ST. GEORGE — The high school cross country season gets underway Wednesday night in Cedar City and teams from Region 9 have every reason to think that they’ll be a force in the newly expanded class 4A.
According to Pine View cross country coach David Holt, teams from Region 9 (formerly Region 10) won 16 of the past 20 4A state championships in the past 10 years (boys and girls).
Desert Hills won seven, Pine View won seven and Cedar won two of those championships in that 10-year stretch.
Holt said in an email to St. George News Sports that the addition of traditional Utah powerhouse and nationally ranked programs like “…Mountain View, Orem, Park City, Stansbury and Timpanogos will create an opportunity for Region 9 teams to prove their strength against some of the best runners in the country.”
4A runners from Southern Utah crowded the podium last year at state after Desert Hills won the boys title and Cedar won the girls championship.
Holt compiled an email of Region 9 coaches previewing the upcoming season on the trails.
Pine View
On the boys team, last year’s individual 4A state champion Trey Despain graduated.
“He helped reinvigorate a Panther program that has taken Top 5 at state for an outstanding 15 straight years, the second-longest streak in Utah,” Holt wrote.
Senior Panthers Porter Calico, Talmage Wright and Kyler Humphries will be bolstered by junior Bridger Jaggi, a 3200-meter state track champion last year.
Along with a strong sophomore class, Holt wrote, “We believe we have the strength to be competing for a region and a state title with the other top programs in the state.”
As for the girls cross country runners, Holt wrote, “The Panthers have one of the strongest traditions of any Pine View program, winning six state titles in the past eight years and finishing in the top two for nine straight years.”
Senior Panthers Kate Jones, Elle Williams, Katie Finch and Brecken Heath are all back this season with state championship experience.
Holt said that sophomore Emmalee Williams “… had an amazing summer building off a very strong track season and will be one of the top runners in the state.”
With the addition of a few strong underclassmen, Holt wrote, “We look to be once again in contention for a region title and a Top 5 finish at state.”
Hurricane
“The boys have a lot of depth this year and it will be exciting to see how well they all support and push each other,” wrote Tigers coach Philip Armstrong.
Jarren Ence leads the Tigers varsity team that will include other varsity veterans like Landon Clark, Liam Armstrong and Isaac LeBaron.
“Look for Jorel Nugent to step it up and keep an eye out for Karter Holt, a freshman with speed and heart,” wrote Armstrong.
“The girls team will be led by Annalese Fuler, who finished in the Top 10 at state as a freshman and is back as a junior as strong and fast as ever,” Armstrong wrote.
Varsity returners on the girls team include Emily Lisonbee, Julia LeBaron and Kathlene Wheeler. Armstrong wrote that they will be joined by “…talented and strong newcomers Sophie Robinson, Tautianna Melton and Emily Lundstrom.”
Cedar
“Our boys team will have a much different look this year after graduating five of our top seven,” wrote Cedar head coach Greg Harris.
Kyler France and Cole Hansen are top returners for the Reds along with Charlie Davidson, Ryker Weeks, Britton Butterfield, Caleb Barrows, Ben Norton and Tyler Corry.
“Even with so many new varsity runners, Cedar looks to continue their run of competitive finishes at the region and state meets,” Harris wrote.
On the girls team, the Reds lost both of their top two runners including 4A individual state champion Emma Page.
But this year’s team should be strong behind top returners Mayce Dalton, Lucy Eckley, Sam Heaton and Callie Peterson.
“Newcomers Kendee Corry and Scarlett Guillen will make a Top 6 that can compete with most teams,” Harris wrote. “We feel that our team this year will end up being faster than our state champion team from last year.”
Dixie
“The Flyers have an emerging team of harriers this fall,” wrote Dixie head coach Paul Durrant.
“With graduating seniors and underclassmen graduating early on both girls and boys teams, the Flyers will have their work cut out for them in building a program that can compete in an extremely tough region,” he added.
Juniors Ethan Jepsen and Ryker McGuire will lead the boys team, Durant said.
On the girls team, Durant wrote that the Flyers have “… a solid contingent of runners returning this season. They will look forward to showing how they stack up within Region 9 and the rest of 4A.”
A trio of seniors – Brooklyn Knighton, Josie Young, Jayni Yates – leads the Flyers along with a strong duo of juniors in Hailey Clove and Rachel Walker.
Desert Hills
Thunder head coach Logan Fielding said that the entire boys team that took state last year graduated, leaving only two runners with varsity experience returning this year.
“That being said, this is a hungry and highly motivated team,” Fielding wrote.
Thunder seniors Walker Brinkerhoff, Chase Hansen, Anthony Hatch and Damon Dougherty will lead the Desert Hills boys along with a strong junior class.
The Thunder girls will look to improve upon their 5th-place finish at state last year.
Returning varsity runners Talia Skinner, Sophia Hooper, Olivia Lay and Rosalind Woolley will contribute greatly to the team’s success, Fielding said.
“We are thrilled to have Kara Olsen back with us running very well,” Fielding added. “She will play a big role this year. Rising sophomores Kendra Raiger and Cassie Olsen are hungry and highly motivated to contribute to the overall success of this year’s team.”
Snow Canyon
Head coach Travis Roberts said the Warriors had a good summer of training, working on building miles and fitness.
Roberts said that the boys team has two returning runners, James Butterfield and Jonathan Fife.
Roberts wrote, “The pack is starting to take shape. There are lots of newcomers on this team.”
On the girls team, Roberts said that six of the seven Warriors runners that ran at state last year return for this season.
“This is a young team, so it’s anybody’s guess who might have a big breakthrough,” Roberts wrote. “Aspen Kenworthy and Maggie Crosby are coming off a strong track season. We hope to break into the Top 5 at state this season.”
Crimson Cliffs did not provide information for this report.
The Region 9 cross country season gets underway Wednesday at the All-Comers Meet at Cedar High School. Girls race at 6 p.m. and the boys follow at 6:40 p.m.
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