Updates, results and coverage (photos, race videos, & Interviews) from the 2014 Utah High School Cross Country State Championships at Sugarhouse Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, October 22nd.
Meet Page w/ Results - Race Videos - Video Interviews - Photo Gallery - Meet Recap
Coverage by Race:
Six in a row for American Fork boys!
Despite coming into the meet with a real challenge presented in the top 10 nationally ranked opponent in the Davis boys, the Saucony Flo50 #2 ranked American Fork boys showed their statewide dominance which now extends to year six for Coach Timo Mostert and his squad with their record breaking win in the 5A race on Wednesday. With their total team time of 77 minutes and 25 seconds (15:29 average on the 3 mile course), the American Fork boys are now the fastest team ever in state meet history by 36 seconds.
American Fork Boys Interview
The Cavemen of American Fork were led by senior Zac Jacklin, who had the ran the fastest time of the day in winning the 5A race with a time of 15:05 as sophomore teammate Casey Clinger was next to follow him through the chute at 15:12. Teammates McKay Johns (4th, 15:25) and Jacob Chase (9th, 15:44) joined them among the top 10 finishers. The Davis boys were a distant second with 69 points and 15:51 team average to an American Fork boys squad that looks to be in legit contention to compete for the Nike Cross Nationals title in December.
Coach Mostert (American Fork) Interview
US #18 American Fork girls upset US #7 Davis girls for program sweep!
It was a big day for the American Fork program as a whole for boys and girls as despite having different coaching staffs, they had the same results with the Saucony Flo50 #18 American Fork girls upsetting the #7 ranked Davis girls 46 to 58 points. Despite the Davis girls having two of the top three finishers in runner-up Aubrey Argyle (2nd, 17:43) and fellow sophomore Ally Geisler (3rd, 18:04), the American Fork girls were able to pack it up on them after that including 4 in the top 11 with Sammy Hollingsworth (6th, 18:19), Cami Squires (7th, 18:24), Maddie Bench (10th, 18:27), and Lexie Green (11th, 18:36) to solidify their monumental win in a clash between two national powerhouses.
American Fork Girls Top 3 Interview
It was the second state title for the American Fork girls (last title back in 2009) to snap the streak of 5A titles by a young Davis squad, who has been quickly reloading from their 2013 NXN top 3 team which graduated 6 seniors from their top 7 as Argyle was the lone varsity returnee. Now the American Fork girls attempt to qualify for their first Nike Cross Nationals in a month at the NXN Southwest Regional in Arizona one month from now, while the Davis girls will be looking for a redemption race.
Coach Talley (Davis) Interview
Holding off a late charge by Aubrey Argyle, Lucy Biles 3 peats as state champ!
The Davis sophomore Argyle was trying to chase down late in the race Lucy Biles, the Herriman senior who was attempting to win her 3rd straight Utah 5A state title. Argyle gave too much real estate to Biles, who built an early lead and was able to hold on for a 17:41 victory as the top of the day. Biles, who matched her 2013 winning state meet time, now has a month to prepare for making another Foot Locker Nationals team and improving upon her 7th place All-American finish last December at Balboa Park. Argyle will be looking to lead her team to a return Nike Cross Nationals berth out of arguably the toughest girls region in the country this fall in the Southwest Region.
Lucy Biles Interview
An injured Mantz goes down, Josh Collins rises as surprise 4A champ!
​Conner Mantz of Sky View was another returning champion who the rest of the field was having the rest of the field gunning for him. The US #3 ranked runner discovered a potential stress reaction of his femur after his regional meet and since then had been cross training with hopes of giving it a go in his final state cross country meet. Unfortunately for Mantz, his body failed him in the last straightaway as he fell and then was able to struggle in for a second place finishing time of 15:18 in the 4A race. Josh Collins of Wasatch seized that opportunity to pass by Mantz for the win after running right behind him for most of the race in a swift time of 15:06 and just a tick off the fastest time of day by the 5A winner Jacklin of American Fork. Collins did not come from nowhere though. He was 4th in that epic Bob Firman race last month with Mantz, Tanner Anderson, and Elijah Armstrong in a 4th place 5K PR run of 15:17 and was a state runner-up in the 1600 last spring to Mantz with a 4:14 personal best performance.
Josh Collins after a smart race keeping Mantz in his sights and unleashing a monsterous kick for the win
The big question now for Mantz, who had to warm up on a bike prior to the start of his state meet race, is if his injury is too serious to heal and allow him to train and race at Foot Locker Nationals, which he had been on a short list of top contenders this fall behind defending champion Grant Fisher. That would be a crushing blow for one of the nation's top distance runners and hope that he is able to recover for a Foot Locker national berth and strong final appearance in San Diego.
Post-Meet Interview with Conner Mantz