American Fork sweeps Grass Relays records

Weekend Recap

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

American Fork UT is off to a great start to the season after breaking the team time record at their own Grass Relays on Saturday -- and the Cavemen did it without junior standout McKay Johns.

American Fork ran a combined time of 51:42, which is four seconds faster than the 2012 squad ran the early season test. 

Additionally, Timpanagos ran the fifth-fastest time in meet history (fastest non-AF team) with 51:56.  Lone Peak's boys registered the eighth-fastest time with 52:34.

The Cavemen were running without McKay Johns, the talented junior who runs up front on most occasions with Casey Clinger. Johns suffered a non-running injury over the summer, according to coach Timo Mostert, and will be out for a few more weeks. Johns is expected to return to the lineup in time for the region and state meets. 

The American Fork girls also broke the meet record, crushing their 2014 standard by 43 seconds with 61:20. 

McKenna Lee of Weber was a revelation on the course, running a record 11:13 that ripped 23 seconds off Summer Harper's 2012 record. 

For the boys, Garek Bielaczyc of East ran 9:43 to get within two seconds of Luke Puskedra's all-time course record. Talon Hull of Weber posted the third-fastest circuit in meet history with 9:48 and Clinger ran 9:49 for the fourth fastest in meet history. PHOTO GALLERY by Scott Stucki

In Texas, US#3 Carter Blunt of Frisco Independence ran 15:00.97 to kick his season into high gear on the 5,000-meter course at North Lakes Park in Denton. Southlake Carroll's boys scored 49 points for a dominant win at the Marcus I Invitational.

Ashton Endsley, a junior from Abilene, ran a very strong early season time of 17:32.46 and beat Maddy Reed of Marcus (17:43.63). Marcus scored 48 to win the team competition while Soutlake Carroll was second with 54.

In Illinois, Anna Sophia Keller of St. Anthony, the Class 1A champion, ran 18:02 at the First to the Finish Kick Off Meet in Edwardsville in really humid conditions. Keller has done limited mileage this summer coming back from an injury so Saturday's result was an encouraging sign. ... At the Normal West Invitational, Maryjeanne Gilbert of Peoria Notre Dame ran 17:30 to get the win on a 3-mile course.

In North Carolina, at the Providence Invitational at McAlpine Greenway Park in Charlotte, Libby Davidson from EC Glass VA won the girls championship race with 18:09. The talented junior had her hands full, though, with eighth grader Jessie Crowley of Riverside SC running second in 18:16. Riverside showed its considerable depth with five finishers in the top 18. 

In the boys race, Mitchell Resor of Weddington NC ran 15:23 for th win. It was a really entertaining team race, with Needham Broughton taking the win with 97 points while Weddington was next with 98 and Mount Tabor NC was third with 99.

In Alaska, a the state preview meet on the Bartlett Trails, the West Anchorage boys and Chugiak girls won the team titles. Ty Jordan of Chugiak ran 15:42.6 to win the varsity boys race by four seconds over Gus Schumacher, a sophomore from Service. In the girls race, sophomore Molly Gellert of West Anchorage ran off with a 18:42.3 victory that was 24 seconds clear of second place. ... Also, way up north on the Arctic coast at Barrow, the Whaler Invitational was held. Alaina Wolgemuth of Barrow and Harry Baldwin of Kotzebue were the individual winners.