COLORADO SPRINGS — Even as a teenager, Ashi Geberkidane doesn’t blink or panic when forced to make decisions. He understands it’s part of approaching adulthood.
A year ago, he was helping Denver East put the finishing touches on a Class 5A soccer title. But he’s not playing with the Angels this season, a victim of the game’s decree that all top players must only go the club or academy routes.
“I miss playing with my teammates,” Geberkidane said.
So when the school year began, while also balancing his college choice, Geberkidane sought further competition to accompany club soccer. He chose cross country, coupled him with his brother, Cerake, and it worked as they frequently dominated.
Saturday, Geberkidane, who has a 3.8 grade-point average and scored 34 of a possible 36 on the ACT, looked like a genius. He won Colorado’s 5A title by nine seconds at the Norris Penrose Events Center in between a picturesque backdrop of Cheyenne Mountain and the Rampart Range. He’s East’s first-ever winner.
“Finding time to do both was a whole lot of work,” he said, “but I made time, and it paid off.”
Geberkidane had hoped to finished 1-2 with his brother but said he used “a late burst” and Cerake, who led some of the race, finished third. Ashi won in 16 minutes, 21.7 seconds over the 5K (3.1-mile) challenging layout. Liberty’s Clayson Shumway was second (16:30.7) and Cerake third (16:38.1).
“If you want to go to that next level (in soccer), it’s about making those decisions,” Ashi said. “I made mine, no regrets, but I miss my (Angels) team. I miss them more than anything.”
Geberkidane has so much going on — he recently visited Columbia University and credited Ron Sally of Project Greer Street, which is working at East to place high-achieving African-American males with professionals and into top schools. And he follows his Angels soccer team like he’s still issued a jersey.
“We’re still a family,” he said of his team that faces Highlands Ranch on Monday in Round 2.
Teamwise, Mountain Vista, third in 2010 and second a year ago, completed the stair-step move with its first title. Junior Connor Weaver (15th), Eric Steiner, Andrew Walton, Seth Parker and Blake Graf ended within less than 17 seconds of one another.
There were several other firsts. In 4A, Eli Hemming (16:30.4) cruised to become Ponderosa’s first-ever placer and winner, and Coronado won as a team, paced by runner-up Bailey Roth (16:49.7), for its charter victory.
Anthony Thomas (16:48.8) became 3A Brush’s first champion in 55 years and University nabbed its first team crown in 55 years, headed by Garrett Coles (third). And in 2A, champion and freshman Paul Roberts (16:25) led Lyons to its inaugural team title.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714, ndevlin@denverpost.com or twitter.com/neildevlin
