Kiki Vaughn’s high school running career began in the aftermath of COVID-19, but in the four years since she first stepped onto a cross country course, the senior has been instrumental in reshaping Boulder’s program.

In the final days of October, her career with the Panthers came to a close when she finished 14th at the Class 5A state cross country meet in Colorado Springs, clocking a time of 18 minutes, 35.90 seconds. That effort, and the career she’s been able to put together, earned Vaughn the Daily Camera runner of the year for the second consecutive season.

She beat last year’s time at the Norris Penrose Event Center by 2.2 seconds. Her last race ended with pain, as she battled an illness through every inch of the five kilometers she traversed.

That made her mark that much sweeter.

“It wasn’t the race I was planning for or was hoping for but, with my time at the end, I still ran a second faster than last year, which is a big thing,” Vaughn said. “I felt like I had a horrible race, and I was jogging the whole time, but I was still able to push through just because I had workouts in the past. The fitness was definitely there, even if I couldn’t fully use it to my potential.”

Sickness defined the majority of her junior campaign, yet she still managed to place 12th at Colorado’s most coveted race. This year, she stayed healthy, at least at the beginning of the fall.That helped her grow even more.

“I think I got a lot more workouts in and quality work that really benefited my fitness. I was able to race healthy, which mentally, is a lot easier — and physically. I just had a lot more confidence going into races,” she said. “I think I won like three races, and then got seventh at Liberty Bell coming off of food poisoning, and then third at Pat Patten. I think my race strategy was a lot better, just going out harder and going for it.”

This season, her attitude and overall leadership style helped propel the girls team to a sixth-place finish at the state meet. She, and fellow senior Malia Chipouras, have laid the foundation for years to come.

“She’s always had an incredible positivity,” Boulder head coach Geo Tam said. “The commitment to being around the team constantly allowed that positivity to flow into the rest of the team. She loves the team and wants her teammates (to achieve) the same big goals that she’s set for herself. She’s been a spark for those ideas that they can do big things. She’s an encourager, in that sense. I think she likes to speak into existence what’s possible for the team.”

Now that her high school career has come to a close, Vaughn hopes to carry her success forward when she runs for Northern Arizona University next fall.