By: Lindsay Hanson ’19
After a long day of focusing on school work, 80 students give their last bit of energy into running cross country. Annually, the Regis Jesuit cross country team tries their very best to make it to state. On Saturday, October 28, 2017, our team was fortunate enough to compete at the Colorado State Cross Country Championships in Colorado Springs. Isalina Colsman, a well-rounded sophomore athlete here at Regis Jesuit, finished in seventh-place overall for the girls state race, which got her into the All-State first team honors as well as breaking a school record.
It was the first time a Regis Jesuit girls runner has ever reached the podium by being in the top 10. Colsman moved up 10 spots in the standings since last years state competition, where she finished in 17th place. In each high school cross country race and at the state meet, one must run a 5K which is equivalent to 3.1 miles. Colsman crossed the finish line in 18 minutes and 27.5 seconds, which is a clear improvement from her time of 19:28.18 this previous year.
Regis Jesuit’s cross country team has made it to state every year as a team except for this season, where they missed the cut by two points. Instead individual qualifiers competed from our team.
“Having Isalina do so well this year was a good way for us to still get our name out there,” said one of our three team captains, senior Sydney Lindquist. Lindquist was in awe as she watched Colsman cross the finish line with a huge smile on her face. Standing next to Colsman’s mom and senior girls who had graduated that came back from college to watch, Lindquist was ecstatic for her teammate.
“We were all really excited and we could tell how excited she was,” she says. During the last stretch of running in the finals, Colsman became determined to sustain her endurance until the very end. She was really nervous in the beginning but soon realized that she was in the top 10 and needed to push herself.
“It was crazy”, claims Colsman. “At first I didn’t believe that it was actually happening, but then it sunk in and I was like ‘Wow!”
“She is such a light in so many peoples’ lives so it was so great to see her accomplish something so amazing,” Lindquist says. Fall of 2017 was Lindquist’s second season being a team captain for Regis Jesuit’s cross country team. She loves being a captain as she still gets to socialize with her teammates but also gets to be a mentor and coach. “It’s a good way for me to spread my joy for running that I have and be able to help the team in a different way of
bonding,” she said.
Colsman started running when she was 11 years old as a hobby. She ran track in 6th grade for her middle school as a sport alongside swimming. Colsman entered Regis her freshmen year with an optimistic attitude. She had never ran cross country before but knew it would be a great way to meet new people at a new school. With only running cross country for a little over a year, Colsman has tremendously improved.
“I have been smarter about the way I race”, she says, “I don’t go out too fast in the beginning of the race like I used to and I stick with a positive mental attitude.”
In addition to focusing on her own progress as a runner, Isalina acknowledges the importance of having a large team there to support her.
“They are really positive and keep me going throughout every single workout,” states Colsman, “they all work really hard so it inspires me to work hard too.”
Colsman’s teammates acknowledge how dedicated she is but also how humble she remains.
“She is the first person to tell you good job after a race”, says Lindquist, “she is the last person to complain or put others down.”
Teammates are not only there for running purposes, but also there as a friend to others.
Colsman loves to talk to her team about everyday life as she finds that their conversations do not have to be centered around running. During fall practices, running six days a week and, on average 4 to 6 miles a day is without a
doubt, exhausting. Students often find how physically fit they become within a short period of time. Colsman tries her best to maintain a healthy diet and will run on weekends when the team isn’t running together.
Still in shock about being the first girl in Regis Jesuit history to finish in the top 10 at the Cross Country 5A State Finals, and even just a state qualifier, Colsman hopes that running will always be a big part of her life in years to come. In the end, the hard work and determination finally paid off for Colsman.
Listen to our RJ Radio interview with Isalina and Sydney at the top of this post.