Lucy Biles won the 4A State Title last season, Can she add a 5A crown to her resume? Photo by Kyle Perry
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Heading in to the season it is very difficult to guess what a lot of teams might do. For the 5A season preview I took a little different approach. Obviously there are a lot of teams that are looking to climb the boards and stir things up. As the season progresses that picture will become very clear, but for now I have broken down only a few teams that I think have the makings of a podium fight. If there is a team you think should be in the mix let me know.
Top Teams-
American Fork has to be the favorite in the 5A girls, as they return all 7 girls from last season. They had a battle with Davis last season but couldn’t pull out the state title. They were 9th at NX-SW but will be top 5 in the meet this year. AF was led by a great duo of Emily Orton and Maddie Bench last year and they both have podium potential come the end of the season. Orton’s most impressive PR is her 5k PR of 18:12. Bench has run 5:14 for 1600m.
Davis-Last years state and NX-SW champions will have a little rebuilding work to do as they do lose a very dominate 1-2 punch from their pack. They may not have to much trouble, as the Darts do have great depth perennially, and had a large list of Girls capable of scoring for the ream. It is still very possible for them to put together a very competitive team not only on the state Level but the at the NX-SW meet. Their top returner from the state meet is Ashley Tyndall. Taylor Cox didn’t run at the state meet but is the top returner from the NXN team where she ran a season best 18:21. She also had a great track season and was part of the 4x800 National Championship team from indoor.
Lehi- The Pioneers of Lehi were 4th at the state meet last season, but they will be looking to bring the heat as they return 6 of 7 from last years team. Their returners include the all of their top 5, led by Maddy Kauffman. Kauffman was 5th at the state meet last year, and had a season best time of 18:29 from NX-SW. Her teammate Jackie Heaps had a great track season and will also be up front for this Lehi team.
Bingham was 3rd at state last season, and although they lose state champ Emily Rich they still return a solid pack of girls. Marlee Mitchell had a great track season where she posted times that show that she is going to be in that front pack all season.
Herriman- With the transition to 5A, it will be interesting to see how Herriman will adjust. They were 5th in the 4A classification last season, but the do have an Ace up their sleeve in Lucy Biles. Lucy was the state champion last season and had the fastest time for any classification. She was also 4th at NX-SW. Kami Hartley should be a strong #2 for Herriman. The story for this team will be what their 3-7 Girls can accomplish.
Jordan- The Beet Diggers had a good season last year, finishing 5th at the state meet. Leading the charge for Jordan is Tavia Dutson. She was 2nd at state last season and would love to change at some gold to her trophy case. This team returns 6 of 7 from last years state team, but will need a bigger performance in their 4th and 5th scoring positions to climb the podium.
Top Individuals-
Lucy Biles, Tavia Dutson, Emily Orton, Taylor Cox, Marlee Mitchell, Jackie Heaps, and Maddy Kauffman all look to lead their teams. Along with leading their teams they are some of our favorites in the individual ranks as well. We included them in the team previews above. Along side those girls there are a few more names that need to be watched for.
Jessica Smith- Lone Peak. Smith was 4th at the state meet last season and is a definite name to watch. Her track times are a bit deceiving as she proved last season, on the grass and dirt of the cross country courses she can run with anyone.
Courtney Wayment- Northridge. Wayment was 6th at the state meet last season. She holds a 1600m personal best of 5:07 and a 5K best of 18:43.
Sophie Baird- American Fork- Coming from a team with the depth of American Fork, sophomore Sophie Baird might get overlooked a little. But she is not one to be forgotten. Last year, as a freshman, she was 12th at the state meet. She is the #3 girl for AF but nothing in cross country is every set in stone. She could very well lead her team.
Makayla Stepp-American Fork. Much the same as Baird, Makayla Stepp is an individual worth mentioning. Even if she isn’t the top girl on her team this season, she is one of the top girls in the state and deserves that credit. Stepp has a 5k PR of 18:53.
Our Favorites:
Team-
1-American Fork
2-Davis
3-Lehi
Individual-
1-Lucy Biles- Herriman.
2-Taylor Cox- Davis
3-Tavia Dutson- Jordan
4-Emily Orton- American Fork
5-Jackie Heaps- Lehi
6-Sophie Baird- American Fork
Lucy Biles won the 4A State Title last season, Can she add a 5A crown to her resume? Photo by Kyle Perry
