COLORADO SPRINGS — Addy and Jude Ritzenhein are openly competitive. They race in the swimming pool, then battle for “Mario Kart” dominance.
They even play a game of ‘Who can eat the most gross-flavored jelly beans?’ … Hard to determine the real winner there.
Running-wise, however, they’re strictly supportive.
On Saturday at the CHSAA state cross country championships, senior Addy added to her already decorated high school legacy, sealing an individual three-peat by winning the 5A girls race. Jude, meanwhile, finished sixth in his freshman debut, and the Cougars celebrated both a girls’ and boys’ team title.
“It’s so special to have this last year with him,” Addy, the Northern Arizona commit, said.
In cold conditions at Norris Penrose Event Center, the state’s biggest name in girls running couldn’t break the course record (16:54.70) she set in 2024, but she still won the 5A race by more than 30 seconds, at 17:08.50.
“Jude is so talented,” she went on. “Like, he is going to be a big name in the next couple of years. I know he’s going to do something super special and shock everyone … but I also want to make sure there’s no pressure on him.”
Like Addy, Jude and the Cougars’ boys team dominated en route to a third straight title, scoring just 28 points in one of the most dominant showings ever seen at the state meet.
The only time fewer team points were posted in a state race scoring five boys runners over the past decade was Cheyenne Mountain’s 26 in 2021. It was also the last time the Cougars didn’t win the team crown as they finished second to Red-Tailed Hawks in 4A that season.
“Like at the start of the season, I didn’t think I’d even be on varsity,” Jude admitted. “And I knew I wasn’t going to be as good as (Addy) my freshman season. But then, I come into state, and get sixth as a freshman … and that’s just, like, so cool.”
Hunter Robbie led five Niwot runners in the top 10, placing second (15:06.40). He followed in Mountain Vista’s Benjamin Adams (15:03.30), who did an ice-cold gesture — either in celebration or because temperatures were in the 30s — as he crossed the line for the individual win.
Quinn Sullivan was third (15:14.30) for the Cougars, Jude was sixth (15:19.40), Ryder Keeton seventh (15:21.60) and Gabriel Marshall 10th (15:27.10).
“Coming in, obviously our goal was to win a state title,” said Robbie, who’ll next lead MileSplit’s top-ranked team in the nation at Nike Cross Regionals-Southwest in Arizona later this month. “We just wanted to have fun with it.”
Less than 90 minutes after the boys’ win, Addy blew away the 5A girls field as the Cougars (103 points) edged Heritage (107) for the team title.
Elise Hagen (18:39.00) was 22nd for Niwot, Anna Prok (18:42.90) 25th, Siona Kelly 36th (18:46.90) and Emily Bolda 39th.
It was the seventh girls title in eight seasons for the Cougars — they finished fifth in their first year in 5A a season ago.
For the program as a whole, it was the fourth time since 2018 it won the boys and girls team title in the same season. They now a dozen team titles between them.
For the Ritzenheins, the latest two felt most special of all.
“I will always be his No. 1 supporter,” Addy said of her brother Jude. “And I know he’s probably my No. 1 supporter as well.”
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