Previewing the Field: 2A Boys Cross Country

Parowan won this one last year, followed by a tight pack of Rowland Hall, San Juan, Richfield, and Millard. How does it shape up this year?

Last year's top 50, with this spring's graduates removed (athletes of unknown year of graduation are marked with a question mark) looks like this:

  2 Ryan Westermann              Rowland Hall               16:48.50     1
  4 Caleb Zwhalen                North Summit HS            17:21.30     3
  6 Caleb Monsen                 Richfield HS               17:35.70     5
  7 Hunter Holt                  Richfield HS               17:41.10     6
  8 Cody Hales                   South Sevier HS            17:41.80    --
 10 Nathan Gurr                  Parowan HS                 17:54.00     8
 11 Eli Oftedal                  Rowland Hall               18:00.00     9
 12 Jonathan Rothschild          North Summit HS            18:02.90    10
 17 Zachary Arterburn            Manti HS                   18:15.10    14
 18 Tanner Robinson              Parowan HS                 18:15.80    15
 19 Cole Chamberlain             San Juan HS                18:16.60    16
 21 Treyton Helquist             Grand County HS            18:20.50    18
?22 Dayce Truman                 Enterprise HS              18:20.70    19
 23 Steven Monsen                Richfield HS               18:21.30    20
?24 Brandon Deschene             San Juan HS                18:21.90    21
 25 Orson Koyle                  Millard HS                 18:22.20    22
?26 Dallin Jacobsen              San Juan HS                18:23.00    23
 27 Chase Chamberlain            San Juan HS                18:23.40    24
?30 Gabriel Howell               Manti HS                   18:25.80    27
?31 Kyle Robinson                Millard HS                 18:29.00    28
 32 Dane Myers                   Millard HS                 18:31.40    29
 33 Brendan Jorgenson            Emery HS                   18:32.80    --
 34 Mika Mason                   Richfield HS               18:34.40    30
 35 Nathan Hatton                Parowan HS                 18:34.60    31
?36 Braxton Farmer               South Summit HS            18:38.70    --
 37 Tyrone Hinck                 Richfield HS               18:39.70    32
 38 Lachlan Murphy               Rowland Hall               18:41.00    33
 39 Thomas Beenfield             North Summit HS            18:44.10    34
?40 Christian Rosenvall          Maeser Prep Academy        18:46.30    35
?41 Scott Collings               Maeser Prep Academy        18:50.80    36
 43 Weston Larson                Wasatch Academy            18:58.40    --
 44 Christian Sherrow            San Juan HS                19:02.20    38
 45 Thad Lampson                 Rowland Hall               19:03.70    39
 46 Hudson Zwhalen               North Summit HS            19:06.70    40
 47 Joseph Hugentobler           Manti HS                   19:10.50    41
 48 Jackson Knowles              Grand County HS            19:12.10    42
 50 Cameron Dickinson            Richfield HS               19:13.00    44
 
Parowan lost two of their top three to graduation, something that tends to even things out a little in a hurry. Each of the next four was less impacted by graduation--in particular, Richfield lost none of their scoring five from state to graduation. Right away, that one fact alone thrusts them into the role of serious consideration for preseason favorite.
 
But, before we get too carried away with saddling Richfield with that particular burden, let's take a quick peak at what the rankings of returning runners in the 3200 from this spring tells us:
 
Rank Time Athlete Name Team C/O Date Meet
1. 9:56.88 Jacob Francis UT Grand County 2014 05/02/2012 BYU High School Invitational
2. 10:09.29 Ryan Westermann UT Rowland Hall 2014 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
3. 10:16.67 Caleb Zwhalen UT North Summit 2013 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
4. 10:26.48 Hudson Zwahlen UT North Summit 2014 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
5. 10:31.97 Caleb Monsen UT Richfield 2013 04/07/2012 Utah Valley University Invitational
6. 10:41.71 Steven Monsen UT Richfield 2015 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
7. 10:47.09 Orson Koyle UT Millard 2013 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
8. 10:48.82 Tanner Robinson UT Parowan 2015 04/20/2012 Dixie Fly High Invitational
9. 10:54.15 Treyton Helquist UT Grand County 2014 03/24/2012 Matt Burr Invitational
10. 10:55.64 Jonathan Rothschild UT North Summit 2015 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
11. 11:04.12 Nathan Hatton UT Parowan 2014 03/31/2012 Delta Invitational
12. 11:19.43 Cole Chamberlain UT San Juan 2015 04/21/2012 Blue Mountain Invitational
13. 11:20.74 Jackson Knowles UT Grand County 2014 04/21/2012 Blue Mountain Invitational
14. 11:21.25 Nathan Gurr UT Parowan 2013 03/31/2012 Delta Invitational
15. 11:25.00 Joseph Andrew UT Grand County 2014 03/10/2012 Red Rocks Invitational
16. 11:27.46 Hunter Holt UT Richfield 2013 03/24/2012 Matt Burr Invitational
17. 11:28.68 Chase Chamberlain UT San Juan 2014 04/04/2012 San Juan District Meet
18. 11:37.27 Collin Howard UT Wasatch Academy 2014 05/18/2012 Utah State Track and Field Championships
19. 11:50.35 Carlos Martinez UT North Summit 2015 03/24/2012 Matt Burr Invitational
20. 11:56.45 Mckuhla Beal UT Manti 2014 05/09/2012 Utah Region XVI Championships
21. 11:58.14 Brooks Anderton UT South Summit 2014 04/07/2012 Utah Valley University Invitational
22. 12:01.78 Clark Knaphus UT Manti 2015 05/09/2012 Utah Region XVI Championships
23. 12:06.32 Thomas Beenfield UT North Summit 2015 04/21/2012 Morgan Pocket Change Invitational
24. 12:13.09 Dillon West UT Parowan 2015 03/17/2012 Kanab Invitational
25. 12:18.08 Russell Clarkson UT Kanab 2015 05/08/2012 Utah Region XIII Championships
26. 12:20.82 Nic Dastrup UT Richfield 2015 04/21/2012 Taylorsville Invitational
27. 12:24.04 Andrew Hugentobler UT Grand County 2015 04/28/2012 Nyle Norris Invitational
28. 12:24.20 Zac Clifford UT Emery 2014 03/10/2012 Red Rocks Invitational
29. 12:26.12 Kyle Staheli UT Enterprise 2015 05/08/2012 Utah Region XIII Championships
30. 12:34.03 Truston Barlocker UT Enterprise 2014 03/23/2012 Pine View Invitational
31. 12:36.13 Mackay Hare UT Rowland Hall 2015 04/14/2012 Old Capitol Invitational
32. 12:44.14 Bradley Howell UT Manti 2015 04/06/2012 Manti McDonald's Invitational
33. 12:46.27 Patten Black UT San Juan 2015 04/28/2012 Nyle Norris Invitational
34. 12:55.32 Ethan Wright UT Enterprise 2014 05/08/2012 Utah Region XIII Championships
35. 13:10.26 Ray Leavitt UT South Summit 2015 03/24/2012 Matt Burr Invitational
36. 13:11.95 Ustin Garff UT Gunnison Valley 2015 05/09/2012 Utah Region XVI Championships
37. 13:27.18 Skyler Johnson UT Grand County 2014 04/21/2012 Blue Mountain Invitational
38. 13:28.46 Austin Yardley UT Enterprise 2015 03/23/2012 Pine View Invitational
39. 13:31.27 Spencer Beck UT San Juan 2014 04/04/2012 San Juan District Meet
40. 13:36.39 Mckade Hansen UT Emery 2013 04/15/2012 Carbon Farm Bureau Invitational
41. 13:37.16 Jaydon Carling UT Millard 2015 05/08/2012 Utah Region XIII Championships
42. 13:38.90 Teancum Chamberlain UT San Juan 2015 03/24/2012 Matt Burr Invitational
43. 13:44.52 Colby Russo-hatch UT Rowland Hall 2015 04/14/2012 Old Capitol Invitational
44. 13:59.62 River Christensen UT Manti 2015 05/09/2012 Utah Region XVI Championships
45. 13:59.98 Bo Gentry UT South Sevier 2014 03/24/2012 Matt Burr Invitational
46. 14:00.08 Tanner Sirrine UT South Sevier 2014 03/24/2012 Matt Burr Invitational
47. 14:23.28 Cody Helander UT North Summit 2013 04/14/2012 Old Capitol Invitational

North Summit, more or less a team lurking in the shadows from last year's state cross country results, comes out of this analysis looking to hold the top hand. It helps to have two guys with the same last name both running under 10:30. Siblings like Caleb and Hudson Zwhalen often end up being a huge factor in small school cross country. Hudson's track performance suggests his state meet in cross country needs to be considered an anomaly.

By the way, I have variant spellings on the last names of these two, but I'm pretty sure they would spell their last name the same way. Any help here?

Richfield counters with a pair of siblings (I presume) of their own--Caleb and Steven Monsen.

Grand County's stock rose a little with a good track season at the 3200 meter distance. Jacob Francis should be a great point guy for the Red Devils. If they can turn that into solid cross country times, they figure to be in this fall's race as well. Rowland Hall, despite having a great front runner in Ryan Westermann, might be fighting issues of depth this fall. Parowan,  however, seems to have enough in the pipeline to be a factor in the title race once again.

This one gets more interesting the more you look at it.  It should become even more interesting once the racing starts in August.

If you're looking for more to chew on, consider dropping in on this spring's rankings of returning 1600 runners as well. The first thing you'll find there is that there's one more name you need to consider as a potential producer on the Richfield cross country roster. 

 

And, one more thing, I'm always open to submissions of nice, crisp photos of anyone mentioned in an article for a cover photo where I don't have one. The main requirement I have is that the photo has to work in a 16x9 horizontal proportion. Any photos used will be credited as requested with the submission. First come, first served (posted).