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Connor Winter's path at the University of Colorado is nearly at an end — but he has used that path to map out a road for the future that has stirred his competitive fire and passion to new heights.

Saturday, the Buffs cross country and track standout (two-time first team All-American, a Pac-12 individual champion and member of two national championship teams) will graduate with his degree in mechanical engineering. Along the way, he’s put in countless miles of training and countless hours of studying, a combination he admits has had him burning the candle at both ends on perhaps too many occasions. (He also still has the outdoor track season to complete, and he currently has one of the top 10 times in the nation in the steeplechase).

It’s been a grueling five years for the Arapahoe High School product, but a challenge he has embraced nearly every step of the way.

“There were years when I hated it and I could hardly run and school was killing me,” said Winter, who also found time to work at a local running store during his stay at CU-Boulder. “But it really taught me time management, how to persevere and prioritize what was important and how to be successful at multiple, different things.”