National Champion: Rams' Vause wins national cross-country title in Portland

RIO RANCHO — The rain fell steadily all night and well into the morning, making the course muddy and slow.

The crowd gathered at the finish line Saturday, humming with anticipation, eyes straining to catch the first signs of the lead runners coming over that final hill and into the last 200-meter home stretch.

When it happened, all but a few were surprised to see the intense gaze and steady rhythm of Rio Rancho’s Charlie Vause peak over the hill first. Their surprise only grew when it became obvious Vause wasn’t just in the lead, he was in the lead BY A LOT.

Soaked to the bone, splattered in mud, Vause cruised over the finish line in first place, posting a time of 15:28.1, and laid claim to the most coveted title in high school cross-country, the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) trophy.

The winner of NXN is considered the best high school runner in America.

That title now belongs to Charlie Vause. He’s the best in the country, and the trophy is coming to Rio Rancho for the first time.

In fact, it’s coming to New Mexico for the first time. Vause is the first New Mexican to ever when the national title.

“I feel great,” Vause told the Observer. “I can’t tell if this is just the longest, best dream I’ve ever had. I’m so proud, and I’m so grateful for all the people who got me here.”

The new national champion wasn’t quite a long shot coming into the race, which was held Dec. 7 at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Oregon. But he wasn’t a favorite either. Vause was ranked 26th nationally on DyeStats and was an honorable mention runner on MileSplit (considered the top two evaluation websites for cross-country.)

The odds were against him, according to the “experts”. Vause’s team, the Rio Rancho Rams, lost in heartbreaking fashion at the NXN Regional meet in Mesa, Arizona, Nov. 23, but Vause was still able to qualify as an individual thanks to his third-place overall finish.

Additionally, Vause recently came in second in the NMAA Cross Country State Championship, where he was expected to win.

The final kicker, nine of the nation’s top 10 runners were set to compete at NXN Nationals.

All of that amounted to absolutely nothing for Vause, who brushed off the recent setbacks and blocked out the naysayers.

The RRHS senior put himself in a good position early on, taking the first two kilometers to establish himself in the lead group of runners. He finished 13th after kilometer one; 11th after kilometer two.

In kilometer three, Vause made his move. He pushed his way through the group and jumped up to third place, at the front of the lead group of roughly eight runners.

At the four-kilometer mark, Vause dropped briefly to sixth place as he prepared for his final move.

Then disaster happened. A runner in front of Vause tripped and fell. A quick side move, and he was able to weave around the fallen runner without toppling himself.

After that, Vause knew the title was in reach.

“Then I thought, ‘I’ve got this. I’ve done it before. I know how to do this. This is my moment. This is my chance,’” said Vause.

With a little under one kilometer left to go, Vause made his most aggressive move and sprinted to the front of the pack. But he didn’t stop there. He continued to push himself and opened up a massive lead over the entire field.

Then the final obstacle came into view: two massive, steep, mud-slicked hills.

“My time in Ohio served me well,” Vause said. “I learned how to run in those wet and slow conditions. And then training [in New Mexico] at elevation, I was prepared for it. It wasn’t a shock for me.”

Vause charged over both hills, seemingly without slowing.

The Rio Rancho boy coasted over the final 200 meters and across the finish line a full two seconds ahead of his closest competitor.

Next up for the national champion: “A well-earned week off,” Vause said. “Then it’s back to training again and easing back into it.”

The champ won’t be out of competition for long. He said he plans to compete in track and field and indoor races in the spring.