MEEKER | This past week the Meeker High School cross country team closed out its 2025 season Thursday in Delta Colorado at the Colorado 2A Region 5 Championships held at Confluence Park, where sophomore Bradley Conrado punched his ticket to the state meet with a strong top-10 finish.
Conrado crossed the line in 18 minutes, 21 seconds, placing ninth overall and securing an individual berth to the state championships that will take place in Colorado Springs on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. His performance helped lead the Cowboys to a fifth-place team finish with 127 points — tying Olathe for fourth but narrowly missing the state-qualifying cutoff due to a tiebreaker.
Following Conrado were sophomore Ryan Hanberg in 21st (19:07.89), freshman Landon Damitz in 24th (19:38.32), senior Cameron Hanberg in 26th (19:50.98), and freshman Jackson Steele in 47th (21:40.16). Senior Remy Broussard also competed, clocking 24:38.22.
On the girls’ side, senior Haylee Steele led Meeker with a 36th-place finish in 25:20.29, closing out her high school cross country career with another strong performance.
Head Coach Marty Casey said Conrado’s focus and preparation were key to his success at regionals. “Bradley started the race with a plan and stuck to it,” Casey said. “He had a fast start, found a pack, and ran a smart race.”
Casey added that Conrado’s growth this season has been just as much mental as physical. “Brad has consistently been one of our top runners, but the mental approach to racing has really improved,” he said. “He has gained confidence through experience.”
Conrado said that strategy and encouragement from his coaches played a big role in his performance at regionals. “Just before the race, Mr. Casey said the best way to place well at this meet is to start out very fast, even though I’m usually a slow starter,” Conrado said. “Luckily, I got into a group of runners before the bottleneck about 200 meters in. The first mile was very fast — I almost slowed down — I believe I ran somewhere around a 5:25 mile compared to the 5:50–6 I usually get. I was able to keep up with them through the rest of the race, although they must have slowed down.”
After the race, Conrado said he was thrilled to learn he had qualified for state. “After the race was finished, Mr. Casey pulled up the results and said I had made it,” he said. “Hearing the news, I was very happy, but it was almost outweighed by the team just barely not qualifying.”
He added that support from his teammates and coaches has been essential throughout the season. “During the season my coaches certainly led to my success, as well as thinking how great it would feel to make it to state,” he said. “My teammates have been cheering me on like no other — during meets and at awards — and that has greatly contributed to my success. Although our team just barely didn’t qualify for state, everyone had great races last Thursday, and I’m excited to see how well they can do next year.”
Looking ahead, Conrado said his focus at state will be on both performance and experience.
“Heading into state, I will definitely compete as well as I can, but I also want to enjoy the race since it’s going to be a lot different than the normal season meets,” he said. “Looking forward, I’m hoping our team can fit in more training in the summer to be even better at the start of the season.”
While Meeker narrowly missed qualifying as a team, Casey said the boys handled the moment with maturity and pride. “There was disappointment, certainly, that varied by individual,” he said. “Each one knew they worked hard, and hopefully they can use this for future motivation.”
As Conrado prepares for the state championships, Casey said training this week will focus on fine-tuning and staying fresh. “We’ll be working to maintain his fitness level, as well as race strategy for the course,” he said. “There are some hills to challenge him and the spectacle that is the State Meet, but he is in good shape and keeps a cool head.”
Reflecting on the season as a whole, Casey said he’s proud of the team’s growth and effort throughout the year. “Everyone had a good season,” he said. “We saw progress and new personal records throughout, and lots of hard work. We have a fairly young team and will bring a lot of experience with us next year.”
Senior Haylee Steele also reflected on closing out her high school cross country career in Delta. “Going into this race, I knew it was going to be harder because it was my last, as well as the competition that was there,” Steele said. “It means a lot to represent Meeker by showing how strong people in Meeker can be, but also the grit that everyone has, especially on the team.”
Steele said she’s proud of sticking with cross country through all four years. “I’m proud of sticking with cross country for all of the years, even through the rough times,” she said. “Cross country has taught me how to keep driving for whatever is next in life, and it has also taught me how to be a stronger leader.”
She added that support from her coaches and teammates helped make the season memorable. “Coach Casey and my teammates have supported me through all of the races that we’ve run and have always made sure to cheer on all of us,” Steele said. “I will definitely remember this year because I’m a senior and because I got to run with my younger brother one last time in high school. I’ll also remember all of the adventures that we had throughout all of the years that we did cross country.”
Conrado will represent Meeker at the Colorado 2A State Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs.
For the Cowboys, the season may be over — but the example they’ve set, and the spirit they’ve run with, will carry on well beyond the finish line.
Sophomore Bradley Conrado smiles proudly after earning a medal for his ninth-place finish at the 2A Region 5 Cross Country Championships in Delta, securing an individual berth to the state meet in Colorado Springs.
