"It's my time": Palisade's DeFord ready to lead the way in cross country

Being the best cross country runner in the Grand Valley is no small feat. The run-crazed culture and pristine climate of Western Colorado has become a breeding ground for high-level distance runners, from professionals to adult hobbyists and all the way down to the prep ranks. Year in and year out, the upper echelon of Mesa County’s cross country runners make waves at the state level, with many continuing on to run in college after their senior seasons. Palisade senior Hank DeFord is next in line to inherit role as District 51’s fastest distance runner. It’s a title that holds a lot of weight for the Bulldogs’ senior. “Last year, I had Bryce (Flanagan) and Yishai (Trowbridge). I looked up to them a lot, and they pushed me,” DeFord said. “Now, I’m super excited because I’m the senior. I get to start leading races.” Though taking over as the lead runner is a new experience for the rising senior, it’s a natural next step after displaying continual growth in the sport since his freshman season. Despite a smaller-than-average frame, DeFord has shown flashes of brilliance as a runner in his time at Palisade that have hinted at the bleach-blonde Bulldog developing into one of the top runners on the Western Slope. “Hank is on of the kindest and most hard-working kids I’ve ever worked with,” Palisade cross country coach Molly Pietroski said. The coach first met DeFord when he was a sophomore, and even then his drive and determination set him apart from his peers. “Even then, he wanted to do everything he could to be the best,” Pietroski said. “That hasn’t changed. It’s only progressed.” By the end of his 2024 season, DeFord was right in the mix with the best that western Colorado had to offer. In his final race as a junior, DeFord finished 47th at the Class 4A state track meet, the third-highest finish among District 51 racers. The Bulldog finished the race in 16 minutes, 57.6 seconds, just more than 30 seconds behind Trowbridge, who currently runs at the collegiate level for Colorado State. Now, after a summer spent conditioning and preparing for his senior cross country campaign, DeFord is ready to be the top dog in District 51. “There’s no offseason for Hank. He trains 365 days a year. This summer, we had him running up to 60 miles a week on every trail you can think of in the valley,” Pietroski said. “He was out by 7 a.m. running, he was strength training, he was rock climbing. He’s just stayed so active.” As the speediest runner in a good chunk of the races he will compete in during his senior year, DeFord may often find himself throughout the year in previously unfamiliar territory — leading the pack. It’s a role that DeFord’s coaches believe the selfless senior is well suited for. “Something that’s really special about Hanks is that even though he’s the strongest runner on our team, he also has the biggest heart and he’s the biggest supporter of all kids,” Pietroski said. “He’s just a natural leader. He’s our team captain this year ... I can’t think of a better steward for cross country or for trail running.” Setting the pace for your fellow runners presents a unique set of challenges for even the most experienced runners, including opening themselves up to fatigue and running out of stamina while trying to fend off pass attempts by other racers. These newfound challenges will be DeFord’s to tackle throughout the season, and already proved troubling early on in the season. “It’s a lot more intense (leading the pack),” DeFord said. “It felt so right. I felt like I deserved to be there, and it’s my time.” The senior learned the perils of leading the pack last weekend, as he was passed down the stretch and missed out on a first-place finish in his first race of the season. Of course, DeFord was always going to run in to hardships like this in his pursuit of a strong senior season. After all, earning the title of top distance runner in the Grand Valley rarely happens unchallenged. Perhaps the stiffest competition DeFord will face throughout his final high school cross country campaign will be the only runner to beat him last week, his close friend and offseason training partner, Central’s Broly Watts. “We’re really good friends. I love racing against him, it’s always a good time with him,” DeFord said. Watts barely outpaced DeFord in last Saturday’s Warrior Invitational at Las Colonias Park. The Central junior finished the race in 15:42.13, just more than two seconds ahead of DeFord. The close friends will likely vie for top spot on the podium throughout the season, but they will continue to be supportive of each other no matter the result of the race. ”I’m really happy for him that he got the win today,” DeFord said after the race. With his final prep cross country campaign underway, DeFord has his sights set on a lofty goal: an All-State designation, which the Bulldog runner can achieve by finishing among the top 14 at the state cross country meet. Regardless of the outcome of his senior season, though, the dedication DeFord has developed for the sport is something that will serve him well in his adult life, according to his head coach. “For him, I’d love to see him go to state, place at state, win all those things, but at the end of the day, he’s a senior and he’s about to go on to this next chapter in his life,” Pietroski said. “Ultimately, I want him to continue to have this passion for this sport. I think it could take him really, really far, and I’m super excited to see where that is.” Facebook Twitter Email Print Tags Athletics Solo Activities Terrestrial Locomotion Physical Exercise Competition Athletic Sports Racing Sport Of Athletics Long-distance Running Running Sports Individual Sports Recreation Motor Racing Competitions Auto Races Fia World Championships Auto Racing Motorsport Competitions Formula Racing Series Formula Racing Motorsport Seasons In Formula Racing Seasons In Motorsport Adam Busack Adam Busack Author email

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"IT'S MY TIME": PALISADE'S DEFORD READY TO LEAD THE WAY IN CROSS COUNTRY

ADAM BUSACK

The Daily Sentinel | 8/27/2025

PHOTO CREDIT: Larry Robinson/The Daily Sentinel