High School Cross Country
Head Coach Contact Information
Email: gkurtz@accelschools.com
Phone: (720) 329-2217
Season/Practice Dates
Off Season: June 2nd – August 10th
Main Season: August 11th – October 9th
Championship Season: October 10th – November 22nd
Social Media and Communication Pages
Team Mission/Vision Statement
The purpose of training is to build each athlete’s mental and physical toughness with the philosophy that they can do anything they set their mind to. Running is a metaphor for life. Success comes from practice and determination whether running, school, career, or anything attempted. Each athlete will experience a level of failure during practice and likely during a meet. Failure is not the end. Failure is the beginning of a learning opportunity. Athletes will be given opportunities to fail and be educated about, and encouraged during recovery. We will build ability in mental and physical flexibility, strength, and speed and endurance through varied training methods. Training is intended to push athletes as hard as possible while maintaining safety. As an athlete pushes their limits and becomes familiar with the feeling of exhaustion, they will be better able to push themselves during a meet and in their life with any challenges presented their way.
Coaches Biography’s
Head Coach – Gary Kurtz
Gary Kurtz was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and now resides in Colorado Springs where he attended The University of Colorado Colorado Springs as a student athlete for the University’s Track & Field and Cross Country programs. He graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 2021, and recently graduated with his Master’s in Business Administration. He serves as the Human Resource Manager for all of Banning Lewis Academy. He is the Head Cross Country and Track and Field coach, in which he has worked with both programs for over 6 years now. He is certified through CRLA as a Level 1 Peer Mentor and has also received his Level 1 and Level 2 Endurance Specialist Coaching certification through the United States Track and Field Association. In 2019, Coach Kurtz qualified for the DII NCAA National XC Championships, and is recognized by the NCAA as a Nationally Ranked athlete in both sports. Coach Kurtz loves competition, but above all, he wants all athletes to find a passion and enjoyment out of the sport or activity they are participating in and take the related skills to apply in the athlete’s life for the better.
Assistant Coach- Marissa Kuik
Marissa Kuik grew up in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, just outside of Minneapolis and started running when she was in 4th grade. She ran cross country and track at the varsity level from 7th grade all the way through her senior year and competed at the collegiate level. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in History from a small school in a small town in Iowa called Waldorf University, where she ran three years of cross country and track. Coach Kuik was an All-American in cross country while running for Waldorf and once she finished her undergraduate degree, she enrolled in the Master’s History program at UCCS and finished up her collegiate eligibility there as well. Coach Kuik has assistant coached for Banning Lewis for 4 years now, and cannot wait to continue her journey with the team!
