Establishing a Foundation
The 2008 cross country season came and went with many memorable moments. Namely the emergence of the Alta boys cross country team led by coach Rob Murphy. Murphy led the Hawks to a season perhaps matched by only one other Utah squad. Like that 95' Bingham miners team the Murphy led Hawks dominated much of the season with a depth rarely seen in Utah cross country. Capitalizing on their moment, the men from Alta seized their moment of opportunity to produce truly magical season.
The Mountain View Dynasty
Years of Utah cross country history have established a basis of comparison, statistical breakdown and extraordinary performances. In the early 1980's Orem high had a few teams who were stacked with 4-5 guys who could all run under 16 minutes for 5000 meters. However, we have the great Dave Houle Mountain View dynasty that lasted well through the 90's and early 2000's.
In 1990 Dave Houle led the Bruins from Orem, Utah to an impressive 14th pace ranking in the renowned Marc Bloom Harrier National Rankings. A precursor to things to come as the Bruins would go on to win multiple National Championships. More importantly the great teams from the Houle era have established marks that stand as benchmarks for teams looking to show the nation just how good they can be, and are.
In 1998, the UHSAA comissioned several Utah coaches to develop a new Utah State Cross Country Championship course. A definitive championship course emerged in 1998 that would stand the test of time as the standard for a new State Championship era. In that year Houle produced perhaps his best team. That 98' Bruin squad covered the 5000 meter course in a total team time of 81:15. The 98' Bruins would go on to be ranked #1 Nationally by the Harrier National Rankings. The standard had been set and a mark had been established in the tops of the mountains.
In 1999 Houle produced what has been considered one of the greatest teams in National history. In the year, the Bruins ran an unbelieveable 80:24 over the sugarhouse course. That team would finish ranked by many as national champions and in the mind of many national prognisticators considered with the 93' Mead, 99' York, 95' Bingham, and 08' North Central team as one of the top 5 teams in National prep cross country history.
The Course: Utah State Championships Course Map
At the end of the 2007 cross country season the Sugarhouse state cross country course was the standard of excellence for Utah cross country teams. The state championship course team records were listed as follows:
| 1. Mountain View, 1999* National Champs | 80:24 |
| 2. Mountain View, 2002* National Champs | 80:36 |
| 3. Mountain View, 1998* National Champs | 81:15 |
| 4. Mountain View, 2005* #5 Nationally | 81:17 |
| 5. Mountain View, 2004* #5 Nationally | 81:22 |
What could be determined at the end of the 2007 season, to be considered a National Championship contendar one would have to first master the difficulty fo the Sugarhouse 5000 Meter cross country course. What is clear is that the road to any National Championship challenge comes runs through Sugarhouse.
Alta Hawks: Recap
Who would have thought the 2008 Alta Hawks would have reached the level of greatness many have considered their performances to be? And yet we know from history that the 08' Alta Hawks were an extraordinary group of talented young men led by a well grounded coach, Rob Murphy. The quest for Alta culminated at the 2008 UHSAA State Cross Country Championships.
On that day, the Murphy led Hawks did the unthinkable, they ran into the history books in what will go down as the greatest team performance in Utah State Cross Country history. At the conclusion of the 5A Championship race many could not believe what would have occured, perhaps the greatest team championship of all-time not only because of the ending time but because of the multitude of record setting teams. The 2008 UHSAA State Cross Country Championships will be regarded by many for years to come as the day a new focus occurred in Utah and not one but three of the top teams in Utah history would race into history.
| 1. Alta, 2008 | 80:20 |
| 2. Mountain View, 1999* National Champs | 80:24 |
| 3. Timpview, 2008 | 80:35 |
| 4. Mountain View, 2002* National Champs | 80:36 |
| 5. Mountain View, 1998* National Champs | 81:15 |
Alta would be overlooked by Nike Cross Nationals Southwest Region Championships pre-race prognosticators, but the Hawks would have their moment with a 2nd place showing qualifying for the National Championships. Notice to future national qualifying teams from Utah, learn to compete on the restrictive national championship course where the best team is not always the team which wins.
American Fork: A New Dynasty is Born
In 2008 the Cavemen were young with 6 underclassman on a varsity team. Coach Timo Mostert has produced teams year after year who compete as a top program in state competition. It would seem the Mostert system would be finally coming on strong as the cavemen would improve each week of the season.
At the 2008 UHSAA State Championships the Cavemen would surprise even Mostert with what can be considered as a precursor things to come as perhaps the greatest underclassman tema performance in state history. The Cavemen would complete the 2008 championships with a total team time of 81:22 and a runner-up finish in the state championship team finals.
Currently Timo serves as the VP of the UHSTCA Coaches Association. Timo's history and performance as a coach has been spectacular. His 2004 boys team narrowly lost to the Nationally Ranked #5 Mountain View Bruins at the State Championships. Mind boggling as it would seem, they were left out of the rankings however, after a careful analysis it can be determined his 2004 squad were most likely a top 20 national program. It was evident from the State Championships that scoring aside, American Fork was by far the better team with a stronger 1-7 of any team in the state bringing in the top four before Mountain View. In a region championship style race the 04' Cavemen were perfectly built. Thus we see how infallible the paper poll ranking system was and why a regional championship system wa simplemented. What is clear is that Timo produces competitive teams, with this year may be the best team he has to work with.
The American Fork Cavemen went on to the NXN Southwest Region Championships finishing 4th as Utah ran rampant on the ever competitive southwest region. Timo brings back the top team for the Southwest Region and a much anticipated matchup with national powerhouse albuquerque once again.
| 1. Albuquerque, NM | 80:58 |
| 2. Alta, UT | 81:16 |
| 3. Cibola, NM | 81:20 |
| 4. American Fork, UT | 81:37 |
The American Fork Cavemen left NXN Southwest Region Championships as the #1 returning team for the 2009 season based on the NXN SW results.
2009 American Fork Cavemen
Timo Mostert comes from a long line of great prep cross country coaches. Originally from Illinois, Mostert ran under Illinois Hall of Fame coaches Angelo Rinchiuso and Dike Stirrett. Mostert holds strongly to the philosophies of Bill Bowerman and Arther Lydiard. With workouts ranging from overdistance to interval training Timo has spent years developing a program that produces academic and individual excellence.
What is clear is that the 2009 team has a tremendous amount of potential. Off season training determines everything for a cross country team. The ability of a student athlete to believe in something greater than themselves, the American Fork Cavemen have the potential baed on their 2008 results to possibly stand at the top of the mountain as the greatest team in Utah State history.
The Cavemen Team
During track 2009 we saw sophomore Austin West run a superb 9:33.66 3200 Meters in the State 5A finals, more than a minute and a half personal record from his freshman season Austin leads his team into an era perhaps a precursor to a dynasty. West is followed by teammate junior Robby Lee who turned in an impressive personal best of 9:35.33. To much surprise freshman Clayton Young ran a 10:03.44 at the state championships. Considering that Young was the 7th man at the 2008 State Championships it is safe to say Young has helped take the Cavemen to the next level. It should be noted that Young's performance last year was without any summer base, under the tutelage of Mostert with a summer base Young may produce something special for the Cavemen during the 09' cross campaign.
Adding to team depth we have freshman Mac Morrison who completed the state course last year in 16:27, a freshman class record ranking up there with Utah great Jared Rohatinsky. Morrison is a triathlete much like national freshman phenom Lukas Verzbicas, Morrison has been so dominant in the triathlete scene he has been placed in older age divisions just to be competitive. If Morrison finds his stride he may go down as one of the greats in Utah distance running history.
Backing up this amazing quartet is Derek Day who ran 16:35 on the state course last year as a sophomore. Day leads a barrage of up and coming underclassman for the Cavemen. With Jeff Nelson, Brady Pulsipher, Kory Jackson, and Ryan Vawdry the Cavemen look to be doing something right. What is clear is that Timo has a special team in American Fork and that 2009 looks to be the breakout year for the Cavemen. Timo has proven year in and year out that he has what it takes to coach championship calliber programs, but you are only as good as your horses. The men from American Fork have already begun training for the 2009 season. They stand on the precipice of greatness and have a unique opportunity to complete the 09' season as the greatest cross country program in Utah history. Perhaps this year we will see five runners under 16 minutes on the state cross country course, and perhaps that team will be American Fork.
The Cavemen's first test will come at the 2009 American Fork Grass Relays. When looking at the grass relay team records one realizes that ther grass relays are a beginning of season indicator of things to come. To set the record the Cavemen would need to average just under 10:35 per runner over the two-mile loop.
| 1. | Mountain View, 1999 *National Champions | 52:55 |
| 2. | Mountain View, 2002 *National Champions | 53:07 |
| 3. | Mountain View, 2000 *National Champions | 53:30 |
| 4. | Mountain View, 2003 *#10 Nationally Ranked | 53:39 |
| 5. | Mountain View, 2001 *#14 Nationally Ranked | 54:06 |
The Greatest
Since the establishment of the 1998 Sugarhouse State Championship Course we have been able to follow the best teams in state history. As follows, we have what are considered the greatest teams in Utah history. Without a goal, you are chasing shadows, the time is now to make your own history.
In 1995 Jeff Arbogast produced a team which ran the 5000 Meter Woodward Park course in a total team time 80:01 averaging 16 flat per runner. However the 1994 Bingham Miners ran a 78:06 over the Woodward Park Course avenging a loss at the State Championships to the Mountain View Bruins. The Bruins would run 79:01 at Woodward, the 94' Bruins and Miners battle was one for the ages. What is clear is that the top 10 all-time team list for Utah contains some of the best teams in national history. Revisit 1994: A Tale of Two Coaches
| 1 | Bingham | 1994 | Footlocker West Team Champions 78:06 team time |
| 1 | Mountain View | 1994 | State Meet Champions 76:33 team time |
| 3 | Bingham | 1995 | Harrier National Champions |
| 4 | Mountain View | 1999 | Harrier National Champions |
| 5 | Mountain View | 2002 | Harrier National Champions |
| 6 | Mountain View | 1998 | Harrier National Champions |
| 7 | Bingham | 1996 | Harrier #3 Nationally Ranked |
| 8 | Mountain View | 1996 | Harrier #4 Nationally Ranked |
| 9 | Mountain View | 2005 | NTN #5 Nationally Ranked |