Aubrey Argyle of Davis will look to lead the Darts to their 4th State Consecutive State Title- Photo by Kyle Perry
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Last season Davis and American Fork girls were poised for a battle to the wire, with both teams Nationally ranked. In the end, the Darts Claimed the victory with only 37 points. This marked the 3th straight State Championship the Darts had brought home, in a very dominant streak for Coach Talley’s team. That same team would go on to finish 12th in the Nation at Nike Cross Nationals Entering this 2013 season we weren’t sure how complete the team would be, having lost their top 2 nationally ranked individuals in Shea Martinez and Ellie Child. So could the Darts possibly bounce back from losing 3 of their top 4 from last season?
The answer, as you probably already know, is yes. Davis has Darted back to the top of the rankings (see what I did there?) and they are currently ranked #1 in the Nation, the highest they have ever been, or probably ever will be ranked. This team does not have a multiple time state champion leading the mix, or a pre-season all American, but instead, a very tight knit group of girls that works for the team goal in a way that is unbeatable. Not only that, but their depth is also unmatched.
They are being led currently by freshman standout Aubrey Argyle, who has stepped into the spotlight for the Darts and helped lead the darts to the top of the National rankings.
This Wednesday will be about a lot more than the Darts though. Bingham also has a very talented team, and with their 1-2 punch of Marlee Mitchell and Whitney Rich, they will be looking to knock off Davis and earn their time in the spotlight. Mitchell is one of the favorites for the overall race, and behind her the Miners will need a big performance from their 3-5 girls to keep pace with Davis.
American Fork is another team looking for an upset. They don’t have an individual that is going to run away with the race, but instead a very close group led by sub 18 minute runner Maddie Bench. They have a Coach that knows how to peak a team and they could be gunning for Davis as well.
Those three teams are the most likely 1-2-3 finishers at the state meet, with most teams lacking the fire power to challenge the depth of this group.
Lucy Biles looks to add a 5A title to the 4A title she earned last year- Photo by Kyle Perry
Individual Title-
In the individual races, one girl has risen above the rest every time she steps out on the course. Lucy Biles of Herriman is on a winning streak that doesn’t look like it will end soon. She has won her last 6 races by an average of nearly 30 seconds, and that includes winning the Bob Firman Invite over in-state rival Sarah Feeny. Biles only loss on the season came at the season opener, where Feeny beat her out at the Highland Invite. Biles was the 2012 4A State champion and will look to add another state title to her collection. She is only a Junior, by the way, so save this preview for next season as well.
Marlee Mitchell of Bingham is likely looking forward to her meeting with Biles. Mitchell has been winning big herself, but she didn’t get the chance to race Biles at the Herriman Invite as Lucy was out that day. Mitchell most recently won the Westlake invite by pulling away consistently over the entire course of the race. She will try to keep pace with Biles and it will be interesting to see how that goes.
Aubrey Argyle, the freshman from Davis, has been kept under wraps by Coach Talley all season. They run so much as a pack that when an individual breaks away from their pack they usually wait until very late to attempt to reel them in. Wednesday should be a little different, as Argyle may be given the green light a little earlier to pursue an individual title. Her hands will be full with Biles and Mitchell, but she showed at the BYU Autumn Classic that she is not afraid to run bold.
Tavia Dutson of Jordan was 2nd Last year to Emily Rich of Bingham. Dutson hasn’t been headlining the wins all season, but instead slowly improving and getting where she needs to be. She looks well prepared as she won her region title over Mitchell of Bingham. She is a good racer and will look to keep with the pack and finish strong.
Mckayla Morgan is another individual to watch. The Riverton star has run 17:34 this season and depending on how the day pans out she could pull an upset.
The rest of my top ten picks are all Davis Darts. Hannah Albrechtsen, Taylor Cox, Kenzie Weir, and Ashley Tyndall will all look for podium places as individuals to go along with their likely State Title.