This interview features the Monarch High School (Louisville, Colorado) girls cross country team; responses by head coach Kent Reider. Monarch was the Colorado State 5A Champion in 2011 (over perennial national power Fort Collins), and returns their top seven runners from 2011, only one a senior in 2012.
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School, location (city, state) - Monarch High School, Louisville, Colorado
Team (boys, girls, both) – girls
Head Coach – Kent Rieder
Assistant Coaches – Paul Lilly, Laura Thweatt, Kevin Lowe
Top (national level) athletes; name, grade, XC event/PR’s:
Claire Green, 11, 5k, 18:06, Liberty Bell Invitational
Kaitlyn Benner, 11, 5k, 18:28, NXN Southwest
Taylor Floming, 12, 5k, 18:43, Liberty Bell Invitational
Ashley Litoff, 11, 5k, 18:55, Liberty Bell Invitational
Key(s) to the success of your team – I believe the key to our team is consistency in training from the start of the season till the end.
Your favorite meet(s) – I think if you talked to the athletes, you would find a wide variety of answers to their favorite meet. My personal favorite is the Pat Patten Invite, run close to home in South Boulder, with most of the Boulder County HS teams in attendance.
What you most love about cross country - My favorite part of XC is the team atmosphere and camaraderie. Kids run for each other and for a team goal, not just for themselves.
Teams you most enjoy competing against – Favorite teams to compete against are Ft. Collins, Boulder and Fairview, all friendly rivalries, with great programs and great coaches.
Team goals for the season – Team goals for the season are to repeat as State Champions and return to NXN with a top team performance.
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For more information check out the MileSplit's Monarch HS Team Page.
