Folders |
National High School Boys Team Rankings - 10/26Published by
American Fork Pulls Ahead Of Herriman With 33-39 State Meet Victory In Utah By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor The spectacle of Tuesday's Utah state championship showdown between American Fork and Herriman was one of the highlights of the high school cross country season so far this fall. Many of the schools that competed early in the 12-race event at Regional Athletic Complex in Salt Lake City stayed put rather than board buses and leave just so that the athletes and their coaches could soak up the experience of a No. 1 vs No. 2 contest for the Utah High School Activities Association Class 6A title. "We went into this believing we could win and that was the only reason we really did," American Fork senior Daniel Simmons said. "If we didn't believe it, Herriman would have done just as well as we did today. They're fantastic." Simmons, Kaden Evans and Chase Pack went 1-2-3 for American Fork, which was a fantastic outcome for the Cavemen. The question was always going to be whether Herriman could put seven in front of American Fork's fifth, something the Mustangs may need to do in upcoming opportunities at NXR Southwest and, perhaps, Nike Cross Nationals. William Steadman falling back to 24th in the final kilometer hurt. If he finishes with teammates Tayshaun Ogomo, Jonah Tang and Jack Beckstrom (fifth, sixth and seventh), the score is 35-35. This week, all hail the Cavemen and their 11th Utah state title. As for other movement this week, Union Catholic NJ beat Westfield NJ at the Union County Championships and senior Jimmy Wischusen answered any and all questions about his fitness with a 30-second victory to lead his team. Great Oak CA put another strong performance together at the 75th Mt. SAC Invitational and finished with 88 points in the Division 1-2 team sweepstakes race. Franklin of Portland OR is rising up in an already crowded Northwest region. The Lightning put five runners between 15:17 and 15:51 at Lents Park. That raises the stakes on what should be a competitive race against No. 23 Jesuit next week in the Oregon 6A final. Star Valley of Wyoming makes its Top 30 debut this week after a sensational state meet in which the team went 1-2-6-7-8, led by repeat winner Habtamu Wetzel. Earlier, at the Manhattan Invitational, Christian Brothers Academy NJ reaffirmed its position at No. 3 with the second-best team performance ever at the storied meet, led by Joe Barrett's individual win. Perhaps the biggest reveal at Van Cortlandt Park was the breakout of La Salle College HS of Pennsylvania, which enters the rankings at No. 21 this week after placing second behind CBA. The Northeast, now with six teams in the Top 30, is perhaps the deepest region in the country. State meets in Colorado, Idaho and Indiana are part of this weekend's busy calendar and feature teams poised to show what a season's worth of training has wrought. Top 30 More news |
