Final DXC Update of 2012

Darts - 

It took me a while to sit down and write this final email of the 2012 cross country season. It has been an incredible season. We have accomplished so much as a TEAM over the past 6 months. I am ending this season with a feeling of pride and satisfaction. I have been involved in seasons where we wrap things up and there might be a feeling of regret because what might have been if we had worked harder or been more unified or had better leadership, but I feel that 2012 was a very complete season and a very complete TEAM. Once again, I would like to thank each of you for your contributions - not just in the times you ran or the points you scored (or didn't score I guess with cross country) - but more importantly in the contributions you each made in making it a memorable year in the way we worked together and progressed as a group. 

We wrapped up our season last week at the Nike Nationals in Portland. As most of you know, our girls finished 12th and our boys finished 13th. As most of you also know, that was not what we were hoping for. However, there was no feeling of regret or disappointment. The 14 runners who represented DXC put everything they had into those races. We raced with toughness, with passion, and with focus. And we raced as a TEAM. At the end of the day, it did not end up being our day or our course - but we gave our best efforts. If you look closely at the results, you will see that both the boys and the girls are incredibly close to being top 5 teams. The team competition was as close and as deep as it has ever been. I believe that on another day - or possibly on a course that is more suited to our strengths - that our boys and girls are among the top 5 teams in the U.S. And finishing in the top 13 on both sides is definitely a great accomplishment and something that we can be proud of. 

Congrats to the entire TEAM - because I truly believe that getting to NXN and placing so high at NXN can be attributed to all of you. To your teamwork, to your attitudes, and to the fact that we were pushing each other to be our greatest. 

If you have not yet had a chance to check out the pictures Brad and I posted on facebook, you should - especially the pictures of the race. It was by far the muddiest, most challenging cross country race I have ever witnessed.  

So, the indoor track season is coming up and it's time to get back to work. I think that a lot of you are motivated to push yourselves to the next level of your running and I think we are going to see some major breakthroughs over the next 6 months of the year. How do you get to the next level? How do you make those breakthroughs? Simple: you set some goals and then put in consistent work. By consistent work, I am talking about months of training not a few days or a few weeks. You have to stay disciplined and you have to stay motivated.

I think that the work we did in the summer and the cross country season is going to make you all stronger when we get on the track, but only if you continue to work hard and push yourselves during the winter. December and January are tricky months. The weather isn't always the easiest to train in and there are not very many track meets to test yourselves. I remember being a high school athlete in those months and I was always trying to work harder than anyone else through the winter because I knew that I could have more motivation and more desire and more mental toughness than the guys I would be racing. After years of thinking this way, the winter has become a time of year when I really look forward to my training.  

I want you all to treat the months of December-February very similar to how we treat our summer months. We are building a base that is going to last us through May - and allow us to reach the highest possible peak that we can at the end of April and the first half of May. The main difference is that we will have a few lower mileage weeks because of some important indoor races - and our mileage might not be quite as high because of some higher intensity in our training. Here are the important things to keep in mind for the next 12 weeks:

1) You should be keeping a training log - if it helps to email me at the end of the week, I really like reading your logs and would love to keep you accountable for what you are doing - especially since we are not meeting all of the days through that stretch. I am not going to make it a requirement, but I highly recommend emailing me what you are doing for the next 12 weeks. Those 12 weeks will be December 10 - February 16 (Simplot Games). I am not going to keep a mileage chart like I did during the summer, but I think that you should be comparing yourself to what you did in the summer. And you should set a goal for what you would like to hit over those 12 weeks. 400 miles (33 miles per week) or 500 miles (42 miles per week) or even 600 miles (50 miles per week) would be something to shoot for depending on where you were in the summer and what progress you have made over the xc season. All of you should be shooting for at least 400 miles. A lot of those miles we are going to run as a group, but if you want to get over 500, you are going to need to do some extra on your own (morning runs, evening runs, or a few extra added on at practice).   

2) Set some time goals. I think you should set some time goals for both the indoor season and the outdoor season. Again, how do you get to the next level in your running? First you have to decide what that next level is. Each of you are at your own levels of running. For some of you, it might be harder to cut a lot of time off of last year's running because you are at a higher level (and it gets harder to take off time the faster you get), for some of you who are newer to running, you might see some huge improvements from a year ago. If you are a boy who ran 4:50 in the mile a year ago and you would like to run under 4:30 this season - set that as a goal and get after it. If you ran 13:00 in the 2 mile last year, you might go after 12:00 this year. If you are a girl who ran 2:24 in the 800m last year and you want to hit 2:18 this year - that's totally reachable. Each of you have to decide what kind of time you are going to be proud of. Set some goal times you have to really work for; something that will make you proud and that will make you feel accomplished. You should let me know what your goal times are, and you should write them down and keep them in a place that you can see them. Let them be part of your motivation for the next 3 months of training.

3) Listen to your body. If you start to get run down, don't overdo it. It is a phase of your training where it is okay to back off for a few days - especially if it means preventing injury or burnout. However, it is also a phase of your running where it is okay to be tired and push yourself - you just have to be careful.

4) Continue to do the little things that are going to make the difference - take care of your bodies (eat right, sleep, stretch). Be diligent with your ab work, your lifting, your stretching, and your drills. Be better than you ever have been at being disciplined. 

*One thing is for certain - don't expect to get to the next level of your running just because a year has gone by. You have to stay hungry. You have to keep focused. You have to push yourself harder and harder if you are going to reach new heights. Don't settle for anything less than your best this season. Don't go through the season satisfied with being the same runner you were a year ago.

I will see you on Monday at 2:40 - meet in my classroom and be ready for a run outside. The indoor team meeting is not until Tuesday, but I would like you to meet for a run on Monday. (I will have parent teacher conference). 

The Indoor Track Meeting is Tuesday at 2:40 in the little theater (which is just north of the main office in the school). If you are an 8th or 9th grader, come to that room when you get out of school, and we should still be in there finishing up. We will go for a run after the meeting - so bring your warm clothes.

I think that is about all, 

Thanks.

Coach Talley 

DXC Update - Nike Southwest Regional

Darts - 

It is hard to capture everything that this season has meant for our TEAM. I don't think that words can explain all the work we have done and all that we have been through as a group. Our TEAM performance last Saturday at the Nike Southwest Regional Championships was a great symbol and a great reward for all that we have done. I hope you felt the same pride and excitement as I did as we finished those races giving all we could give, waited in anticipation, and then learned that both our boys and girls had automatically qualified for the Nike Nationals. We definitely did it in dramatic fashion - Our boys qualified despite not having our normal 5-6-7, and our girls upset the Fort Collins team who has won the Southwest Regional for the past 5 years in a row. It was the first time a Utah team has won the Southwest girls race. It was only the 2nd time since the regionals began, that a team qualified both its boys and girls in the same year in the Southwest region. It was a great moment for our program, and it was so well deserved for both of our TEAMs. 

We had some very gutsy performances and a lot of huge PRs in the morning open races. Nearly every boy and every girl set a pr or a season best. I do feel like the course was a very fast 5k course, and it was even faster because it was run at sea-level.

Boys Open Race 

Taylor Goldsberry - 16:13 

Josh Ward - 16:16

Matt Hawkins - 16:29

Colton Rimann - 16:32

Ryan Lee - 16:40

Isaac Clouse - 16:44

Kimball Potter - 16:48

Ethan Stuart - 16:52

Alex White - 16:54

Kent Thompson - 16:55

Andrew Tyndall - 17:00

Colter Blanchard - 17:04

Brandon Peters - 17:07

Seth Thompson - 17:10

Logan Haviland - 17:16

Ryan Tanner - 17:27

Devin Farnworth - 17:52

Trevor Fry - 17:53

Jackson Rayl - 17:54

JR Oldham - 18:00

Mitch Perry - 18:20

Nate Butterfield - 18:31

*One of the main things that I took away from the open boys is that we are going to be a very solid TEAM again in a year. If you take our top 7 returning boys (including what Stokton would run on a normal day), we are looking at a returning team with 15:31, 15:50, 16:16, 16:29, 16:32, 16:48, 16:52, and then our next 5 guys within :15. It really is a very deep, strong team coming back. It is going to take some definite hard work through the winter, the track season, the summer, and next year's cross country season, but having the goal of returning to the Southwest region with a shot at finishing in the top 2 as a team, is not a ridiculous thought. Even though we are losing 7 of our top 9 guys, we could still come back as contenders. Every team in the top 8 teams in the race is losing a considerable group of seniors. The team with the most desire, the most unity, and the most purpose in their training and their racing will give themselves a shot at being Nike qualifiers again in a year. I would say we are in as good of a position as we were in 2009 (the year before we first made it and finished 11th at the nationals). The biggest season bests in the race came from Colton Rimann, Ryan Lee, Kent Thompson, and Brandon Peters.

Girls Open Race

Sierra Graham - 18:59

Hannah Albrechtsen - 19:11

Aimee Vance - 19:17

Katie Frandsen - 19:57

Sadie Hutchinson - 19:58

Josey Hedquist - 20:00

Madi Bledsoe - 20:04

Sam Hedquist - 20:08

Elise Anderson - 20:14

Michaela Uresk - 20:33

Shaylee Argyle - 21:31 

*The girls also showed a lot of promise for the future. With 7 of our top 12 girls coming back, and a very strong group right behind those 7, we could also be in a position to have another killer girls team in a year. Our top 7 returning girls times were 18:21, 18:26, 18:27, 18:59, 19:11, 19:17, 19:28. Those returning times would have placed us about 7th in this year's championship race. A year ago, we finished as the 6th place team. It is amazing how much improvement we have seen in the past 365 days. If our girls will continue with that same passion, and that same teamwork, and that same faith in one another and the program, we can put ourselves right back to where we are right now. For both the boys and the girls, we are going to need runners to step up as leaders and provide the desire and the inspiration that will be necessary, but I hope that many of you returning runners will have the goals and the dreams to come back in a year with two teams that are in contention again. The biggest season bests in the race came from Sierra Graham, Hannah Albrechtsen, Katie Frandsen, Sadie Hutchinson, Sam Hedquist, and Shaylee Argyle.

Championship Boys Race 

14. Alex Hedquist - 15:17

24. Brayden Cromar - 15:27

29. Skylar Williams - 15:31

48. Preston Johnson - 15:41

120. Sam Haws - 16:10

137. Jackson Sagers - 16:16

DNF Stokton Smith

Team Scores

1. American Fork 36

2. Davis 163

3. Los Alamos, NM 215

4. Herriman 215

5. The Storm (Sue Cleveland, NM) 224

*The boys had a stressful 10 days going into this race. Andrew Aposhian was out with a strained hamstring, then Stokton Smith had to take a week off with a strained back, then Hayden fell and had a concussion and was not quite ready to race. On Friday night, we put Sam Haws in for Hayden. On Saturday morning, we pulled Jackson Sagers off of the open race starting line to run for Andrew Aposhian. Stokton's back was still an issue, but he was going to do his best to get through the race. I was so proud of the effort that these three put into this race. Without any one of them, I don't think we would have qualified. Stokton has been solid for us all year long. He has really pushed our seniors to stay on their toes and to work hard. He has been one of our best sophomores in DXC history. He gave his very all in the race, but was also facing some serious asthma issues. He went out in a position to help us out, but started struggling with his breathing pretty early. With about 400m left to go, Stokton collapsed and was taken to the medical tent. He was in and out of awareness, as they tried to help him to breath. Stokton is truly an example of someone who will run as hard as he can run. The world better watch out for when he gets some more experience and for when he gets his breathing figured out. Sam Haws and Jackson Sagers were in about 170th place going through the dip before the 2 mile mark. It was definitely too far back for our #5 runner. At the time, we were sitting in 3rd place. At that point, Jackson decided to move - and he really took off. In the next mile, Jackson went from 175th to about 125th, passing group after group. As he went by Sam, Sam immediately responded to his teammate (just like he should). He trailed Jackson as they passed so many other runners until about 600m to go, and then Sam took off and finished 120th with a 16:10. Jackson went on to finish in 16:16 - which was our TEAM's biggest improvement of the day (considering season bests). It was enough to secure our 2nd place position and send us to Portland. It was such a great example of guts, determination, and teamwork. Both of them were given the opportunity to prove themselves and to be heroes for our TEAM who needed them more than ever, and both of them were ready. They ran inspired races, and we couldn't have done it without them. The top 4 boys on our TEAM all finished under 15:41 - and were all in the top 32 for team scoring. These boys have worked so hard for this, and it was great to see them have such strong races at the end of a very challenging season. It has been nice to have both Hayden and Andrew running with us again this week, and we should see a very strong performance from our boys next week in Portland - we are ready for our best performance of the year. We will most likely go into the race ranked anywhere from 7-10, but we will be ready to place a lot higher. Our experience and our toughness are going to get us there. Each runner on that boys TEAM has proven they can dig deep and pull through adversity. It should be an epic end to their great run at NXN these past 3 years. 

Girls Championship Race

6. Shea Martinez - 17:34

7. Ellie Child - 17:36

46. Taylor Cox - 18:21

49. Ashley Tyndall - 18:26

52. Kenzie Weir - 18:27

53. Kami Dixon - 18:28

67. Joanna Boyd - 18:38

106. Mikell Wood - 19:04

144. Chelsey Johnson - 19:28

Team Scores

1. Davis 94

2. Fort Collins, CO 104

3. Pine Creek, CO 107

4. Xavier, AZ 131

5. Park City 146

6. Ogden 220

*Going into the race, our girls were ranked 5th in the region in 3 different polls (milesplit, watchout or the old ESPN Rise poll, and the southwest coaches poll). But we knew we were better than that. Our girls have been undefeated all season long - and have been underranked all season long. It was definitely time to prove ourselves, and we had to do it coming from behind. At the first mile, Shea and Ellie had positioned themselves well - 14th and 15th - just at the back of the 2nd pack. But our next 5 girls were between 75th and 83rd - we were running as a pack, but we were too far back. At the one mile mark we were in 3rd place and we were 72 points behind Fort Collins. Our big move came in the 2nd mile. Shea and Ellie stayed patient with the pack, but as girls fell off, they moved up to 11th and 12th. Our group followed Joanna through the pack to move up to between 47th and 65th. We had put ourselves in position for a strong finish and we had moved up to 2nd place - just 11 points behind Fort Collins. In the final mile, we made up another 10 places to pull off the upset. Shea and Ellie moved into 6th and 7th, and the rest of the girls packed together to finish between 46th and 53rd. Looking at the way the race unfolded, we were very brave during the 2nd mile, and we trusted that we would finish strong as a TEAM. Our tight group of our 3rd through 7th runners really came through for us - and we fought all the way to the finish. It was kind of fun waiting for the announcement because we knew it was going to be close, and it was such a great feeling when we found out we had beat Fort Collins. We also ended up setting the team time record for the course with a combined top 5 of 1:30.24. It is the fastest team time the Davis girls have ever run for either a 3 mile or a 5k course. To put that into perspective, at the Dart Challenge 5k this past summer, our team time was 1:36.39. We have definitely come a long way in a short amount of time by working together.

Next week we will be ready to prove ourselves again. The Watchout poll sees our potential, and he will have us ranked around 6th or 7th, but milesplit's new poll came out today and still has us in 18th (http://usa.milesplit.com/articles/96513-usa-xc-rankings-2012-girls-teams-as-of-11-20) That's completely okay - because we have seen that rankings don't mean much. We are going for it next week, and we are going to continue to surprise some people with our TEAM strength and with our determination. 

I just wanted to thank all those on the TEAM who were on the trip. Thanks for being well-behaved. Thanks for taking the racing seriously and for doing your best. Thanks for all the hard work all season long to get us here. Thanks to our wonderful parents who traveled down to Arizona to support us and for all those who sent their support as well. Thanks to my great coaching staff (Brad, Coach T, Kat, and Brian) for all of their help and support and encouragement this season. Thanks to some very great senior leaders who have put so much into the success of this TEAM. 

What's Next???

A break for the most part. Those of you who are not racing at Nike are on your own for the Thanksgiving Break and for all of next week. My recommendation is to take a bit of a break during these 2 weeks. Your body needs it and your mind needs it. And it is okay to go into December a little out of shape. With all the ups and downs that running has to offer, it is good to have rest. I hope you come back with a renewed passion for what you are doing and with a lot of excitement to put in some work for the track season and for next year's cross country season. I hope that you come back with some dreams and some goals to shoot for. If you would like to do some distance running next week (November 26-December 1), that is okay, but don't overdo it. Listen to your body - run anywhere from 3 to 8 miles if you go out, but have it be very informal. The week of December 3-8 you are encouraged to run some base mileage (anywhere from 30-40 miles), but still light on the intensity. We will begin our indoor track training on December 10th. 

If you have a uniform that you borrowed for the Regional or if you still have a uniform from the season, will you please bring that back as soon as possible. I would like to get them all put away until March. 

Thanks, 

Coach Talley

ps. In alumni news, congrats to Jared Ward for his 14th place finish at the NCAA cross country championships - leading the BYU men to a 6th place finish.

Pre Nike Results - Layton Park

Pre-Nike Race

November 7, 2012 @ Layton Commons Park   Weather- 60 degrees, clear, perfect    Course- 3.0 miles   Region One Course Records – 17:37 by Ellie Child, Davis 2012; 15:18 by Steve Shepherd, Weber, 2002 and Brad Nye, Davis, 2011

Boys Results

1.             14:58       Jordon Cross                           Ogden

2.             15:00       Brayden Cromar                   Davis

3.             15:02       Alex Hedquist                        Davis

4.             15:12       Chuk Mitchell                        Herriman

5.             15:28       Rory Linkletter                       Herriman

6.             15:37       Cade Perry                              Bonneville

7.             15:38       Skylar Williams                      Davis

8.             15:40       Connor Jones                         Herriman

9.             15:48       Preston Johnson                     Davis

10.          15:49       Brian Jasper                            Bonneville

11.          15:51       Hayden Hansen                    Davis

12.          15:54       Jared Seachris                        Bonneville

13.          15:56       Stokton Smith                        Davis

14.          15:57       Carson Garner                        Ogden

15.          15:59       Colby Meyers                         Bonneville

16.          16:00       Mike Buckley                         Ogden

17.          16:05       Brad Barton                           Coach – Ogden

18.          16:06       Sam Haws                              Davis

19.          16:09       Josh Ward                               Davis

20.          16:16       Jesse Drury                              Herriman

21.          16:18       Jesse Jorgensen                      Herriman

22.          16:22       Jacob Stone                            Woods Cross

23.          16:23       Taylor Goldsberry                 Davis

24.          16:23       Andy Penman                        Bonneville

25.          16:24       Calvin Howell                        Herriman

26.          16:25       Pedro DeLeon                        Ogden

27.          16:27       McKay Sharp                         Herriman

28.          16:28       Matt Hawkins                        Davis

29.          16:29       Jake Mathewson                   Ogden

30.          16:37       Juston Cypers                         Bonneville

31.          16:39       Jackson Sagers                       Davis

32.          16:41       Harrison Godfrey                  Ogden

33.          16:42       Kimball Potter                        Davis

34.          16:42       Colton Rimann                      Davis

35.          16:48       Jared Sheets                            Ogden

36.          16:48       Jesse Mott                               Bonneville

37.          16:51       Seth Thompson                     Davis

38.          16:56       Braden Bronson                    Herriman

39.          16:58       Isaac Clouse                           Davis

40.          16:59       Ryan Lee                                Davis

41.          16:59       Ethan Stuart                           Davis

42.          17:02       Colter Blanchard                   Davis

43.          17:02       Alex White                              Davis

44.          17:05       Kent Thompson                     Davis

45.          17:06       Andrew Tyndall                     Davis

46.          17:07       Ryan Tanner                          Davis

47.          17:07       Andrew Rummens                Woods Cross

48.          17:10       Jeremiah Robinson               Ogden

49.          17:16       Logan Haviland                    Davis

50.          17:18       Derek Hansen                        Herriman

51.          17:18       Brandon Peterson                  Davis

52.          17:36       Joseph Bailey                         Davis

53.          17:37       Bryce Halling                         Herriman

54.          17:44       Trevor Fry                               Davis

55.          17:46       Devin Farnsworth                  Davis

56.          17:46       Jackson Rayl                          Davis

57.          17:47       Taylor Hill                               Bonneville

58.          17:48       Corbin Karlinsey                    Bonneville

59.          17:52       Daniel Tumblin                      Davis

60.          18:00       Dylan Matlack                       Bonneville

61.          18:01       Connor Bradley                     Bonneville

62.          18:01       Hayden Williams                   Herriman

63.          18:06       Mitch Perry                             Davis

64.          18:10       Grant Keller                            Woods Cross

65.          18:13       JR Oldham                              Davis

66.          18:28       Kyle Rummens                      Woods Cross

67.          18:41       Brandon Wayment               Bonneville

68.          18:49       Caleb Gipson                          Davis

69.          18:51       Blake Garrett                          Davis

70.          18:57       Adam Aposhian                    Davis

71.          19:13       Dakota Schoenfeld               Bonneville

72.          19:19       Casey Jeffries                         Bonneville

73.          19:23       Tanner Horrocks                   Davis

74.          19:59       Josh Proulx                             Bonneville

75.          20:07       Nathaniel Neubert                 Davis

76.          23:02       Broc Mathewson                   Bonneville

Girls Results

1.             17:14       Lucy Biles                               Herriman

2.             17:36       Shea Martinez                        Davis

3.             18:14       Ellie Child                                Davis

4.             18:16       Mikell Wood                           Davis

5.             18:17       Kenzie Weir                            Davis

6.             18:17       Taylor Cox                             Davis

7.             18:18       Kami Dixon                            Davis

8.             18:25       Ashley Tyndall                       Davis

9.             18:39       Joanna Boyd                          Davis

10.          18:53       Chelsey Johnson                    Davis

11.          19:11       Sierra Graham                        Davis

12.          19:14       Aimee Vance                          Davis

13.          19:25       Hannah Albrechtsen             Davis

14.          19:37       Josey Hedquist                       Davis

15.          20:00       Mikie Brinkerhoff                 Herriman

16.          20:15       Katie Frandsen                       Davis

17.          20:16       Elise Anderson                       Davis

18.          20:19       Sadie Hutchinson                  Davis

19.          20:22       Sarah Layton                         Bonneville

20.          20:28       Madi Bledsoe                         Davis

21.          20:58       Sam Hedquist                        Davis

22.          21:08       Rachel Briggs                         Herriman

23.          21:12       Rachel Johnson                     Davis

24.          21:12       Kaitlyn Datwyler                   Davis

25.          21:13       Grace Neuenschwander       Davis

26.          21:15       Michaela Uresk                      Davis

27.          21:37       Nicole Wood                           Davis

28.          21:47       Sierra Haslam                        Davis

29.          21:57       Michelle Stanley                    Herriman

30.          21:55       Julia Perry                               Bonneville

31.          21:58       Tessa Snarr                             Herriman

32.          22:09       Shaylee Argyle                       Davis

33.          22:58       Sabrina Wayment                 Bonneville

34.          23:20       Sydney Zaugg                        Davis

35.          23:33       Alex Tanner                            Davis

36.          24:08       Megan Mott                           Bonneville

37.          24:24       Janelle Daw                            Davis

38.          24:44       Morgan Hill                            Bonneville

39.          25:49       Ella Palmer                             Davis

40.          28:14       Paige Peterson                        Davis

DXC Update - State Championships

Darts - 

We wrapped up another very successful cross country season by bringing home two state championship trophies. The girls finished 1st and the boys finished 2nd - both races showed what DXC is all about. Both races took every runner giving their all for their TEAM. 

The girls had to fight a little harder for this one than we expected. It was definitely not our easiest race of the season, but we stayed tough and finished with everything we had to earn our 3rd straight state championship (and our 5th in the past 6 years). And we looked cool doing it in our bright yellow uniforms. We really wanted to get the team time record (93:50), and we came up just short (94:15) - but I truly believe we could have achieved it on nearly any other day. It is still the Davis team time record - beating our 2011 time of 95:10. It is also #4 on the Utah all-time list. We also still won the overall team competition (with all divisions 1A - 5A). It was a very tight race. We scored 106.5, Mountain Crest was 2nd with 111, Park City was 3rd with 113, and American Fork was 4th with 139. We kept our undefeated streak alive, but it was not easy. The thing that impressed me most about our girls yesterday was that we didn't have our best day, but we still dug deep enough and still had enough desire, determination, and teamwork to finish the race with a lot of guts. Ellie Child capped off an incredible first season of cross country with her 3rd place finish in 18:29. She has added so much speed and strength to our team. Yesterday may not have been her best race, but she showed a lot of toughness in getting to the finish line. She went out with the leaders, covered their moves, and then had to really dig deep over the final 800m of the race. It may not have been what she expected, but she still gave her all. We could not have won it without her. Shea Martinez made a courageous move with about 1200m to go - she gapped the field and really went for it. She was on pace to run under 18 minutes until the final 500m. It was definitely a gutsy performance, but she ran out of gas and struggled to the finish line. I couldn't be more proud of her. Despite any fear or doubt, she went for it. She pushed her body as hard as it would go yesterday. She maybe could have settled in and raced cautiously and finished with a 2nd or 3rd place - but she made the risk - she went for it. It reminds me of the Steve Prefontaine quote: "A lot of people run the race to see who is the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself to exhausting pace."  Shea ended up finishing in 7th place with 18:45. Ironically it is the same time that she won with as a sophomore. Shea has really raised the bar for girls racing at our school and in the state of Utah. She has had a phenomenal high school cross country career - and her effort yesterday showed her passion for racing and her determination to do her best. It was Shea's 3rd state championship TEAM. We could not have done all that we have without her. Mikell Wood came through big for us again yesterday as she has all season long. She ran the race plan perfectly, and it was awesome to watch her fight off the top American Fork girl in the final 100m of the race. Mikell's time of 18:52 was good enough for 8th place and good enough to earn her all-state. Mikell has come a long way from her sophomore year, and it really shows what hard work and determination can accomplish. We could not have won it without her. Ashley Tyndall also came through big for us. She ran patiently, and she showed a ton of fight over the 2nd half of the race. Ashley has also worked extremely hard for her improvements. It was awesome to see her finish under 19 minutes. Her time of 18:58 was good enough for 11th place. We could not have won it without her. Joanna Boyd came down sick with strep on Sunday. Not the best timing - but somehow she stayed as positive as possible and still made it to the starting line. Of course she was worried, she didn't know how she would feel, but she knew her TEAM needed her, and she was going to go out and do her best. Every time Joanna races, she gives her very best for her TEAM. She was so mentally tough yesterday, and she had to be. As a few of her teammates began to struggle in front of her, somehow Joanna found the guts to keep moving up through the group. Her time of 19:09 is absolutely incredible considering the circumstances. It was good enough for 16th place, and good enough to finish as our 5th runner and wrap up the victory for us. It is also Joanna's 3rd state championship TEAM. She has really left her mark on Davis Cross Country. We are so lucky that she moved to Kaysville before her sophomore year. We could not have done it without her. Chelsey Johnson is definitely a fighter. She started to struggle a little earlier in the race. But she did not give in. Just has she has so many times before, Chelsey showed her toughness and ran for her TEAM. She has made some sacrifices to be part of this TEAM, and we are grateful to have her. This was her 2nd state championship team - and we could not have done it without her. Kami Dixon did what we needed her to as well. She helped lead our pack through the important early miles of the race. I think she really helped to keep her teammates calm and confident. And she helped us make the moves we needed in the first 2 miles. After that, Kami really struggled to the finish line. She said she kept telling her legs to go, but it just wasn't there. It was evident that she was giving her all for her TEAM. She still played a vital role in our success - not just in yesterday's race, but in our entire season. We could not have done it without her. Every girl on the TEAM was crucial to our victory. Each girl on the TEAM (both those who raced yesterday and those who did not) has had to face struggles and doubts. Each girl on the TEAM has had to make sacrifices. Our sacrifices and our challenges have made us stronger and more unified - and because of that, we are champions (literally and figuratively).

3. Ellie Child 18:29

7. Shea Martinez 18:45

8. Mikell Wood 18:52

11. Ashley Tyndall 18:58

16. Joanna Boyd 19:09

19. Chelsey Johnson 19:22

31. Kami Dixon 20:09

Team Scores

1. Davis 37

2. American Fork 51

3. Bingham 102

4. Lehi 104

5. Jordan 141

Full Results at www.runnercard.com 

The boys' season has not necessarily gone as we would have expected. We have faced more challenges on our road to the state championships than we thought we would, and we were not in the position we thought we would be in at this point. Still, we prepared the best we could, and we showed up ready for a fight. We came away with a trophy and a 2nd place finish to another strong American Fork team. We also finished 2nd in the combined (1A-5A) team scoring in a close battle: American Fork (79.5), Davis (150), Herriman (157.5), Bonneville (160). No doubt this was the deepest TEAM year in Utah cross country history. Our team time of 79:43 is #7 on the Utah all-time list, and our 2nd fastest ever (79:01 in 2011). And it is 1:24 faster than our 2010 TEAM that went on to finish 11th at NXN. Just like our girls, each of our boys showed a lot of guts in running for their TEAM. Alex Hedquist led the way with a new Davis school record on the course. His time of 15:21 would have won so many other years - and was good enough for 3rd this year. Alex stayed with the lead group and kept himself in position even when the race got tough. Alex has worked and worked for the past 4 years of cross country to put himself in this position. It was definitely rewarding to see him have this type of a race at the state championships. Brayden Cromar competed on his 3rd state championship team (finishing top 12 all three years). He has been such a solid runner and leader for us all three years. Just like he always does, he put his heart and soul into the race. I don't think it was his best day, but he ran with emotion and went for it by going with the leaders. He will be as strong as ever a month from now at NXN. His time of 15:43 was his pr on the course and was good enough for 6th place, his 2nd all-state award. Skylar Williams really went for it. I didn't realize he was right with the leaders coming up the big hill until I saw the pictures on desnews.com and sltrib.com this morning (sweet pictures of our top 3 by the way). It showed a lot of guts and it was a risk - but it was the kind of risk necessary for us to have a shot yesterday. It also shows me that once we get his back injury figured out, Skylar is going to completely tear it up. He always races so tough. His finish was phenomenal as he ran down about 5 guys in the final 200m to finish 12th with 16:08.Preston Johnson has only been running for 2 1/2 weeks. His shin stress fracture did not come at a very convenient time for Presto. He had high hopes for this season and for this state championship race. Preston's 8 weeks without running were not easy on him or the TEAM. I know he fought hard through discouragement and doubt. And I know he had plenty of fears going into yesterday's race. But Preston is strong. He adjusted his goals and his original hopes, and he went into the race ready to do his best for his TEAM. When we started to struggle over the 2nd half of the race, Preston ran as hard as he ever has to move up into our #4 position. He really helped the TEAM out with his 15th place finish (16:12). It is also Preston's 3rd time running at state. He has had a great career - and he is not through by any means. I couldn't be more proud of his quick comeback. With 4 more weeks, I can't wait to see what Presto can do at the Nike Regionals. He is really going to add to our TEAM strength as we prepare for that race. Hayden Hansen has been strong for us all season long. He has shown consistency and has worked harder than ever. He also went after it yesterday - keeping himself in a position to make a difference for our TEAM and really giving his all to run the race plan. He finished in our top 5 and was 18th overall in his first state championship race with a time of 16:17. Andrew Aposhian went out like we needed him to as well. Andrew is such a hard worker and such a good kid. He truly is a great example to everyone on the TEAM. His race yesterday was not his best, but he never gave up. He did what he needed to for our team - pulling our guys through the 2 mile mark in a solid position. Watching Andrew race that final mile really captured what I think DXC is all about - giving your best for your teammates. He finished in 20th with 16:20 - and I know he is determined to be a lot faster a month from now. Stokton Smith was in his first major championship race - but I think he is going to have a lot more opportunities like this in the future. He has shown all year that he races with "no fear" and that he is an extremely gutsy, tough runner. He is still learning and still gaining a lot from every experience. In his first state championships, he finished as the #2 sophomore in the race with a 16:37 (28th place). He was also the 6th fastest sophomore from all divisions. He also didn't have his best day and is trying to figure out some challenges with asthma, but once he figures that out, watch out. Each of these boys has put a lot into this season. Our entire TEAM has put a lot into the success we have had this season. It has had its ups and downs, but we have stuck together and we will continue to fight through our final cross country races of the year.

3. Alex Hedquist 15:21

6. Brayden Cromar 15:43

12. Skylar Williams 16:08

15. Preston Johnson 16:12

18. Hayden Hansen 16:17

20. Andrew Aposhian 16:20

28. Stokton Smith 16:37

Team Scores

1. American Fork 29

2. Davis 54

3. Riverton 74

4. Bingham 125

5. Alta 142

Full Results: www.runnercard.com 

For both the boys and the girls race, we had the strongest "8th man" at the meet. Our athletes, fans, and parents who were not racing provided so much energy and excitement for our TEAM. I truly believe we could not have raced that well yesterday if it was not for those who were cheering and encouraging our runners. Thanks for all the support and thanks for helping to make this a successful state championships.

Also, a special congratulations to our "state record" setting 5 boys who earned academic all-state: Seth Thompson, Alex Hedquist, Jackson Sagers, Andrew Aposhian, and Phillip Baker. You boys done real good. It is amazing how much you have accomplished in every area of your lives. Great runners, great students, and great examples.

I quickly would like to thank our coaches. They have done so much for us this season. Be aware that each of them make sacrifices and have selflessly shown love and support for each of you. They have offered expertise, advice, and encouragement, and we are lucky to have them. Thanks, Brad Anderson, Paul Timothy, Kat Pendleton, Brian Garlock, and Devin Lang (we really miss you Devin - but we are proud of what you are doing). Once again - we could not have done it without them. 

With 5 senior boys and 5 senior girls on our state teams, it is really time for our juniors, sophomores, and freshmen to increase the intensity of their training. We cannot afford to wait until the seniors are gone next summer to step up our level of training. Learn from how these seniors work. Learn from their leadership and their toughness. Be willing to risk. Be willing to push yourselves beyond what you think you can do - in races and in training. Train like them now while they are still here and we can still learn from them. I can't wait to see who steps up and who does the work to be the surprise runner we are going to need over the next 12 months. It may not look like it on paper, but I want to come back as a TEAM next year to once again be in a position to win 2 state titles. It will take a lot of hard work and a ton of passion to get there, but we can do it as a TEAM. This is a good time to evaluate the effort you are giving and to look for ways that you can give a little more (or a lot more). You never know what you can do until you really give full effort to try to accomplish something.

We will now be working toward the NXN Regional race in Arizona on November 17th. We are definitely in a position to qualify both the girls and the boys for the Nike Nationals (in Portland on December 1st). The next 4 weeks are extremely important weeks. Our attitude these next 4 weeks is just as important as what we do for our workouts. It is important that we continue to stay hungry and focused. It is important that we continue to put the TEAM first and continue to be unified and make sacrifices for one another. I have attached the workout schedule for the next 4 weeks. If you are hoping to go to Arizona with the TEAM, please review the workout schedule and commit to make it to all of the workouts. Those workouts actually start today (Thursday) - it is important that you get in some good mileage on your own during this break. We will be having a TEAM meeting on Monday to discuss the NXN details. We will be able to take 48 athletes with us to Arizona.

TEAM Pictures will be on Tuesday, October 23rd. Bring your uniforms. Last week I said they would be on Wednesday - that has been changed to Tuesday. 

The TEAM Banquet will be on Thursday, November 8th at 6:00pm. Most likely this will take place at the school. 

Thanks again, let me know if you have any questions.

Coach Talley