Vikings' McKenna races to victory

All season long, they've been wearing T-shirts at Viewmont High reading "We're behind McKenna . . . every step of the way." Wednesday afternoon, the rest of the state was behind him as well.

The talented Viking junior won the 5A boys state cross-country championship in a blazing time of 16:06.2 for the three-mile course through Sugarhouse Park. Brian McKenna's time was the fastest of all racers on the day, and run during the hottest time of maybe the hottest state finals in Utah history. Temperatures were well above 80 degrees on the Highland High track where runners finished.

While McKenna was taking 5A medalist honors, team trophies went to Bingham, Mountain View, Cedar, North Summit and St. Joseph.

"There were so many great runners out here today that I just tried to run my race," McKenna said. He laughed at the T-shirts, printed by fellow Viking students as a sign of support for him, and the rest of his team. "It really helps to have that support."

The Bingham Miners ran what coach Jeff Arbogast said "was by far our best race of the year" to win the 5A team title. The Miners did it with depth, as their highest finisher was Kevin Merriman in seventh. But all five scoring runners were in the top 23, allowing Bingham to win the title after several second-place finishes in the past five years. Bingham's last boys' state title was in 1996.

"Every one of these kids ran great today," Arbogast said. "They just picked the right time to run their best races."

Mountain View's Steve Strickland captured the 4A medalist honors, and helped the Bruins to their seventh straight boys' title. Strickland finished in 16:06.6, with teammate Jared Keller in second. He said the intense heat affected him, just like it did every other runner.

"I tried to pace myself for the first mile, taking it easy," he said. "After that, I kind of got used to the heat and decided to try and take off. The hills were definitely harder today in the heat."

It also continued the record-setting total of state championships for Bruins' coach Dave Houle who, coupled with the girls' title Mountain View also won, now has 62 state championships. At least one national publication was on his cell phone to him immediately after the 4A boys' race, planning to run a story on those championships this week.