1st CHS boys cross-country Metro title since ‘81

LEFT: Jesse Mathews in fifth place was Coronado's second scorer at the Metro League finals Oct. 16. RIGHT: Coronado's Dylan Witte (sixth) outsprints Palmer's Conner Schake to the finish, giving the Cougars their one-point title margin over Palmer. Westside Pioneer photo The Coronado High boys cross-country team won the Colorado Springs Metro League championship Oct. 16 for the first time since 1981. Besting eight 5A schools in all, the Cougar runners nipped Palmer by a single point on the 5-kilometer course at Fountain-Fort Carson High School. They were led by senior Dusty Solis, whose time of 15:54 - nearly half a minute ahead of the nearest 5A runner in the 4A/5A race - gave him individual honors for the third straight year. Other Coronado placers were Jesse Mathews, 5th; Dylan Witte, 6th; Ryan Mott, 13th; and Dan Egger, 15th.        Next up for the Westside public high school is the regional event Oct. 22, with strong hopes of finishing in at least the top five (out of a 12-school field) so as to qualify its full seven-man team for the state championship race Oct. 31 in Fort Collins. Last year, the Coronado boys captured the regional title (Solis the individual winner) for the first time in school history, then took third at state (Solis seventh) for its best-ever result in that competition as well.        Asked for a comment this week, Coronado coach Doug Hugill was reticent to say too much before Regionals, but offered that “Dusty is one of the best high school runners in the nation. If he stays healthy, he will do well in a very tough state championship. Colorado boasts some of the nation's best runners.”        The one-point difference at Metros was dramatized by the duel for sixth place between Witte and Palmer runner Conner Schake. With the league title on the line, the two kicked side by side for the last 150 yards, with Witte edging ahead just before the finishing chute. Westside Pioneer article