Alta fastest team time in Utah state history!!!

Nov 04, 2008

Released early this morning by the Utah High School Track Coaches Association Alta tops the list. Utah State 5A Champions and Nike Cross Nationals Southwest #4 Alta HS boys have solidified themselves as Greatest Utah boys cross country team on the state course. Mountain Crest girls finish #2 all-time with Davis #3.

Every year as featured in several National events total team time is a significant factor in determining team strength and depth among top ranked National teams. The all-time team time for the Utah state course has signified National dominance of once great teams. For the last 11 years the heralded 1999 Mountain View boys squad have held the record at 80:24. That 99' team have been mentioned as one of the greatest teams Nationally of all-time ranking up there with Mead, WA and York, IL.

Mountain Views team time of 80:24 has been the mark of excellence. To put the team time top five list into perspective, before 2008 Mountain View HS held the top five fastest team times in history. Of those five teams you include three National Champions in 98, 00, 02, Nationally ranked #2 in 1999 the year they established the Utah State Team Tim Record, and NTN Finalist Nationally ranked #5 in 2004 and 2005. It would be interesting to note how they would be compared to the 95' Bingham boys team that won the National Championship under the helm of Coach Jeff Arbogast.

At the 2008 State Championships Alta scored a 80:20 team time. With a 22 second spread Alta is a true team powerhouse, not only packing well but running superb times. What this means is that there has never been a team as dominant as the Alta in Utah before...they are not alone. All year Alta and Timpview boys squads have traded off that top ranking with the American Fork Cavemen close behind. At the state championships Timpview won the 4A division in 80:35 good for #3 All-time with those great Mountain View programs. American Fork finished in 81:22. With these teams running rampant over the state the region has to be wondering, whats going on in Utah?

On the girls side no team has been better than the 1999 National Champion Bingham girls squad's total team time of 93:49. The NXN SW#4 Mountain Crest girls came close this year with the second fastest total team time of 95:00. Five more teams would break onto the top ten list. But what gets interesting is that at the 2008 State Championships Mountain Crest posted the second fastest team time ever and yet finished second to David, UT girls team in combined division scoring. Davis, the third fastest team in Utah State history posted a 95:12. Gratefully top teams in Utah will have their shot at a National Championship.

Utah State Championships Course Map (courtesy UHSTCA Vice President Timo Mostert)

Boys New State Course (1998- )Top Team Times (5 runner cumulative)

80:20 Alta 5A-1 2008

80:24 Mountain View 5A-1 1999

80:35 Timpview 4A-1 2008

80:36 Mountain View 4A-1 2002

81:15 Mountain View 5A-1 1998

81:17 Mountain View 5A-1 2005

81:22 American Fork 5A-2 2008

81:22 Mountain View 4A-1 2004

Girls New State Course (1998- )Top Team Times (5 runner cumulative)

Time School Class-Place Year