For the second year in a row, Manitou Springs cross country makes history at the 3A Region 2 championships. 

Last season, the Mustang girls earned their first regional championship title in 25 years and carried that momentum into another title on Thursday. 

This year was the boys’ turn to make history, taking the regional team title for the first time since 1993 on a tiebreaker with Alamosa. 

Each team had 57 points, and the tiebreaker was determined by Manitou Springs’ sixth runner, freshman Killian Vasquez, who out-kicked several runners in the last 150 meters to place 27th and help the Mustangs win the team title. Alamosa’s sixth runner placed 35th. 

“This is insane,” Vasquez said. “It’s not just because of me but because of all these guys. They are just incredible runners. I just help where I can.”

“Some of us didn’t have the best day, but [Vasquez] really stepped up and showed what cross country is all about,” senior Yonas Hanson, who placed sixth overall, said. “We are super proud of him getting us the tiebreaker, and we owe him a lot. It’s awesome to finally get the title that has evaded us for a long time.”

The Mustangs have been on the losing side of tiebreakers several times in the last couple of years, including two this season, so seeing the boys get the win was an exhilarating moment for Manitou Springs coach Andy Sherwood. 

It’s a really special group,” Sherwood said. “They fought the entire way, passed a bunch of guys in the last 400 meters, and I was so proud of the way they responded. We just keep getting better every week, and I really like being able to find our way up to a dark horse moniker at this state meet.” 

After having a strong team a couple of years ago, Sherwood calls this season a “bridge year,” so with the regional win Thursday, the team is ahead of schedule to Sherwood’s excitement. 

“We had that good team a few years ago that Yonas and Daniel [Parker] were a part of, so having those guys pull these guys up to the point where we can really take off in the next few years, but at the same time be part of something special they’ve created as seniors, is really cool,” Sherwood said. 

Sophomore Chloe Bresnahan led the way for the Mustang girls Thursday with a second place finish in a time of 19:15.6. Telluride’s Austin Cook took the individual title in a time of 18:51.4. 

Manitou Springs took the team win with 37 points, followed by Salida in second (69), and Woodland Park in third (75). 

“Defending your title is a hard thing to do,” Bresnahan said. “You have everything to lose and nothing to gain, so it’s so much fun doing it together as a team.” 

“This is the toughest region in 3A, and our ability to win back-to-back titles is a testament to the culture these guys and girls have built over the last few years,” Sherwood said. “It makes you proud as a coach.” 

Sherwood says next week’s 3A state championship will be a dogfight on the boys’ side, and come down to who’s the toughest. But as he told the team Thursday, he would take Manitou Springs in a race like that. 

“That’s just who they are,” Sherwood said. “To be in a race they knew was going to be hard and rise to the occasion. … The future is really bright for both girls and boys teams.”