The 5-foot-3 sophomore won her first national title this past season, breaking the tape at the Nike Cross Nationals Final with a time of 17:10.40 and leading the Cougars to a runner-up finish as a team. Ritzenhein also won the Class 4A state crown in a state class-record time of 17:08.2, crossing the line 29.8 seconds ahead of her next-closest competitor and pacing her squad to the team title. The daughter of two-time Gatorade Michigan Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year (1999-01) and three-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein, she clocked a personal-best 16:44.9 for 5K and ranked No. 1 in the national MileSplit 50 for 2023.
Ritzenhein has maintained a 4.33 weighted GPA in the classroom. She will begin her junior year of high school this fall.
A member of the Niwot High School Leadership Academy and a Student Aide at her school, Ritzenhein is also a member of her school’s choir. She has volunteered locally on behalf of REAL Training youth running club and in the concessions booth for NHS boosters.
