The 2023 National High School Trail Championships (NHSTC) lived up to its name headlining a star-studded field on Saturday, July 29, including the six members of Team USA who accumulated a team gold, a team silver, and two individual silver medals earlier this summer at the 2023 WMRA International U18 Mountain Running Cup in Annecy, France.
Celebrating Seven Years
For its seventh year, the NHSTC and Salida, CO, welcomed some of the top high school trail runners in the country to ascend, switchback, twist, turn, and descend the 5.4-mile course on the Salida Mountain Trails. The race can now also officially be called an international competition, with the participation of two Irish student-athletes, Finn Craig and Noah Harris.
A great turnout in Salida for the National High School Trail Championships. Photo: Peter Maksimow
The day kicked off at 7:20 am with the Beas Knees Citizens Race where coaches, parents, and supporters of all ages participated. Some past NHSTC champions even headlined the race. Aubrey Surage (36:47) and Alex Fernandez (32:19) won the women’s and men’s citizens race, respectively.
The Boys’ Championship started at 8:20 am when there was some cloud cover and the temperatures were still cool, but began heating up quickly with the high altitude and Colorado sun when the Girls’ Championship race kicked off at 8:45 am.
Start of the boys’ race at the National High School Trail Championships. Photo: Peter Maksimow
Boys’ Championship Race
The boys’ race was taken out hard by junior Benji Anderson of Mountain Vista High School, who donned his USA uniform, and fellow Team USA teammate, Will Brunner of Vail Mountain School. The two gradually gaped the rest of the field, with Anderson pulling away from Brunner on the long descent of S Mountain to secure his first NHSTC title. His time of 32:53 missed the course record–set in 2020 by Sullivan Middaugh 31:52–by a mere one second. Jake Drever of Eagle Valley High School held off his high school teammate, Dylan Blair (33:11), to capture the last podium spot in a time of 33:05.
Anderson, who placed 12th at the 2021 NHSTC and improved to third in 2022, credited increased training for his success, “I have upped my mileage quite a bit this past summer and have felt way stronger than ever before.”
He added, “I think a lot of it was the great competition with Jake Drever and Will Brunner, those guys have pushed me all last year in cross country and track and I knew that they’d definitely be in the front pack of the race this year which forced me to dig deep to pull out this win.”
Benji Anderson on course at the National High School Trail Running Championships. Photo: Peter Maksimow
Anderson has been a standout for Mountain Vista High School in cross country, with PRs of 15:00 for 5K, and on the track, having run 1:54 in the 800m, 4:17 in the 1,600m and 9:24 in the 3,200m; however, that speed doesn’t always translate to the trails, and he understood that. “I have focused a bit more on trails this year than I usually do. This was because I knew this race was on my calendar and I wanted to win really badly,” said Anderson.
Brunner, who took the 2022 NHSTC individual title, has also been a star in track and cross country at Vail Mountain School, winning the 4A 3,200m state title this year and accumulating PRs of 8:59 in the 3,200m, and 4:15 in the 1,500m, and 14:56 for a cross country 5K. He has seen the competition grow in high school trail running.
“The improvement even from last year to this year at NHSTC was incredibly impressive.The competition was definitely a little bit tougher this year, but also the size of the race and the atmosphere has seemed to only grow over the past few years and I am super excited to see what it looks like next year,” said the junior.
Girls’ Championship Race
The girls’ race was equally as exciting with the red, white and blue of the Team USA uniforms prominently at the start line. Similar to the boys’ race, the girls’ race became a competition of two runners dominating the lead. Ella Hagen of Summit High School and Keeghan Edwards of Mountain Vista High School displayed their dominance with Hagen getting an edge on the final downhill and extending that lead in the final 800 meters to win in 36:31 over Edwards’ 36:55. Reese Tucker of Chatfield Senior High School rounded out the podium in a time of 38:14.
Ella Hagen on course at the National High School Trail Running Championships. Photo: Peter Maksimow
Hagen’s commanding performance took almost a minute off the existing course record. Both Hagen and Edwards broke the existing course record, which was set by Aubrey Surage (37:28) in 2021. Prior to the race, Surage owned both the Girls’ Championship race and the Beas Knees Citizens Race course records, and was again champion in the citizens race an hour earlier.
Edwards, who is going into her junior year, placed third as a sophomore in the Colorado 5A cross country championship in 2022, running the 5K course in 17:32. This past May, she led Team USA at the U18 Mountain Running Cup with an individual silver medal and helped the US girls earn the team silver medal. All but one of her US teammates, Macey Shriner, competed at the NHSTC. Charlotte Tuxbury of Wellesley High School and Rosie Mucharsky of Denver East High School, placed fifth (39:40) and sixth (39:51), respectively.
Edwards has had a meteoric entry into trail running, to say the least. “My first trail race was the 2022 NHSTC, where I placed first,” she said. “The race definitely burned and hurt, but it helped me discover a new side of running that I wouldn’t have found otherwise. After that experience, I fell in love with the world of trail running.”
Less than a year later Edwards would garnish an individual and team silver medal on a world stage. “Never in my right mind would I have believed where it has taken me and the people I have met along the way,” she said.
“What made this year the most memorable was the fact that I was with some of my closest, most authentic friends: the U18 USA Team,” Edwards insisted.
Team USA girls on the start line in Salida. Photo: Peter Maksimow
She went on to say, “Two of the Irish kids who we met in France back in May also came! I cannot describe how much these people mean to me and the impact they have had not only on my running career but on my life as a whole. My time this year on the 5.4 mile course was 40 seconds faster than the year before, and I credit that success to the USA Team and the two Irish kids with whom I spent all my time with in the days and hours prior.”
Brunner echoed those sediments of his international experience, “It was incredible racing with the US U18 team again! Although we were only together in France for less than a week we all became extremely close and stay super connected via social media and text, but getting to hangout and race with them again in person was super special!”
Brunner also has his eye on the future, “I know for all of the guys that raced on the U18 team this year including myself have our eyes on the U20 team in two years.”
“This year’s U18 race was a great experience,” Anderson said, who placed fifth overall in Annecy. “I was so grateful and honored to wear the red, white, and blue on top of the podium with my brothers from the USA, but wished that my individual 5th place was a podium finish.”
Anderson added, “I definitely recommend the U18 race to any young serious trail runner.”
Jacob Schwarting from Centaurus High School, who was a member of the U18 team, placed 15th in a time of 34:45. Matthew Edwards, who won an individual silver medal in Annecy, was the one other missing USA teammate at the NHSTC.
Kenny Wilcox gives instructions at the start line. Photo: Peter Maksimow
Race Director Kenny Wilcox race reflections
NHSTC founder and race director, Kenny Wilcox, has been pleased with the growth of the event, “Even in our first year we were able to draw a competitive field despite low numbers, but it has only gotten stronger.”
He went on to say, “The course today has remained virtually the same as it was in 2018. James Gregory of Fort Collins was the only guy to break 34 minutes back in 2018, this year there were 11 guys who broke that barrier. Similarly on the girls side, Telluride legend, Soleil Gaylord, was the first across the line in 2018 with a time of 41:15. This year, seven young women in the girls’ championship race were below that standard by a fair amount.”
Wilcox emphasized the progress, “This year we were honored to have six of the eight athletes who competed for the USA at the International U18 Mountain Running Cup in Annecy, France, back in May. Two young men from Ireland who also competed in France joined in the fun and gave us our first taste of international flavor.”
For the past few years, shoe brand, HOKA, has supported the NHSTC. Wilcox said, “Their commitment to the trails and to young trail enthusiasts have made them a company that we wanted to align ourselves with.”
As a large, national brand which is heavily invested in the trail running, Wilcox is optimistic about the future, “We are excited to continue to work with HOKA in the coming years and dream with them to figure out how we can continue to not only grow this event, but encourage more young people to get out on the trails.”
Wilcox pointed out the increased diversity along with the increased competitiveness, “This was the first year that we had athlete representation from Denver Urban XC. We were honored to have them joining us for the first time.”
For more information about the U18 and U20 USA Teams contact team staff member, Paul Kirsch: [email protected].
The 2023 theme for the American Trail Running Association (ATRA) is, “Celebrate Youth on the Trails.”
Results from the 2023 National High School Trail Running Championship
BOYS Results
1. Benjamin Anderson, Mountain Vista High School, 31:53
2. Will Brunner, Vail Mountain School, 32:24
3. Jake Drever, Eagle Valley High School, 33:05
4. Dylan Blair, Eagle Valley High School, 33:11
5. Zeke Wilcox, Salida High School, 33:20
6. Guthrie Manzella, Thompson Valley High School, 33:35
7. Cale O’Day, Cheyenne Mountain High School, 33:43
8. Holden Krizek, Fairview High School, 33:48
9. Keegan Geldean, Niwot High School, 33:49
10. Noah Harris, Unattached Club, 33:53
Eagle Valley wins the team title. Photo: Peter Maksimow
BOYS Team Results
1. Eagle Valley High School – 21 points, Combined Time: 1:40:55.79
2. Fairview High School – 41 points, Combined Time: 1:43:36.79
3. Niwot High School – 53 points, Combined Time: 1:44:36.60
4. Cheyenne Mountain High School – 55 points, Combined Time: 1:44:22.88
5. Northfield High School – 97 points, Combined Time: 1:48:21.94
6. Lewis-Palmer High School – 105 points, Combined Time: 1:49:06.72
7. Central Grand Junction – 107 points, Combined Time: 1:49:26.41
8. Fort Collins High School – 141 points, Combined Time: 1:52:38.64
9. Salida High School – 144 points, Combined Time: 1:56:47.91
Top three girls at the National High School Trail Running Championships. Photo: Peter Maksimow
GIRLS Results
1. Ella Hagen, Summit High School, 36:31
2. Keeghan Edwards, Mountain Vista High School, 36:55
3. Reese Tucker, Chatfield Senior High School, 38:14
4. Emily Beers, Air Academy High School, 38:58
5. Charlotte Tuxbury, Wellesley High School, 39:40
6. Rosie Mucharsky, Denver East High School, 39:51
7. Lindsey Whitton, Battle Mountain, 40:19
8. Tatum Berg, Fossil Ridge High School, 41:36
9. Taylor Buese, Northfield High School, 41:44
10. Grace Todd, Denver East High School, 42:02
Northfield High School wins girls’ team title. Photo: Peter Maksimow
GIRLS Team Results
1. Northfield High School – 41 points, Combined Time: 2:13:27.64
2. Lewis-Palmer High School – 56 points, Combined Time: 2:18:59.70
3. Central Grand Junction – 56 points, Combined Time: 2:19:15.04
4. Salida High School – 72 points, Combined Time: 2:26:04.12
5. Eagle Valley High School – 84 points, Combined Time: 2:30:35.40
Complete results from the 2023 National High School Trail Running Championships.
