Jonathan Castner, For the Camera

CU's Sara Vaughn greets husband Brent Vaughn after he won the collegiate men's 8K race Saturday.

Years from now, when they are recalling their college years, Sara and Brent Vaughn will likely recall Saturday's 22nd Rocky Mountain Shootout fondly, as they tell their daughter, Ciara, of the double Vaughn victory she witnessed.

In the season-opening varsity race for the University of Colorado cross country team, Sara led the No. 3 women to the win while Brent took the men's title. It was a strong performance by Colorado that shows both squads are in position to challenge for national crowns once again.

The CU men won the NCAA championship in 2006, with the women placing second.

Saturday, both CU squads won the team competition, with Wyoming second in each. Western State took the Division 2 team race on both the men's and women's sides.

"We did talk about it (both getting wins)," Sara Vaughn said, after she and Erin Marston, second on Saturday, led their young teammates on a cool-down run. "Neither of us had won (collegiate) cross country races before, and I beat Brent to it. By about 45 minutes."Vaughn did it in savvy fashion, with the help of Marston, the lone senior on the Buffs. After trailing Wyoming's Gretchen Fagley-Johnson up Jawbone Hill on the first lap, the two Buffs went into the lead. After running together for more than two miles, Marston got a gap on Vaughn going up Jawbone the second, and final, time.

However, with 800 meters to go, Vaughn used her 1,500-meter speed to pull away for the win, clocking an excellent 21 minutes flat.

"I knew Sara had a kick," said Marston, who was happy with her personal best of 21:18 on the tough Buffalo Ranch course.

Behind the two CU veterans came some talented freshmen, Laura Thweat (sixth in 22:12) and Allison Sawyer (eighth, 22:31). Redshirt freshman Anna Chase was Colorado's fifth runner in, placing 11th.

That is a strong team that will only get stronger if NCAA steeple champ Jenny Barringer races later in the season, and if sophomore Aislinn Ryan continues gathering strength after taking time off to let an injury heal.

"We have a lot of depth, and are going to be good this year," said Sara Vaughn, who also ran a personal best. "It is exciting to be part of that."

"We are very happy with the way the young women are running," assistant coach Heather Burroughs said, as she shouted encouragement to the runners out on the course.

Added Wetmore, "I really think our trajectory for improvement between now and November can be even steeper than it normally is. I am very happy."

For Brent Vaughn, Saturday's win was a bit of sweet revenge. In the 2006 Shootout, Wyoming's Mark Korir, a native of Eldoret, Kenya, beat Vaughn by roughly 40 seconds. Afterward, he was quoted as saying the win was "a jog" for him.

Vaughn remembered those words, giving him the impetus to wage an exciting race with Korir. The two were part of a pack that passed the mile in 5 minutes. By two miles, passed in 10 minutes flat, the two had separated themselves from Buffs Stephen Pifer and Kenyon Neuman.

Korir led through a 5:03 following mile, with Vaughn perched right on his shoulder. Coming up Jawbone Hill for the third and final time, Korir surged, getting a slight lead. But Vaughn caught him just before four miles, passed in 20:20, and when he came into sight on the final straightaway, Vaughn had a clear lead, and finished in 24:46.

Pifer was third, with Kenyon Newman fourth. Freshmen Richard Medina and Matt Tebo, along with Peter Janson, all also placed in the top 10.

"It is a big day for the Vaughn family," Vaughn said, after getting greeted by a congratulatory kiss from Sara. "It's fun and I am really happy for Sara ... I want to race and compete this year, and the times will take care of themselves."