished second in 14:48.60. So far this year Sprout has run a 15:33.6 at the Liberty Bell Cross Country Invitational. That has been his only race of the season but he told us in a Skype interview earlier this year that he was going to be gearing up for this race imparticular. Harrison has raced quite a few times already this season but none of them appear to be an all-out effort. It will be interesting to see these two guys race again and see who can come out on top this year.
They may not be the only ones in the fight though as Niwot High School's Cruz Culpepper will also be in the race. Culpepper ran a 15:28.50 to win his race at the Liberty Bell Cross Country Invitational. Others in the mix will be El Paso Hanks' (TX), Michael Abeyta, Campo Verd's (CO) Rylan Stubbs, and Highland's (AZ) Leo Daschbach.
The girls' race will feature some of the best in the Southwest including Rio Rico High School's (AZ) Samantha Schadler, Chandler High School's (AZ) Morgan Foster and Air Academy High School's (CO) Tatum Miller. Schadler won this race last year running 17:15.80, she is currently on the bubble of the MileSplit50 girl's individual national rankings. Foster and Miller were also both in the top five last year at the Desert Twilight XC Festival. Foster finished third in 17:44.80 while Miller finished just behind her in fourth also running 17:44.80.
Other Big Meet: