Outstanding Colorado High School Distance Athlete Award

ADDISON RITZENHEIN – Niwot HS

Although she comes from a great running family, Addy began her athletic pursuits first as a swimmer and a gymnast.  She dipped her feet in the running pool during the COVID lockdown to connect with other people in an outdoor environment, since indoor facilities were inaccessible.   Addy loves the team atmosphere at Niwot, where her besties are her teammates, and they all work and play together!  She was not the most competitive personality at first, but with encouragement from Coach Christensen, Addy broke through that barrier and found her inner fierceness.  She has accompanied her family (parents Kalin and Dathan, younger brother Jude) to far-off places like China, Germany, Switzerland, France, England, and Italy and already has been exposed to LOTS of running royalty due to her family’s tradition in the sport. She was recently awarded the Gatorade Colorado XC Player of the Year for 2023/24!   Addy enjoyed great success in her first real season of XC and looks forward to many more exciting milestones in the years ahead.   It’ll be great fun to see where her improvement takes her next! 

PR’s: 

• XC 5k PR:  16:44.90 (1^st at Desert Twilight Invitational)
• Mile PR:  4:50.22   (1^st at PEAK Pre-Season Indoor meet 2/24/24)
• 2-mile PR:   9:52.64 (3^rd at New Balance Indoor Nationals)
• First place 4A State XC Championships, First at 2023 Nike Cross Country Nationals, First at 4A 2023 State Track Meet in 3200m, 3^rd at 2023 State Track Meet in 1600m
• Outdoor Mile PR:  4:42.56 (5^th at Arcadia Invitational)

High School Distance Runner Achievement Award Winners

ISABEL ALLORI – Liberty Common HS

As a high-achieving scholar and a decorated athlete, Isabel maintains a very busy schedule— balancing the demands of her academics and her sport with great success at both!  She began her running journey at a small Catholic school in Oklahoma running with the “Mighty Milers” club that her teacher organized.  They would run laps around the parking lot, and Isabel took an instant liking to it!  The club enjoyed sponsorship from the New York Road Runners, and they even sent Isabel her very first pair of real running shoes!  Her family moved to Fort Collins when Isabel was in 4^th grade, and by 5^th grade she won the girls’ mile event at the Poudre School district championship.  She participated in XC throughout middle school, transferring to Liberty Common HS in the 10^th grade.  Her team ran at the Nike Cross Regionals meet that fall, then qualified to compete at the Nike National meet in both 2022 and 2023.  Isabel finished 2^nd there last fall despite battling a fever during the race.  She is a humble, hard-working and respectful competitor who enjoys the team aspect of distance running as much as the ability to stand out as an individual.

Liberty Common is a rigorous achievement-based college preparatory school ranked #2 in CO for academic excellence by US News & World Report.  Isabel thrives in this environment, earning a 4.53 weighted GPA and scoring 5’s on all her AP tests thus far.  She participates in Student Leadership activities, helped organize the Candidates Forum at Liberty (showcasing school board members for their community), and has chosen to compete for Notre Dame next year.  Her penchant for math and science will offer many opportunities for her future career, but for now Isabel is excited to further her running and finish her time at Liberty Common with a great track season. 

PR’s:  

• 800m PR:  2:11.84
• 1600m PR:  4:52.64
• 3200m PR:  9:56.82
• XC 5k PR:  16:51.70  (Liberty Bell Champion)
• 3A XC State Champion, Runner-Up at Nike Cross SW Regionals, 4^th at Nike Cross Nationals
• Won all her 2023 Colorado XC races
• Runner-Up at New Balance Indoor Nationals in 2-mile 9:48.20  3/8/24
• Champion at Arcadia Invitational 2-mile 4/6/24  9:58.07

WILL BRUNNER – Battle Mountain HS

The middle of three siblings, Will attends Vail Mountain School, but began running with Battle Mountain’s team as a freshman because VMS does not have sports programs on campus.  He quickly bonded with Porter Middaugh (another 2024 honoree) and has embraced the sport in every way.  As a young boy, Will wanted to become a ski patroller, was passionate about a variety of athletic activities (waterskiing, swimming, anything outdoors) and didn’t run his first XC event until 6^th grade.  But he quickly set his sights high—running a full marathon before starting high school!  As a freshman, Will spent his early mornings with studies and practices, improving on both and forging a close friendship with the Middaughs, who became his go-to source for running advice.  Will plans to focus on pre-med at Harvard, where they just celebrated their first mens champion ever at the NCAA XC finals.  His infectious enthusiasm for running has distinguished Will and made him the perfect choice to serve as captain of his XC, Nordic Ski, and Track squads for multiple seasons.  He was a founder of the Vail Mountain Gazette school newspaper, helps with the Loaves and Fishes community food bank, and has gone on several mission trips to Belize to provide housing assistance for their islanders living in poverty.  Will is a champion in the classroom, in the community, and in his sports.   In addition to his running accolades, Will placed 4^th at the State Finals in Skate-skiing and 7^th in Classic skiing.  Will was chosen to compete on the U-20 USA Mountain Trail Team at the world competition (held in France last May), where they won the team title.  It was one of Will’s many proud moments, and more are sure to come.

PR’s:

• 800m PR:  1:55.94
• 1600m PR:  4:16.96
• 3200m PR:  8:59.25
• 4A State Champion in 3200m, 6^th at State Track Meet for 1600m
• 5k XC PR: 14:47.00  Won 4A XC Region 1 Championships,  4A State XC Champion 2023
• Runner-Up at National HS Trail Championships 7/29/23

DANIEL HRUSKA – Cherry Creek HS

Daniel comes from a family of runners—his parents and his 3 sisters run recreationally, and they are all outdoor enthusiasts.  He began running with the Cottonwood Cruisers, a grade school group his mom organized.  From a very young age, Daniel displayed passion for everything he took on, whether it was a simple task or a tough physical challenge.  He is a singularly resourceful person who figures out how to navigate any obstacle and relishes the chance to tackle it!  Daniel has become the leader of a storied program at Cherry Creek HS—working diligently at his running for all 4 years in both track and XC.  He is consistently a team-first player, always encouraging and supporting his fellow Bruins.  Despite qualifying to run in the higher-level Sweepstakes division race at Nike Cross Regionals, Daniel chose to compete with his team in their race.  He leads by example, supports his teammates at every turn, and crushes it in the classroom as well.  Daniel excels academically, taking honors and AP classes and maintaining a 4.3 weighted GPA.  He is one of only 2 CCHS representatives to serve on both the Principal Advisory Council and the Superintendent Advisory Council, which provide a connection between students and their administrators.  He works part-time at the local Fleet Feet shop, and last summer Daniel led a group of 8 scouts (and 3 dogs!) on a 12-day backcountry hiking trip at Philmont Boy Scout Camp in New Mexico.  He is nearing completion on his Eagle Scout project requirements—building pottery tables for the art department at CCHS.   Daniel’s choice to attend Boston University will enable him to pursue a pre-law degree and run for a team with a rich history!  Who among us doesn’t wish to someday run in Boston??!!

PR’s: 

• 800m PR: 1:58.85
• 1600m PR : 4 :17.73
• 3200m PR :  8 :56.03
• 5k XC PR:  14:49.00
• 4th in 3200m at 5A State Track Finals
• 9^th place at Running Lane XC Nationals 2023

BETHANY MICHALAK – Air Academy HS

Bethany’s first running experience came as a 3^rd-grader when she joined an after-school run group which would do laps around their playground….and very soon her competitive nature began to shine through.  She became a member of the Kokopelli Running Club and by 5^th grade was competing in USATF XC Nationals…..winning the title in both 7^th and 8^th grades!  Her high school career at Air Academy began during the pandemic, so 2020 was a lean year for competition.  Despite the restrictions, Bethany torched the USAAU national XC meet in 2020 and was All-American again in the limited national racing options 2021 offered.  She qualified with her team as a junior to Nike Cross Nationals, where they placed 7^th   as a team, and she was 3^rd  overall.  In 2023,  Air Academy ladies improved to win the team championship, and Bethany finished 2^nd overall.  With her steady leadership, Bethany has helped Air Academy win the team Colorado XC State title 2 years in a row.   Bethany is a 14’er fanatic, having climbed up 8 of them thus far—with plans to bag all 58 eventually!  She serves as a Link Leader at AA, is a member of the National Honor Society, serves on the Captain’s Council (a sports-based school leadership group), helps with Habitat for Humanity, and is a Peer Partner for special-needs students so they can navigate their high school experience with more ease.  Bethany has also supported the Zoe Project, which sends supplies and funds to assist a primary school in the Chancho Village of Ethiopia.  Bethany is extremely team-centric, which has propelled Air Academy to the heights of our sport.  She will take her winning mindset to the North Carolina State University—and beyond!   Her recent NIL agreement with New Balance is a testament to the confidence others have in Bethany’s bright future as a national-caliber distance runner.  

PR’s: 

• 5k XC PR:  16.48.90 
• 1600m PR:  4:35.83
• 3200m PR:  9:57.86
• Runner-Up in both the 1600m & the 3200m at the State Track Finals 2023
• 6^th place at 5A XC State Championships 2023, Winner of the 5A Region 5 Championships
• 4^th place at Nike Cross SW Regionals, Runner-Up at Nike Cross Nationals 2023

PORTER MIDDAUGH – Battle Mountain HS

This recognition is the second time around for the Middaugh family, with Porter’s older brother Sullivan having been honored in 2022!  In keeping with the “follow-you-up” mentality, Porter plans to enroll at Arizona State University and join the Project Podium triathlon developmental team there.  Porter has been a multi-sport athlete from the start, participating in everything from basketball to snowshoe racing!  He loves a diversity of activities and is driven by the physiological process of athletic improvement, and how training modalities affect progression.  Porter immerses himself in the nitty-gritty of exercise specialization, in keeping with his passion for the sciences.  He ranks in the top 10% of his class at Battle Mountain HS, works at the Peak Performance running shop in Edwards, and enjoys every season of the year outdoors!  In 2021, Porter was the 15-19 age group champion at the Xterra World Trail Championship (half-marathon) in Maui, then in 2022 and 2023 he notched back-to-back first place wins in the amateur division at the Xterra Nationals in Beaver Creek (1500m swim, 30k bike, 10k trail run). His time for the course would have placed him 5^th overall in the Pro Division!  In addition to his win at Xterra Nationals in 2022, Porter also traveled to Italy to compete that summer in the U-20 World Trail Running Championships where he finished 4^th overall and first for Americans.   Porter recently was awarded the Gatorade Colorado XC Player of the Year Award for 2023/24—a huge honor!  The Middaugh family tradition of diverse and podium-topping athletic excellence continues…..and no doubt  Sullivan and Porter will make for a formidable duo in the super competitive world of multi-sport/triathlon racing.

PR’s:

• 800m PR:  1:59.44
• 1600m PR:  4:18.01
• 3200m PR:  8:41.05 at Arcadia Invitational  4/6/24
• 5k XC PR: 14:38.70
• 5^th place at Nike Cross SW Regionals,  6^th place at Nike Cross Nationals
• 4^th place at XC State Championships 2023,  Champion at Dave Sanders Invitational
• Ran the 200m, 400m, 800m, and threw the discus at the Battle Mtn Husky Invite last April!
• 11^th place in the 2-mile (9:03.04) at New Balance Indoor Nationals meet 3/8/24  

JACOB SUSHINSKY – Mullen HS

Jacob has become the pied piper of boys’ distance running at Mullen for the past couple years—he has encouraged and advocated for his sport on campus, which has grown the group from about 5 members to over double that in the last year.  His quiet, humble example of hard work paying out big dividends bleeds over to his teammates and has given them the confidence to work diligently toward bigger rewards awaiting on the horizon.  Jacob is an exceptional role model, leading by example and never shirking the hard parts of training.  He rallies the troops and supports others’ progress, never complaining about the conditions, the course, or the competition.   Jacob is an avid follower of everyone’s stats on MileSplit, loves numbers, and plans to major in biology and computer science at Boston University….a perfect combo!   He gets his inspiration from Steve Prefontaine, loves his Lightning McQueen Crocs, wears the wildest split shorts he can find, and is strict about his pre-race meals.  Sounds like a typical Colorado runner!  Jacob is also an awesome student, carrying a 4.31 GPA and volunteers much of his spare time to outreach programs at Mullen.  He has participated in the Kairos student ambassador program, worked on blood drives, spent over 80 hours on service projects, and has helped with the Mullen Home, a shelter for needy families.   Jacob is a superior young man with a bright future in running and in life. 

PR’s: 

• 800m PR:  2:03.47
• 1600m PR:  4:18.53 (8th at 4A State Track Meet 2023)
• 3200m PR:  9:28.78 (3^rd at 4A State Track Meet 2023)
• XC 5k PR:  14:49.60 (2^nd at 4A Regionals 2023),  Runner-up at 2023 XC 4A State Championships