The 5-foot-3 senior won the CHSAA Class 5A state meet this past season, breaking the tape in a time of 17:08.5 to record the fastest all-class clocking of the day by 29 seconds in leading the Cougars to the team title. A three-time state champion, Ritzenhein broke the tape at the Desert Twilight, one of the premier in-season invitationals in the country, and she’s paced her team to three consecutive runner-up team finishes at Nike Cross Nationals. She is now a three-time Gatorade Player of the Year in cross country.
Ritzenhein has maintained a weighted 4.35 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a written letter of athletic aid to run at Northern Arizona University this fall.
Ritzenhein serves as part of the Niwot High School Leadership Academy and as a student aide at her school. She’s also a member of her school’s choir. She has volunteered locally on behalf of the REAL Training youth running club and in the concession booth for NHS boosters.
