Rockford's Dathan Ritzenhein honored as decade's best high school cross country runner

By Jane Bos | The Grand Rapids Press

As the decade draws to a close, many folks are compiling “best of” lists. This one -- the DyeStat All-Decade Boys Cross Country Team -- brings back some great memories.

In the story written by Dave Devine and Steve Underwood, Dathan Ritzenhein of Rockford High School was not only named to the team, but he was honored as the Athlete of the Decade.

Deservedly so, according to the authors.

It was written that while Ritzenhein’s first national cross country title came in 1999, it was his performances in 2000 and beyond that “cemented this honor for him.” These top-notch performances included large margin of victories against two of the other decade’s legends -- Alan Webb and Ryan Hall -- and put him beyond the others.

Some of those races included winning the Portage Invitational in the fall of 2000, setting a course record of 14 minutes, 43 seconds in the snow and cold. And at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 meet, he set another course record (14:10.40), 55 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

Then, at the national Foot Locker Midwest Meet, Ritzenhein set another record that is still standing (14:35).

Ritzenhein went on to become an NCAA champion and multiple All-American at Colorado and also has competed in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. In Beijing, he finished 10th in the marathon.

Earlier this year, he finished sixth in the 5K World Championships in a U.S.-record time of 12:56.57.