Utah is one of the distance running capitals of the country \u2014 on the prep and collegiate scene. And its talent is on full display at the UHSAA State Track Championships this weekend.
The Cougars qualified 24 bids from an NCAA-high 69 entries at the west preliminary round, held at E.B. Cushing Stadium. Qualifying bids include 14 from the men s team and 10 from the women s team, as well as decathlete Dallin Vorkink, who did not have to compete in the regional round after previously qualifying in the top-24 for multi-event athletes by the end of the regular season.
Among the highlights were Conner Mantz, the Sky View High product who will try to become the second consecutive Cougar to win the 10,000-meter national title after Clayton Young won the most recent title in 2019 a win that paced BYU to an eighth-place team finish.
Iowa State and eighth-ranked
Florida sit a little bit off-pace from those previous six teams.
The Cougars actually closed the gap on the Tigers this past weekend by adding two national top-10 marks at the Oregon Twilight – both in the steeplechase.
Garrett Marsing went 8:34.40 for the third-best mark this season, while
Clayson Shumway finished in 8:40.11 for the seventh.
North Carolina A&T improved its ranking two spots since Week 6. The now ninth-ranked Aggies rolled to the team title at the MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Randolph Ross won the 400 in 44.60 to move up to No. 4 on the Descending Order List and make North Carolina A&T the only program with two sub-45 second athletes (Trevor Stewart sits No. 2 at 44.52 from the North Florida Invitational).
NCAA XC Men’s Preview: NAU Seeks Revenge as BYU Tries to Repeat; Can Anyone Stop Wesley Kiptoo?
First NCAA XC meet in Oklahoma? Check.
Article continues below player
First NCAA XC meet in March? Check.
First NCAA XC meet on live TV (ESPNU) since 2009? Check (TV / Streaming info here).
But the firsts we’re most concerned with here at LetsRun.com are the ones in the results. Who will be the first man and woman across the line? The first team in the results? After a 16-month wait since the last NCAA XC champs, it’s time to hand out some trophies.
“It Will Be a Bloodbath” Are You Ready for the Hardest NCAA XC Course in Recent Memory?
March 11, 2021
“This course is a different thing than we’ve seen in NCAA Cross Country Championships in a while.” Northern Arizona’s
Mike Smith
“In terms of a national championship course, it’s the hardest that I’ve seen in 21 years [of coaching].” BYU’s
Ed Eyestone
Article continues below player
“The course that we’re going to is as close to the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb as they come.” Arkansas’
Lance Harter
That is how three recent NCAA title-winning coaches describe Oklahoma State’s cross country course, which will host the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the first time on Monday.