Ric Rojas Running
High Performance Coaching
About
Nell's Bio
Nell is cool
Sarah's Bio
Sarah Hopkins graduated from New Vista High School in 2016, and is currently studying Media Design at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is a Triple Jumper for Colorado, competing at the MPSF and Pac 12 Conference Championships in her freshman and sophomore years at CU.
In High School, Sarah placed 6th at the 2016 Simplot Games with a jump of 37'3.5".
Sarah Improved her high school PR of 37'3.5" in her first winter season at CU with a jump on 38'11.75" (11.78m), and later acheived a new outdoor PR with a jump of 38'6" (11.63m), as well as earned a long jump PR of 17'7.5" in her sophomore spring season as a Buff (2018).
Sarah competed in gymnastics until her sophomore year of high school, reaching USAG level 8. SHe currently coaches youth gymnastics at Xtreme Altitude Gymnastics alongside her coaching with RISE Atheltics.
Here is a link to her Bio on the CU Track & Field Roster: http://www.cubuffs.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=11564
Morgan's Bio
Aurora Central High School (Football, Track and Field)2005-2009
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Ran Track and Field for three year and played football for two year at ACHS.
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High School PRs 100m. 11:44s 200m 24:00s, 400m 53.53s
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Football (Played Running Back, Corner Back, Safety and Outside Linebacker) United State Air Force Prep School 2009-2010
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Played at the Junior College Level Football, switched between Corner and Safety.
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Ran Cross Country
United States Air Force 2010-2011
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D1 Football for USAFA Cornerback.
University of Colorado Boulder 2012-2017
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Football (CU-Buffs walk-on)
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Rugby (CU-Buffs Wing)
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Unattached Track and Field PRs.
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CrossFit
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Weightlifting (Personal Training) PRs. Bench:300lb, Squat: 405, DL: 450
Ric Rojas Track and Field
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Competed for the Rick Rojas Track and Field Club:
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60m. 7:38, 200m: 23.8s and 400m: 52.92s
Education
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University of Colorado at Boulder, Bachelor of Science - Aerospace Engineering
Graduation Date: May 2017
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Minor: Electrical Engineering (emphasis in electrical power systems, Signal and Control Systems)
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Masters: Electrical Engineering (Currently pursuing)
Ric's Bio
Ric Rojas graduated from Los Alamos High School in 1970, received his BA from Harvard University in 1974, and his MBA from the University of Denver in 1982.
In high school, Ric won four New Mexico State High School Championships, two in Cross Country and two in the Mile, and was ranked in the top 10 United States High School Milers by Track and Field News. His Cross Country Teams at Los Alamos finished 2nd in 1968 and 3rd in 1969 at the State Meet. His track team finish 3rd in the 1968 New Mexico State Track Championships his sophomore with only five members. Jim Lamonica won the Pole Vault, Johnny Anderson, Leroy Pacheco, and Grant Godbolt all scored high in their events, and Ric finished 3rd in the 880 Yards and 2nd in the Mile behind Highland High School’s Stan Hill.
Ric competed in the National J.C.’s Track Championships in 1968 and 1969, finishing 6th in 1969 with a personal best of 4:16 at the University of Minnesota. He improved on that time later that summer, finishing 2nd at the National Junior Olympics with a time of 4:14 at San Diego’s Balboa Stadium.
Ric still holds the New Mexico 5A State Mile/1600m record* of 4:12.6=4:10.85 1600m, which he set at UNM Stadium in Albuquerque (5,000ft.), New Mexico (1970). His best high school mile time was 4:11.6 (=4:09.85 1600m), run at the USATF National Indoor Championships at the Houston Astrodome in February 1970.He also captured the New Mexico State Championship Bronze Medal in the 880-Yards his sophomore year and the Silver in the 880 his Senior Year, finishing in 1:55.1 (=1:54.3 800m).
*Note: The New Mexico High School Activities Association removed Ric’s 1970 Mile Record from the NMHAA web site several years ago, leaving only times run in meters on the records list, but it is still recognized by coaches and experts as the fastest mile/1600-Meter time ever run at the New Mexico State Championships. (The Mile is 9-meters longer than 1600M and Ric would have passed the 1600-Meter mark at least .2 faster than the next fasted 1600m time ever run at the New Mexico State Championships.) Track and Field News uses conversions in publishing high school rankings, so Ric is petitioning to have his 45-year-old mark re-instated as an official record on the NMHA website.
Beyond High School, Ric had successful College and Professional careers. While at Harvard, he set the Three-Mile school record with a time of 13:30 at the 1974 Penn Relays, won numerous Greater Boston Track and Cross Country Championships, and qualified for “All-Ivy” honors in Track and Cross Country. His 1974 3-Mile mark at the Penn Relays remains among the top ten fastest 3-mile/5000 marks ever run at Harvard.
As a Professional, he and Boston Marathon Winner Bill Rogers were the only two runners ranked in the top 10 US Road Racers by Track and Field News during the four years the rankings were published from 1977-1981.
Ric set the 15K World Record at the 1981 Gasparilla Distance Classic (43:12) and won numerous major road races, including the 1975 San Francisco Bay-to-Breakers, 1978 Utica Boilermaker, 1979 Bolder-Boulder, the 1979 Lilac Bloomsday Run, the 1978 Tucson Sun Run, the 1978 Garden of the Gods 10-Mile, the 1979 Springbank International Road Race, the 1980 Salt Lake City Deseret 10K Run, and the 1978 Schlitz Light National Championship. He also won the US AAU National Cross Country Championship at Belmont Park in Philadelphia in 1976.* As a master’s runner, he has won three USATF Age-Group National 5000-meter Track Championships.
*The AAU preceded the United States Track and Field Federation (USATF) as the National Governing Body for “Athletics” (Track and Field). The USATF now officially conducts all Athletics Championships in the United States under the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
Ric captured Silver Medals at the 1977and 1979 US National USATF 10,000-meter Championships, at UCLA’s Drake Stadium and Mt. San Antonio State College. He also qualified for the 1975 and 1979 US Pan American Teams, taking 4th in the 10,000-meters in San Jan, Puerto Rico in 1979. He competed in the 1976 and 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials, running in the 10,000-meter finals in 1980.
Coaching
Ric unofficially coached his Los Alamos High School Cross Country and Middle Distance Track teams while a senior at Los Alamos. Although there was not a great deal of training information at the time, Ric patched together an effective training system which became the foundation of his present-day Peak Performance Training System. His protégé’s in Los Alamos include Anthony Sandoval, Lynn and Mark Bjorklund, and Jim McMillan.
While living in Boulder, Ric has coached hundreds of masters, open, and junior runners including National Junior Champion Sarah Cocco, Olympic Trials Qualifier, Patty Murray, and Age-Group Mile World Record (pending), Laurie Rugenstein. He has developed a 10-Point Peak Performance Training System that works for runners of any ability, age, or gender.
Ric’s Training Protocols have produced hundreds of “personal bests” for a wide array of athletes and distances. His top high school sprinter, Eire High School’s Sean McClanahan set the Colorado State 4A Record last spring with a time of 46.78. McClanahan became an NCAA All-American in the 4 x 400M Relay as a freshman at Texas Christian University.
Ric’s track teams have consistently fared well at the Simplot Games, having won both the Girls and Boys 4 x 800-meters Relay. Ric’s athletes Sean McClanahan won the Boys 400M Gold Medal in 2014 while Heather Harrower won the Girls Bronze Medal the same year.
Ric recently concluded a 5-Year corporate coaching stint at WhiteWave Foods in Broomfield, Colorado where he coached corporate employees for the annual Bolder Boulder at the Company’s headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado. He was featured on Denver News 9 in 2013.
As part of his training for high school program, he has partnered with Boulder’s Barbell Strategy to incorporate Olympic lifting into his routine.



