FORT COLLINS — For once this season, The Classical Academy’s Kaitlin Hanenburg found herself challenged.

Hanenburg, the Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado runner of the year last season, found the heart to out dual Middle Park’s Samantha Berggren to win the individual championship in Saturday’s Class 3A state cross country championships on the 5-kilometer course at Fossil Ridge High School.

But Hanenburg’s teammates were hardly challenged as the rolled to they state title with four girls placing in the top-10 and scoring 16 points. Salida was a distant second (111 points) and Peak to Peak third (122).

Prior to the state meet, Hanenburg, the defending champion, was considered a heavy favorite. But Berggren, a sophomore, was able to give the Titan’s junior all she could handle as they battled throughout the race. It was on the stretch run that Hanenburg was able to get an edge on Berggren to win with a time of 17:47.6 seconds to Berggren’s 17:50.7.

“It was was hard with Sam pushing me at the end,” said Hanenburg, whose only loss this season was to 5A state champion Allie McLaughlin of Air Academy. “She is really an amazing runner and it’s great to run against her. I really had to dig deep. It was great to get to win again, the course was very fast and I enjoyed it.

“I had people talking to me on the course, so I knew she was close all the way. Sam beat me in state track last year in the 800. I was scared when she was on my back and I had a flashback to track.”

Berggren had hopes of an upset at a distance in which she has not been able to defeat Hanenburg. But, it wasn’t to be.

“The final stretch was hard, my legs were burning,” Berggren said. “I just wanted to keep up with her and hope I would have some kick at the end. She just had too much in the final stretch.”

The Classical Academy freshman Shelby Stableford finished third (18:17.5), junior Emily Lavalley (fifth, 18:43.7) and Kassie Mazzocco (seventh, 19:08.3) to round out the top-10 performances by the Titans.

“I always knew it was going to be a crazy fast start and a fast first mile,” Stableford said. “I did what I wanted to do, stayed with the girl in third (Kara Slavoski of St. Mary's) at the time and passed her. My personal time was not what I wanted, but I don't think I could have run a better tactical race. It was right where I wanted it to be.

“I’m so happy with the way the team ran. It couldn’t have come out any better for us.”

Salida failed to place any individual runners in the top-10, but a second-place finish to six-time state champion The Classical Academy was a fine effort.

Junior Lauren Policky led the way for the Spartans with her 14th-place finish while freshman Kaiti Davis (23rd) was also strong. Salida had no seniors on this year’s squad.