The Steamboat Springs High School women’s cross-country team won the Liberty Bell Invitational at Heritage High School in Littleton on Saturday, Sept 5.

Competing in Division 3, the women’s team was victorious in the 5,000-meter race, while the men’s team finished sixth.

Elsa Engeseth won the race in 18 minutes and 28.64 seconds. Whitney Warnke finished seventh and Evie Fisher came in 11th. Emerald Weber, Sophia McGinnis-Smith, Lily Garey and Carson Dressendorfer rounded out the varsity team.

The men’s squad finished sixth, with Sawyer Landers earning a third-place podium finish for running the course in 16 minutes, 21 seconds. Gavin Hendricks, Bode Rhodes, Benji Langness, Jacob Gonzalez, Dylan Gillespie and Quentin Nance rounded out the team.

“It was a fantastic result on a very hot day in Littleton,” said Cross Country Head Coach Lisa Renee Tumminello. “The runners showed so much grit in two competitive races, and fought for their podium spots.”

The Liberty Bell is recognized as one of the fastest early season races.

“It’s a flat, hard and fast race that our runners are not necessarily used to,” said Tumminello. “Our runners had to transition from running on mountain trails all summer to the concrete of Heritage High in a short amount of time.”

Engeseth — a freshman — bested many more experienced runners in Littleton and looks poised to have a strong season.

“She showed a lot of composure,” said Tumminello. “She led a very young team to a great finish and showed a tremendous amount of leadership for such a young person.”

In the open division races, the girls placed second and the boys took third.

Liz Clayton and Lindsay Berke earned sixth- and seventh-place finishes, while Sadie Morris, Maddie Morris and Lily Williams were top-five point scorers.

Arthur Keller finished in eighth place, followed by Anthony Maul, Ryan Becker, Jaxon Shaw and Ben Becker as top-five point scorers.

The next race for the team is the Eagle Valley Invitational on Sept. 19.

“We’re excited to return to our mountain trails,” said Tumminello. “We look forward to continuing our fantastic season and building on our success so far.”

The weekend of 9/11 holds a special place in the hearts of the Steamboat runners. On Sept. 10, the cross-country team was escorted by first responders to Yampa Valley Bank, where team members placed flags in front of the building prior to a ceremony for first responders. Runner Davis Brosterhous, student leader for the Never Forget Project, was scheduled to lead the placement of 10,000 flags.

“It is a reminder of how privileged we are, and it is a weekend of distinction,” said Tumminello.