Female:

Our female Athlete of the Month is senior Katie Rainsberger. Katie just completed her final cross country season for Air Academy, and it was one of the most successful seasons any runner has ever had in the state of Colorado. On October 31st, Katie not only defended her individual title with a time of 17:38 (which was 34 seconds faster than the second place finisher), but she also led the Kadets to the first ever team cross country title in the history of Air Academy. Long before the state meet, Katie was gaining accolades nationally. On October 2nd at the Desert Twilight Invitational meet in Casa Grande, Arizona, Katie ran her fastest time of 16:23, which gave her the recognition as the top runner in the nation. Although the high school season is over, Katie and her teammates still train. The team will attempt to qualify for the Nike Cross Nationals, which will take place in December. After that, it’s on to track for Katie, who will work to defend her multiple state titles. Next year, Katie will be headed to Oregon to run cross country and track for the Ducks. “Winning a state championship with the girls was awesome, but we still have a lot of work to do,” said Katie.

Original photo by Nate Renfrew.

Male:

Our male Athlete of the Month is senior Mark Beatty. This midfielder just finished his last season of Kadet soccer with an outstanding season. After last season’s state championship, the boys had a lot of pressure on their shoulders. Mark, a captain, did a wonderful job of guiding the team through the ups and downs that come naturally in a season. Throughout the season, Mark totaled 8 goals and 4 assists, all while commanding the midfield with fellow senior Cosmo Gayo. Some of Mark’s strongest performances came in the playoffs. 3 of his 8 goals were scored in the playoffs, as well as one of his assists. Mark had two goals in the first round game against Skyview, which helped the Kadets through to the next round with a 3-1 win. In the next round against Littleton, Mark assisted the go ahead goal, and the Kadets won 2-0. Finally, in the quarterfinals the Kadets fell just short to TCA, losing 2-3, despite the best efforts from Mark and the team. Late in the game, Mark buried a free kick goal in the top corner which drew the Kadets within one point, giving them a chance to win. However, even with the recent loss, Mark led the Kadets in a valiant defense of the state title the year before. “I’m so glad I was able to play my senior season with these boys. I will never forget it, but now it’s on to basketball,” said Mark.

Original photo by Nate Renfrew.