Ben Adams took crisp, business-like strides.

If the Mountain Vista junior was wearing a suit, it’d be black and pressed and he’d be sporting an alpha-red tie.

Power suit. Power tie. Power everything.

Adams was all business 200 meters into the Pat Patten Invitational in Boulder Saturday morning.

Before the clock hit the first minute of the race he was off and running well into a race of his own with no challenging shadows, save for his own.

This would be no final quarter-mile kick to the finish like at the Vista Nation 2 Mile, or a lean at the line like the Cherry Creek Steve Lohman Invitational.

No.

This would be the Ben Adams Show, featuring Ben Adams as himself, soloing around the course in its entirety.

And the show would hit its climax 15 minutes, 10 seconds in — when Adams cruised across the finish line in a course record.

The Mountain Vista junior took down former teammate Benji Anderson’s one-year-old course record of 15:13, and Adams did it the hard way — racing from the front.

“My goal was to go out hard and break it open from the start,” Adams explained. “I’m really good with my kick, but I’m trying to work on leading from the front.”

The way of which Adams dominated the field simply added yet another tool to his lofty tool belt. The Mountain Vista junior has been undefeated this season. And if Saturday’s performance in Boulder said anything, it’s that he can win from the back with a kick, or from the front off a grueling pace.

Challengers beware.

Behind him was a stellar field.

Castle View sophomore Wyatt Dann had an impressive race of his own, finishing second in 15:26, while the Boulder duo of Lucas Wik and Crooper Draves went 3-4.

Boulder put three inside the top-10, and all five scoring runners inside the top-20 to take the team race, tallying 53 points — their “Stop Boulder” t-shirts lived up to the hype.

Mountain Vista was a close second with 62 points, while Castle View took third with 91.

While Adams, and Boulder, were all business on boys side of the race, Claire Guiberson may very well have been wearing a power suit of her own.

The Mountain Vista senior has been on fire lately, and the momentum has only continued as if pulled on by gravity.

Guiberson picked up yet another dominating win, in yet another impressive course record.

The Mountain Vista senior torched the field, and the previous record — held by former teammate Peyton Adams. Guiberson’s 17:35 took a jaw-dropping 20 seconds off the course record, and trounced the field by 40 seconds.

“I think I ran as fast as I could on the day,” Guiberson shared, after admitting that it was a rough day. “I like to push — I would’ve run my hardest no matter what.”

Guiberson’s hardest on this day left challengers in her wake — the Mountain Vista senior soloed the final two-and-a-half miles.

Coming in second was Cherry Creek’s Kylee Hu in 18:15, which was just ahead of Boulder’s Calia Vaughn, who finished third in 18:19.

One more notable finish was Cheyenne Mountain freshman Raegan McRae, who finished fourth in 18:23.

In the team competition Mountain Vista put three in the top-eight, and five in the top-16 to take the title, tallying 42 points, while Boulder was second with 53, and Fairview was third with 131.

(Bobby Reyes)

Run Around The State

Pantherfest: Coal Ridge’s Effie Fletcher ran away with a dominating victory, clocking 18:00. Eagle Valley’s Dylan Blair won the boys race in 15:35.

Pat Amato Classic: Cherokee Trail freshman Maddy Lange won the girls race in 18:03.

Thunder Storm XC Invitational: Pueblo West’s Tristan Persons won the boys race in 15:39, while Manitou Springs’ Chloe Bresnahan won the girls race in 18:36.

Meade Stampede: Riverdale Ridge’s Payton Meineke ran away with the girls race, clocking 17:43. Golden sophomore Jackson Fergusen picked up his third consecutive victory, running 15:53.

Windjammer Invitational: Heritage sophomore Scout Destefano won the girls race in 18:31.

Niwot Invitational: Rocco Culpepper won the boys race in 16:11.