(Quinn McConnell takes the Girls Sweepstakes victory in 17:01.-photo by John Hays)
Quinn McConnell Dedicates Victory To Friend Brandon, And Father Ed McConnell
Two years after losing to Allie Schadler (Rio Rico, '17) in 2016, Peak to Peak's Quinn McConnell (Sr.) returned to Grande Sports and set her sights on the victory in the Girls Sweepstakes race. McConnell and the rest of the field came through at 5:20 for the first mile. I took a deep breath and thought, "This is what I love and this is what I'm here to do." She made her move about a half a mile later and though Chaparral's Abi Archer (Sr.) put up a fight and overtook her at the two-mile mark, McConnell was not here to let it slip away like two years ago. She held off Archer down the closing stretch in just over 17 minutes.
"I was a different person when I raced this as a sophomore. Here Abi was pressing with me the entire time so it was a drastically different finish," said McConnell. Superfrosh Cameron McConnell of Cherokee Trail took 3rd in 17:17, while Caroline McLeskey (Highland, Jr.) held off last year's champion Samantha Schadler in 17:19.1 to 17:19.9.
This victory carries greater significance for McConnell now a Senior racing for much, much more. Two years ago, her teammate Brandon Ries (Peak to Peak, 2017) collapsed during a race and died hours later and in January her father Ed McConnell passed away after he too collapsed while running. "This gives me a lot of confidence and the strength to keep pressing forward, to wake up every day to run for Brandon and for my dad."
Led by McConnell the Peak to Peak girls garnered 143 points to finish 3rd among teams in the Girls' Sweepstakes race. "This was just one more testament of how strong our team is and how much we've overcome," says McConnell.